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അഗ്നി | Agni
The book tells the story of a remote village of special nativity in simple style and with compassionate humor. The backdrop of socio-cultural ambiance presented in the novelette is real and unique to that time period in Kerala.
Agni in Sanskrit means fire. The story explores various dimensions of the love-violence equation and provides a delightful reading experience.
The book was filmed in India. Now a part of the Indian Panorama of Feature Films, Agni has been screened at major international film festivals including Mannheim, Istanbul, Moscow and Locarno.
Agni in Sanskrit means fire. The story explores various dimensions of the love-violence equation and provides a delightful reading experience.
The book was filmed in India. Now a part of the Indian Panorama of Feature Films, Agni has been screened at major international film festivals including Mannheim, Istanbul, Moscow and Locarno.
68 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2013
2 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
സി.രാധാകൃഷ്ണൻ | C.Radhakrishnan
83 books78 followers1939 ഫെബ്രുവരി 15-ന് ജനിച്ചു. കുറെക്കാലം കൊടൈക്കനാൽ ആസ്ട്രോഫിസിക്സ് ഒബ്സർവേറ്ററിയിൽ സയന്റിഫിക് അസിസ്റ്റന്റായിരുന്നു. സാഹിത്യപ്രവർത്തക സഹകരണസംഘത്തിന്റെ പ്രസിഡന്റ്, ഭാഷാപോഷിണി, മാധ്യമം എന്നിവയുടെ എഡിറ്റർ എന്നീ സ്ഥാനങ്ങൾ വഹിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. അഗ്നി, പൂജ്യം, ഉൾപ്പിരിവുകൾ, പിൻനിലാവ്, പുഴ മുതൽ പുഴവരെ, സ്പന്ദമാപിനികളേ നന്ദി, മുൻപേ പറക്കുന്ന പക്ഷികൾ, പുള്ളിപ്പുലികളും വെള്ളിനക്ഷത്രങ്ങളും, ഇവിടെ എല്ലാവർക്കും സുഖംതന്നെ എന്നിവ പ്രധാന കൃതികൾ. കേരള സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമി അവാർഡ് (1962), അബുദാബി മലയാളി സമാജം അവാർഡ് (1988), കേന്ദ്ര സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമി അവാർഡ് (1989), വയലാർ അവാർഡ് (1990) എന്നിവ നേടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ചില ചലച്ചിത്രങ്ങൾ തിരക്കഥയെഴുതി സംവിധാനം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ട്.
C. Radhakrishnan (Malayalam: സി രാധാകൃഷ്ണന്) (15 February 1939) is a renowned writer and film director in Malayalam language from Kerala state
C. Radhakrishnan (Malayalam: സി രാധാകൃഷ്ണന്) (15 February 1939) is a renowned writer and film director in Malayalam language from Kerala state
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July 19, 2014
One could well say at the outset that the all-pervading emotion of ‘Agni’ is violence. But as you proceed further, it is not violence alone that rules, but a strange interplay between love and violence. And this bizarre proportion could disturb the reader to the core.
‘Agni’ was originally written in Malayalam in 1963. But the political setting narrated could well fit into the current scenario also, thereby closing the gap of 51 years. Besides, it has been chronicled so vividly that it would not be a stupendous task for any reader, alien to Kerala, to feel the pulse of the state and the district where the story unfolds.
To begin with, the story is set in a village, Chamravattom in Malappuram district, which is also the author’s native place. When the story opens, Moosa, the village butcher has slaughtered his boy assistant and walked away. The severed head still lies there. While narrating the geography, politics and other associated elements which are required to set a backdrop, the author clearly explains that the place is not known for human sacrifices. Hence, when this murder occurs, one would wonder whether it is a case of human sacrifice. But it is not.
Moosa’s 17-year-old daughter Amina, who is lame, had been missing since the night before this fateful incident. Perhaps this might have irked Moosa and, unfortunately, his wrath might have fallen on the poor boy. People are frightened for they know that his fury is yet to subside. His daughter had eloped with her lover Sulaiman. The story has a few characters - Moosa, Amina, assistant boy, Mulla and Amina’s lover Sulaiman. The story revolves around them. But it is Moosa who takes the story forward.
If the reader tries to fathom the real emotion guiding Moosa, the protagonist, it is not going to be an easy task to reach any conclusion. For the book offers a lot of room to explore the undulating emotions which lie hidden in him. You could well take in the anger from an enemy but not from somebody whom you cannot segregate either as a friend or an enemy. Such is the case with Moosa. He would appear beastly. But the emotion he showers on his disabled daughter even after he discovers that she is pregnant out of wedlock would force the reader to think otherwise. But it would not take you too long to reverse the opinion.
Moosa is not totally devoid of love. But, strangely, he had taken a drastic step. The poor boy was forced to suffer a humiliating end for no reason of his own. The reader would be horrified to know that love has manifested itself in a strange and cruel way. For an English reader, who is not well-versed with the works of Radhakrishnan, this is a good introduction.
‘Agni’ was filmed in 1973. As part of the Indian Panorama of Feature Films, ‘Agni’ has been screened at major international film festivals including Mannheim, Istanbul, Moscow and Locarno.
C Radhakrishnan, the acclaimed man of letters, entered the literary scene when he won the novel contest conducted by the Mathrubhumi weekly at the age of 19. His novel ‘ Nizhalppadukal’ topped the 127 entries. Such a contest in novels was perhaps the first of its kind in the state. On many platforms, the author has said that if there were no such contests, there would not have been a writer called C Radhakrishnan.
Being a writer and film director in Malayalam, he has won accolades from various quarters. He was honoured by the Sahitya Akademi in 1989, for ‘Spandamapinikale Nandi’ and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi in 1962, for ‘Nizhalpadukal’. He won the Vayalar Award in 1990 for ‘Munpe Parakkunna Pakshikal’, and the Mahakavi G Award in 1993 for ‘Verpadukalude Viralppatukal’. His works have been translated into various Indian and foreign languages. He was also chosen for the Padmaprabha Puraskaram in 2007.
‘Agni’ was originally written in Malayalam in 1963. But the political setting narrated could well fit into the current scenario also, thereby closing the gap of 51 years. Besides, it has been chronicled so vividly that it would not be a stupendous task for any reader, alien to Kerala, to feel the pulse of the state and the district where the story unfolds.
To begin with, the story is set in a village, Chamravattom in Malappuram district, which is also the author’s native place. When the story opens, Moosa, the village butcher has slaughtered his boy assistant and walked away. The severed head still lies there. While narrating the geography, politics and other associated elements which are required to set a backdrop, the author clearly explains that the place is not known for human sacrifices. Hence, when this murder occurs, one would wonder whether it is a case of human sacrifice. But it is not.
Moosa’s 17-year-old daughter Amina, who is lame, had been missing since the night before this fateful incident. Perhaps this might have irked Moosa and, unfortunately, his wrath might have fallen on the poor boy. People are frightened for they know that his fury is yet to subside. His daughter had eloped with her lover Sulaiman. The story has a few characters - Moosa, Amina, assistant boy, Mulla and Amina’s lover Sulaiman. The story revolves around them. But it is Moosa who takes the story forward.
If the reader tries to fathom the real emotion guiding Moosa, the protagonist, it is not going to be an easy task to reach any conclusion. For the book offers a lot of room to explore the undulating emotions which lie hidden in him. You could well take in the anger from an enemy but not from somebody whom you cannot segregate either as a friend or an enemy. Such is the case with Moosa. He would appear beastly. But the emotion he showers on his disabled daughter even after he discovers that she is pregnant out of wedlock would force the reader to think otherwise. But it would not take you too long to reverse the opinion.
Moosa is not totally devoid of love. But, strangely, he had taken a drastic step. The poor boy was forced to suffer a humiliating end for no reason of his own. The reader would be horrified to know that love has manifested itself in a strange and cruel way. For an English reader, who is not well-versed with the works of Radhakrishnan, this is a good introduction.
‘Agni’ was filmed in 1973. As part of the Indian Panorama of Feature Films, ‘Agni’ has been screened at major international film festivals including Mannheim, Istanbul, Moscow and Locarno.
C Radhakrishnan, the acclaimed man of letters, entered the literary scene when he won the novel contest conducted by the Mathrubhumi weekly at the age of 19. His novel ‘ Nizhalppadukal’ topped the 127 entries. Such a contest in novels was perhaps the first of its kind in the state. On many platforms, the author has said that if there were no such contests, there would not have been a writer called C Radhakrishnan.
Being a writer and film director in Malayalam, he has won accolades from various quarters. He was honoured by the Sahitya Akademi in 1989, for ‘Spandamapinikale Nandi’ and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi in 1962, for ‘Nizhalpadukal’. He won the Vayalar Award in 1990 for ‘Munpe Parakkunna Pakshikal’, and the Mahakavi G Award in 1993 for ‘Verpadukalude Viralppatukal’. His works have been translated into various Indian and foreign languages. He was also chosen for the Padmaprabha Puraskaram in 2007.
July 12, 2015
Bloody Good Life – A review of the novel ‘Agni’
“Poverty is the worst form of violence.” -Mahatma Gandhi
Author C. Radhakrishnan’s novelette ‘Agni’ is a finely crafted introspection into the emotion of love and its myriad forms. The source of many different emotions found in men can often be traced back to this single emotion. And it’s often the tipping point that makes our mind oscillate between the different levels of sanity. The good and the bad that comes out of it have always stupefied humanity and the following story is a fine example of the human mind’s predicament when engulfed in an all consuming fire, the Agni (fire) of love.
People born and brought up in the same milieu as the characters in the book will fully appreciate the familiarity and sense of belonging the author’s writing conjures up in one’s mind. And for the rest of the world perhaps unfamiliar with such native scenes this small book will be a series of awakening to an exotic world full of exotic possibilities. And you needn’t understand or have prior knowledge of local customs beforehand to enjoy it, because the scintillating wordplay and vivid imagery will calm your mind and comfort your heart as any soothing lullaby would.
While describing the social and cultural mood of the place a bit of satire creeps into the author’s tone but it’s all good and you can chuckle at such irrelevance because most of it stands true to the place and the time it’s set in. But perhaps a discomforting thought for readers would be that in many places the government machinery still moves at that same lethargic pace as it did almost 50 years ago.
Violence and cruelty form a part of everyday life for the inhabitants of the small village and the protagonist Moosa is their chief mascot. Although it’s claimed that such violence is not part of their local traditions, the people simply don’t know any better and perhaps it’s merely a reflection of the times they lived in where the need for human survival prioritized over feelings of empathy. And nowhere is it more obvious than on various animals that have to bear the brunt of the human animal’s flippant attitude towards them, alternating between extreme love and hate.
Moosa is a terror of a man but there is a lot of good in him and inwardly he tries to be a just man but he often succumbs to the expectation of his own conceptualized image. He’s a person whose world view is limited by his upbringing and experience and also by his strong bond and love towards his only daughter. Amina, Sulaiman, Mulla, the assistant boy, Kumbhan and a few others are a wonderful group of characters soaked in the local milieu that bring to the forefront delectable flavors of rural customs and life in the interiors.
“Poverty is the worst form of violence.” -Mahatma Gandhi
Author C. Radhakrishnan’s novelette ‘Agni’ is a finely crafted introspection into the emotion of love and its myriad forms. The source of many different emotions found in men can often be traced back to this single emotion. And it’s often the tipping point that makes our mind oscillate between the different levels of sanity. The good and the bad that comes out of it have always stupefied humanity and the following story is a fine example of the human mind’s predicament when engulfed in an all consuming fire, the Agni (fire) of love.
People born and brought up in the same milieu as the characters in the book will fully appreciate the familiarity and sense of belonging the author’s writing conjures up in one’s mind. And for the rest of the world perhaps unfamiliar with such native scenes this small book will be a series of awakening to an exotic world full of exotic possibilities. And you needn’t understand or have prior knowledge of local customs beforehand to enjoy it, because the scintillating wordplay and vivid imagery will calm your mind and comfort your heart as any soothing lullaby would.
While describing the social and cultural mood of the place a bit of satire creeps into the author’s tone but it’s all good and you can chuckle at such irrelevance because most of it stands true to the place and the time it’s set in. But perhaps a discomforting thought for readers would be that in many places the government machinery still moves at that same lethargic pace as it did almost 50 years ago.
Violence and cruelty form a part of everyday life for the inhabitants of the small village and the protagonist Moosa is their chief mascot. Although it’s claimed that such violence is not part of their local traditions, the people simply don’t know any better and perhaps it’s merely a reflection of the times they lived in where the need for human survival prioritized over feelings of empathy. And nowhere is it more obvious than on various animals that have to bear the brunt of the human animal’s flippant attitude towards them, alternating between extreme love and hate.
Moosa is a terror of a man but there is a lot of good in him and inwardly he tries to be a just man but he often succumbs to the expectation of his own conceptualized image. He’s a person whose world view is limited by his upbringing and experience and also by his strong bond and love towards his only daughter. Amina, Sulaiman, Mulla, the assistant boy, Kumbhan and a few others are a wonderful group of characters soaked in the local milieu that bring to the forefront delectable flavors of rural customs and life in the interiors.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews