Selected stories from C V Sreeraman with a study by Suneesh K. This collection has his 16 most popular stories: Irikkapindam, Chidambaram, Ponthanmada, Seemathamburan, Kausalya Moothamma, Vasthuhara, Oorlose, Velutha Pakshiye Kaathu, Dukhitharude Dukham, Ottuchedi, Mankra, Thevarude Thumpi, Ishtadanam, Sooni Ma, Kshurasya Dhara, Duravastha Pinneyum Vannappol.
C. V. Sreeraman (February 7, 1933 - October 11, 2007) was an Indian writer who wrote short stories and novels in Malayalam. He was the Vice Chairman of Kerala Sahitya Akademi. C. V. Sreeraman's stories stand foremost core to the theme, as exemplified by his Anayasena Maranam (Dying an Easy Death) and Railway Palangal (The Rails). He has won the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1999 for his collection of short stories Sreeramante Kadhakal and Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for the collection Vasthuhara.
Sreeraman's stories were intelligently told and suffused with humanism. The breadth of his experience as a lawyer and government official helped him create a richly imaginative body of work. He drew upon a rich and varied source of imagery and subject matter. His works include Puthuma Illathavarude Nagaram, Chidambaram, Kshurasyadhara, Theerthakkavadi, Dukhitarude Dukham, Puramkazhchakal, Vasthuhara, Chakshu Sravanagalasthamam and Entosy Valiamma. His stories were translated into English and German, and several Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi and Oriya.The visual quality of his narration attracted filmmakers. Vasthuhara, Chidambaram (G. Aravindan), Purushartham (K. R. Mohanan) and Ponthan Mada (T. V. Chandran) were based on Sreeraman's stories
A very interesting collection of stories. C.V Sreeraman captures the lives of people in these pages and lets them talk to the reader. One can't help stroll through the old times, revisiting the ancient villages, and taking a glimpse of the old souls that hover around. Almost all the stories, I felt were heavy in their human emotions and came to an end almost as soon as they began. It was more like the numerous glimpses one takes in sitting at the window of a train while embarking on a journey - there are so many and by the time you cohere what you just saw, you are already witnessing something else.
It is quite evident why G.Aravindan connected to many of these stories and visualized them in his universe.
രണ്ടായിരത്തിപ്പതിനഞ്ച് ആദ്യം ഈ പുസ്തകം വായിക്കുന്നതിനിടയ്ക്ക് ചെന്നൈയില്നിന്നും ബംഗളൂരിലേക്ക് ഒരു സുഹ്റ്ത്തിന്രെ മകളുടെ വിവാഹം സംബന്ധിച്ച് യാത്രചെയ്യേണ്ടിവന്നു. യാത്രയില് വായിക്കുവാനായി ഈ പുസ്തകംതന്നെ എടുത്തു. എയര്പോര്ട്ടില് കാത്തിരിക്കുന്പോഴും, ബംഗളൂരിലേക്ക് ടാക്സിയില് സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്പോഴും വായനതന്നെ. കല്യാണമണ്ഡപത്തില് ടാക്സിയിറങ്ങിയപ്പോള് സീറ്റില് കമ്ഴ്ത്തിവെച്ചിരുന്ന പുസ്തകമെടുക്കാന് മറന്നുപോയി. ഒരു കഥ വായിക്കാന് ബാക്കിയുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. തിരിച്ചു ചെന്നൈയിലെത്തി ആ ഒരു കഥയ്ക്കുവേണ്ടി പുസ്തകം വീണ്ടും ഓണ്ലൈയ്നില് മേടിച്ചു. കഥ വായിച്ചു. അതാണ് എന്റെ ശ്രീരാമലഹരി. പുസ്തകം രണ്ടാരിരത്തിപ്പതിനഞ്ചിലെ പ്രളയത്തെ അതിജീവിച്ച് എന്നോടൊപ്പമുണ്ട്. ഈയിടെ മറ്റൊരു സമാഹാരം കയ്യില് കിട്ടി. ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിലെ നാലഞ്ചു കഥകള് പുതിയ സമാഹാരത്തിലുണ്ട്. മിച്ചമുള്ളത് വീണ്ടുമൊന്നു വായിക്കാന് കൊതിയായി. വായിച്ചു. സൂക്ഷിച്ചുവെച്ച കല്യാണസാരിപോലെയാണ് ഈ കഥകള്.
When the mohanlal starrer vasthuhara released in 1991, or mammooty one ponthanmada after a couple of years, the movies did not make much sense to a 10 year old kid back then. As the years progressed, chidambaram and yatrayude anthyam followed with the movie goer, but it was after 20 more years that he's directly interacting with the originals of all these classics - by cv sreeraman. Just like we could feel the Delhi winter in mukundans works, Sreeraman s stories are depicted in around post independence era andaman,bengal etc. Finishing the books will reinforce a feeling that he had definitely given a strong framework to the film makers to mould their characters , touching you beyond the movie originals.
Some of these stories were really astonishing like 'വാസ്തുഹാര', 'ഒട്ടുചെടി' & 'വെളുത്തപക്ഷിയെ കാത്ത്'. But some of them are really disappointing because of its effort to please the popular beliefs about reservation and land reform projects. On one hand he broke some stereotypes, on the other, he enjoyed using them.For example see how he portrays a foreign brother-in-law in' ഇഷ്ടദാനം', or a government official in 'ദുരവസ്ഥ: പിന്നെയും വന്നപ്പോൾ '. But, after all I genuinely admits that some of his stories will remain as my favourites.
one of the best story tellers in malayalam literature. the stories are well written and extremely well detailed. the images that he creates through words in mind of a reader is spectacular. impeccable selection of the plots for the stories. no wonder that master filmmakers in Malayalam have made his works in to films. i absolutely love this mans work.