Randamoozham

Sometime in 1984, while we were in high school, our Malayalam teacher M.S. Dany told the class one day about an upcoming book. He said there is an important writer called M.T and his new novel has started serializing in Kalakaumudi weekly. It has been named രണ്ടാമൂഴം (Randamoozham). One needed to read it at least twice to imbibe it fully, he added. The writer was then 51 years old and already a veteran in the writing business. Dany sir was right. The novel which examines the Mahabharatha epic through the eyes of the second Pandava the much-maligned Bhima, turned out to be his masterpiece.

Afterward, our generation became huge MT fans with the release of the movie നഖക്ഷതങ്ങൾ soon after our SSLC. A string of good films followed....ആരണ്യകം, പഞ്ചാഗ്നി, താഴ്‌വാരം, വൈശാലി, ഒരു വടക്കൻ വീരഗാഥ, കടവ്, പെരുന്തച്ചൻ.... I was working in Bombay (it was not Mumbai yet) when 62-year-old MT won the country's highest literary honor Jnanapith Award for Randamoozham in 1996. Malayalis decided to give him a reception in the city and so I too attended the evening function at Matunga which was also graced by director Hariharan, actor Suresh Gopi, business tycoon Goodknight Mohan, Chakyar Rajan (MT later cast him as the karyasthan in എന്ന് സ്വന്തം ജാനകിക്കുട്ടി), et al. MT kept chain smoking on stage when others spoke!

MT is the greatest living Malayalam writer today. He started quite young and was only 19 when he won an International short story prize for വളർത്തുമൃഗങ്ങൾ. Having excelled in film (script and direction) I wonder what is coming between him and the Phalke award. Now 33 years after രണ്ടാമൂഴം (The English translation of the novel done by Gita Krishnankutty is titled Bhima: Lone Warrior).

In recent times a film project was announced on the movie and it fizzled out after the proposed makers sat on it for too long, irking MT. But interestingly many debates ensued in social media as to how the book portrays religious epic heroes in poor light. This is the sad part of the whole affair. How I wish people did not link organized religion and great epics of the world. Ramayana, Mahabharata, Illiad, Odyssey... can't we see them as great works of literature and that alone! No text should be a sacred text. This will mean newer writers have poetic license to make free interpretations without facing mudslinging.



Bhima in the epic was much sidelined. MT empathized with him and tried to raise his stock. That is the charm of the book. The superstar status of Arjun continues unabated to this day. Ever wondered why there are more Arjun Tendulkars around than Karan Johars and Bhimsen Joshis!

(2018)