Senior Member, Retd Govt official Seethalakshmi, having so much interest in group activities and good rapport with popular Tamil Writers has come from the USA and organised a meet with Writer Vikraman at the Ashoknagar residence of Retd Director / A I R Mrs. Punithavathy Elangoven, whose Father-in-law was Dr. Rasamanickanar, the Great Historian!
About ten of our members were present. The meeting took off exactly at 1900 hrs. Introduction by Madam was too good. To the point. "Dear Vikraman, please talk about Kalki since you have seen and moved with him." And Mr. Vikraman, a Senior Citizen and President of Tamil Writers' Association, stuck to the guidelines and speak only about Kalki - NOT about HIMSELF or about HIS Works!
What a Great Surprise! Mr. Vikraman himself was a Great Fan of Kalki and started Kalki Readers Forum as early in 1943! Forerunner PS e-Gp!
Kalki lived in Lake View Road, West Mambalam, near Kasi Viswanathar temple and under the leadership of Vikraman's Ezhuthalar peravai, it was resolved to RENAME THE ROAD AS 'AMARAR KALKI SALAI' and sent to the Government a few years back!
The back ground for writing Parthiban Kanavu. A forerunner before opening the magnum opus PS!
Kalki stayed with Rasikamani TKC in Maamallapuram for about 5 - 6 days and was thrilled with the unfinished marvels etc. He created imaginary characters as Main characters and through them brought out the back ground of real historical characters - his method of story telling! Chettinad Raja, Annamalai (who later became Sinna Annamalai of Kumudam) were some of his Admirers!
He avoided majority of his admirers because he was over working and attending music critisim, political ariticles apart from various literary works in writing. He hardly appeared in the stage. After leaving Anandavikatan in a rift with Dyon SS Vasan in film making of Parthiban Kanavu, he was financially supported by Renowned Musician MSSubbulakshmi. He joined Rajaji and started an Ashram in Tiruchengodu and brought out a magazine. Vikraman has written extensively on these things in Amudhasurabi.
His name Kalki is NOT named after his mother Kalyani as popularly believed, but named after Thiru Vi Kalyana Sundaranar. He avoided Astrologers, Religeous Heads and was always thinking of the welfare of the society. He cared for Southern Politicians like Sathiamurthy getting respect in the Northern India.
He travelled extensively because of his involvement in Freedom movement. He flew to Ceylon with SS Vasan & Maali in a three Seater Plane of Vikatan and made observations before writing on Ceylon in the PS.
When PS was published by Kalki Weekly in during 50s, every Friday evening, after 730 pm, there used to be long queue in front of Higginbothoms Egmore and readers were given Kalki only if they agreed to purchase Vikatan! Still there was long queue!
According to Mr. Vikraman, NO OTHER WRITER would have/had EVER ENJOYED this kind of HERO STATUS in any Indian Language and certainly NOT in Tamil Language before or after Kalki!
Those who attended the meet are suprised by the UNRESERVED APPRECIATION OF KALKI'S WORKS by a fellow Writer like Vikraman - who takes pride in calling himself an ardent fan of Kalki and has undertaken to write sequels only to quench the curiosity of readers!
We can organise similar meet again in common place on a Week end when members desire!
We do not know how to reciprocate the love and affection showered by Member Seethalakshmi, Mrs. Punithavathi Elangovan, her son Kumaravelu (who enacted PS drama in the stages about 6 yrs back!) his wife who served food to us and sister and all the other members of the family!
The entire Family is dedicated to History in General and Ponniyin Selvan in Particular!
Re PONNIYINSELVAN DRAMA visual we have seen after the Dinner, I leave it to the best hands of those present other than me to present and bring out the impact it has created in us! More than Superb!
Another mile stone .. may be another beginning .. let us wait and hear all the views!
I really envy all those who attended the above meeting. Thanks for giving us a detailed report of the meeting. Learned a lot of new details about Amarar Kalki. I am egar to know about the play of PS.
> Another mile stone .. may be another beginning ..
Dear SPS That was an excellent recount I wish I could have been listening to all these on this end of the phone But Thanks to the blasts and my foolishness of not taing my car charger... It was great gesture to rename the Road Amarar Kalki Salai.. No wonder Kalki stands tall That his contemporaries respected him so much...