Ponjikkara Rafi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Raphael (1924-04-12)12 April 1924 |
| Died | 6 September 1992(1992-09-06) (aged 68) |
| Occupation(s) | Essayist, playwright, novelist, short story writer, screenwriter |
| Notable work |
|
| Spouse | Sabeena Rafi |
| Parents |
|
| Awards | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works |
Joseph Raphael (12 April 1924 – 6 September 1992), better identified asPonjikkara Rafi, was an Indian essayist, playwright, short story writer and a novelist ofMalayalam literature. His oeuvre consists of short story anthologies, novels, philosophical works and screenplays but he is best remembered for two novels,Daivadhoothan, regarded as the first Malayalam novel written instream of consciousness narrative style, andOra Pro Nobis, a historical novel based on theDutch colonial rule. He was also the author ofKaliyugam, a philosophical work jointly written with his wife,Sabeena Rafi, which fetched him theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works in 1972.
Ponjikkara Rafi was born Joseph Raphael on 12 April 1924 in Naduvathezhathu family of Ponjikkara, an islet inMulavukad panchayat, along the coast of (thenCochin State) present dayErnakulam district, in the south Indian state ofKerala, in a family of carpenters as the seventh among the nine children born to Shouryar Joseph[note 1] and Anna.[1] After early schooling at Ponnarimangalam School, he shifted toSt. Albert's High School in the mainland but could not complete his high school studies. Subsequently, he passed a vocational course inblacksmithy from Government Trade School and started his career as a fitter at the work shop of theCochin Port.[2] His stay at the port was short as he was terminated from service in the wake of his participation in a workers' strike and his next job at the Indian Aluminium Company,Aluva, as a crane operator, also ended the same way. Later, he shifted his focus to journalism and literature and was associated with magazines such asSuprabha,Udayam andDemocrat;[3] it was atDemocrat, he had the opportunity to work alongsideC. J. Thomas, the noted playwright. He also worked withVaikom Muhammed Basheer as a partner, when the renowned author ranCircle Book Stall, a book shop inErnakulam.[4] In 1966, he joined theSahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, a writers' co-operative, where he worked until 1974, in different capacities as those of a production assistant, reader and as the manager of National Book Stall, the retail wing of the society.[5]
Rafi marriedSabeena,[6] who was five years elder to him,[1] in 1963, following a period of romance,[7] but the couple did not have children.[5] He died on 6 September 1992, at the age of 68;[8] his wife had predeceased him on 22 June 1990.[6]
Rafi published eleven short story anthologies, eight novels, two plays and three essay compilations.[9] His literary journey started with his first published story,Antonyude Vagdhanam (Antony's Promise), which was published in Sathyanadam weekly and the first anthology,Bhavi, was published in 1945.[2] His earlye novels portrayed theCochin Portuguese creole culture[10] and of the eight novels he wrote,SwargadhoothanandOra Pro Nobisare the more notable ones.Swargadhoothan, a novel in three parts and published in 1958 is known to be the first Malayalam novel written instream of consciousness narrative style[8] andOra Pro Nobis is a historical novel detailing the life ofDutch colonial Kochi.[2][11] InSwargadhoothan, Rafi envisioned the islets around Kochi getting connected to the mainland in 1958 and it became a reality whenGoshree bridges were opened in February 2004.[12] He also wrote a detective novel,Padakkuthira Missi and two plays,Mathai Master andMezhukuthiri. One of his non-fiction books,Marxism, Oru Thirinjunottam, co-written with his wife, is a detailed study of theMarxian theory and its spiritual aspects; the book also has a critique onMother ofMaxim Gorky.[13]Kaliyugam, a Sabeena Rafi co-written work, is a study of human behaviour from early ages, with a philosophical perspective.[5] The book fetched him theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works in 1972.[14]
Rafi entered the film world by writing the screenplay and dialogues forKoodappirappu, aJ. D. Thottan, released in 1956.[15] One of his stories,Minnaminungu, was adapted into a film under thesame name byRamu Kariat in 1957 and Rafi wrote the screenplay for the film.[16] He was reported to have assistedVayalar Rama Varma to gain entry into films.[3] He held the position of the secretary of theKerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad from 1966 to 1974 and served as the vice president of the Parishad for a brief period.[2] Pranatha Books, a Kerala-based publisher, has instituted an annual award,Ponjikkara Rafi Award, for recognizing excellence in Malayalam literature and the first recipient of the honour wasSebastian Pallithode.[17]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Biography in the work, Literary contributions of Ponjikkara Raphy'
