O. N. V. Kurup | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (1931-05-27)27 May 1931 |
| Died | 13 February 2016(2016-02-13) (aged 84) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India |
| Education | Master's |
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation(s) | Poet, lyricist, professor |
| Notable work | Agni Shalabhangal, Aksharam, Uppu, Bhoomikkoru Charamageetham, Ujjayini, Swayamvaram |
| Title |
|
| Spouse | Sarojini |
| Children | Rajeevan, Mayadevi |
| Parent(s) | O. N. Krishna Kurup K. Lakshmikutty Amma |
| Awards | |
Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (known asO. N. V. Kurup; 27 May 1931 – 13 February 2016) was aMalayalam poet and lyricist fromKerala, India, who won theJnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He received the awardsPadma Shri in 1998 andPadma Vibhushan in 2011, the fourth and second highest civilian honours from theGovernment of India. In 2007 he was awarded anHonorary Doctorate byUniversity of Kerala,Trivandrum. O. N. V. was known for his leftist leaning. He was a leader ofAll India Students Federation (AISF).[1] He died on 13 February 2016 at KIMS hospital inThiruvananthapuram due to age-related illnesses, aged 84.[2]
O.N.V Kurup was born to O. N. Krishna Kurup and K. Lakshmikutty Amma, on 27 May 1931 atChavara,Kollam (Quilon) in Kerala.[3][4] He lost his father when he was eight. His childhood days were spent in Chavara, where he attended the government school. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics from SN College,Kollam, he moved toThiruvananthapuram city where he joined Travancore University (nowKerala University) and pursuedMaster of Arts inMalayalam literature.
O.N.V. was a lecturer atMaharajas College –Ernakulam,University College – Thiruvananthapuram, Arts and Science College –Kozhikode, andBrennen College –Thalassery. He joined Government Women's College –Thiruvananthapuram as the Head of Malayalam Department. He was also a visiting professor atCalicut University. He retired from service in 1986.[4]
He received theJnanpith Award, India's highest literary award, for the year 2007.[5] He was the fifth Jnanpith laureate fromKerala and the secondMalayalam poet to win the award.[6] According to a statement by Bharatiya Jnanpith, the trust which presents the award, Kurup began his career as a "progressive writer and matured into a humanist though he never gave up his commitment to socialist ideology".[7]
He was settled atVazhuthacaud inThiruvananthapuram, with his wife Sarojini, who was also his student in his early days. ONV Kurup died on 13 February 2016, due to age-related ailments at KIMS Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 84. He was cremated with full state honours at Thycaud Santhikavadam crematorium, which was named for him. At the time of his cremation, 84 singers representing the 84 years of his life, led byK. J. Yesudas, paid homage to him by singing his poems and songs. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.[citation needed]
O. N. V.'s first published poem was 'Munnottu' (Forward) which appeared in a local weekly in 1946.[8] His first poetry collection,Porutunna Soundaryam, came out in 1949. He published a book namedDaahikunna Paanapaathram (The Thirsty Chalice) which was a collection of his early poems during 1946–1956.[9]
| # | Name | Translation in English | Year of publishing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daahikunna Paanapaathram | The ThirstyChalice | 1956 |
| 2 | Marubhumi | The Desert | |
| 3 | Neelakkannukal | Blue Eyes | |
| 4 | Mayilpeeli | Peacock Feather | 1964 |
| 5 | Oru Thulli Velicham | A Drop of Light | |
| 6 | Agni Shalabhangal | Fire Moths | 1971 |
| 7 | Aksharam | Letter | 1974 |
| 8 | Karutha Pakshiyude Paattu | Song of a Black Bird | 1977 |
| 9 | Uppu | The Salt | 1980 |
| 10 | Bhumikku Oru Charama Geetham | A Requiem to the Earth | 1984 |
| 11 | Sharangaka Pakshikal | Indian Cuckoo Birds | 1987 |
| 12 | Mrigaya | Hunting | 1990 |
| 13 | Thonnyaksharangal | Nonsense Alphabets | 1989 |
| 14 | Aparahnam | Afternoon | 1991 |
| 15 | Ujjayini | Ujjain | 1994 |
| 16 | Veruthe | Gratis (For Nothing) | |
| 17 | Swayamvaram | Swayamvara (matrimony) | 1995 |
| 18 | Bhairavante Thudi | Drum ofBhairavan | |
| 19 | Oyenviyude Ganangal * | Songs of O.N.V. | |
| 20 | Valappottukal ** | Pieces of Bangle | |
| 21 | Sooryageetham ** | The Song of Sun |
*Collection of 1500 songs.**Poems for children
| # | Name | Translation in English | Year of publishing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kavitayile Samantara Rekhakal | Parallel Lines in Poetry | |
| 2 | Kavitayile Pratisandhikal | Crisis in Poetry | |
| 3 | Ezhuthachan – Oru Padanam | Ezhuthachan – A Study | |
| 4 | Patheyam | Food carried | |
| 5 | Kalpanikam | Imaginative | |
| 6 | Pushkin – Swatantrya Bodhatinte Durantagatha | Pushkin - The Tragedy of the Sense of Freedom | |
| 7 | Pokkuveyil Mannil Ezhuthiyathu | Written on The Dusty Ground (Autobiographical Writings) |
In addition to the valuable contributions, he had given to the Malayalam literature, he was one of the leading lyricists inMalayalam film/drama/album industry. He was the part of many dramas byKerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) which has a major remark in the revolutionary movements of Kerala.Kalam Marunnu (1956) was his first film which was also the first film by the famous Malayalam composerG. Devarajan. Since then, he has been active in film until his death and was honored with onenational award and fourteen state awards (the most by a Malayalee). He has penned about 1000 songs[10] in about 232 films and numerous songs for plays and albums. His partnerships withSalil Chowdhury andM. B. Sreenivasan were so popular in Malayalam film industry. He has made many hit songs with popular music directors, includingG. Devarajan,Raveendran,V. Dakshinamoorthy,M. S. Baburaj,M. K. Arjunan,K. Raghavan,Ilaiyaraaja,Shyam,Johnson,Bombay Ravi,Mohan Sithara,M. G. Radhakrishnan,S. P. Venkatesh,Ouseppachan,Vidyadharan andM. Jayachandran.
O. N. V. has won numerous awards for his literary works.[14][15]
ONV won theKerala State Film Award for the Best Lyricist fourteen times:
ONV won theKerala Film Critics Association Award for theBest Lyricist seven times:[25]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
