So, what was referred to in the ‘Sangam’ period as ‘Pazhanthamizh’ was spoken there too. Parts of today’s Kerala state were once part of Tamil Nadu. It is true that there are close links between Tamil and Malayalam. The Ramacharitam written in the 12th Century, based on the epic Ramayana, is one of the oldest written works in Malayalam.
In comparison with Tamil, it is somewhat young. Can you explain this and also elaborate on the birth and growth of Malayalam?Īccording to scholars, the Malayalam language as it is spoken today came into being about 700 years ago. Research indicates that among the South Indian languages, there is a close relationship between the languages Tamil and Malayalam. A walking encyclopaedia, he has world literature at his fingertips. “M.T.”, as he is popu¬larly called was awarded the National Award four times for the best film script, and he received the Kerala State Award fourteen times for the best screenplay. He was thrice the recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Central Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, all of them the highest honours for literature. The river Bharathapuzha flowing through the village Kuddallur was witness to my interview with him and to our soulful conversations on knitting India through literature. We travelled together to many places to meet the writer Mohammed Basheer, to the memo¬rial of Thunjathu Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam literature, and to his village. He is slightly reserved, but when he begins to speak, it is with depth and passion, and they are words of wisdom about the panorama of life.
His hair is dishevelled, and he always car¬ries a packet of beedis and a matchbox in his left hand. His dhoti trails on the ground, and the gold chain around his neck is clearly visible through the carelessly donned half-open shirt. Each time I met him I was frankly overawed by his intellect. We met several times after that, exchanged views and conversed for hours. Vasudevan Nair said when I met him for the first time in 1989 during the Kavirathiri programme organised by the Agni Trust. But more than that, I am closer to the stream that flows through my village - that is far more precious to me.” This is what M.T. “I have heard about the mighty oceans, and I have been overwhelmed by them. From the Book KNIT INDIA THROUGH LITERATURE – Volume I – the SOUTH
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