Pudhumaipithan

C. Viruthachalam (25 April 1906 – 30 June 1948), better known by the pseudonym Pudhumaipithan (also spelt as Pudumaipithan or Puthumaippiththan), was one of the most influential and revolutionary writers of Tamil fiction.

His works were characterized by social satire, progressive thinking and outspoken criticism of accepted conventions.

Contemporary writers and critics found it difficult to accept his views and his works were received with extreme hostility.

He as an individual and his works have been extensively reviewed and debated for over sixty years since his death.

His influence has been accepted and appreciated by the present day writers and critics of Tamil fiction.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Tirunelveli Hindu college in 1931.

In the same year he married Kamala and moved to Madras.

His career as a writer began in 1933 with an essay "Gulabjaan Kaadhal" (Love for Gulab jamun) published in the magazine Gandhi.

His first short story "Aatrangarai Pillaiyaar" (Pillaiyaar on the river bank) was published in 1934 in "Manikodi" and from then on his short stories appeared regularly in it.

His short stories appeared in a number of magazines like Kalaimakal, Jothi, Sudantira Chanku, Oozhiyan and Thamizh Mani and the annual issue of Dina Mani.

He worked briefly as a sub editor at Oozhiyan and later at Dina Mani.

Pudumaippithan's active writing period was less than 15 years (1934–46) in which he wrote nearly 100 short stories, an equal number of essays on a variety of subjects, 15 poems, a few plays and scores of book reviews.

His writings gave him a reputation as a maverick.

His works were influenced by the French short story writer Guy de Maupassant among others.

The subjects he wrote on and the characters he chose to portray were completely new to Tamil fiction.

He felt that Tamil literature had been crippled by unspoken conventions and openly criticized those who adhered to them.

In one of his essays he expressed his displeasure as:

We have been having a notion that there are certain things that can be said and certain things that cannot be said in (Tamil) literature; and we have lived with that philosophy.

But that is not the truth.

For nearly two hundred years we have lived a life of parasites.

We don't even dare to see issues straight on the face and that is why we have been providing excuses for ourselves.

If literature can give birth to the malicious Ravana, blood sheds and sinful allegories, why can't it give a place to the poor prostitute?

The society doesn't rust because of that.

Moreover, there is no way to preserve an antique that has already rusted.

He was unfazed by the hostile reception that his works received from contemporary writers and critics alike.

Dismissing his critics, he wrote :

Just like God is not bound by theologians, my creations are not bound by your conventional standards.

I am not responsible for that and neither are my creations.

I would like to point out it is YOUR standards you are using to judge my creations.

To voice his views he used a wide range of characters, both common – husbands wives, students, children, rickshaw pullers, villagers, beggars, whores, oppressed people, saints, revolutionaries; and uncommon – God, ghosts, monsters, hospital beds.

Some of his favourite themes were – conflicts between emotion and reason, Hindu religion – its rules, rituals and laws, caste system, struggles for survival and oppression of women in the Indian society.

In 1940, his book "Pudhumaipithan Kadhaigal"(The stories of Pudhumaipithan), an anthology of his short stories was published.

He slowly ventured into the world of Tamil cinema and worked as a scriptwriter in the films Avvaiyaar and KaamaValli.

In 1943, he left Dina Mani to join Dinasari.

In 1945, he started "Parvatha Kumari Productions" and made an abortive attempt at producing a film called "Vasanthavalli".

While working for the movie "Raja Mukthi", in Pune he contracted tuberculosis.

He died on 5 May 1948 in Thiruvananthapuram.

In 2002, the Government of Tamil Nadu nationalised the works of Pudumaippithan.

Pudhumaipithan was born in Thiruppadirippuliyur (Cuddalore district).

His early education was obtained in places like Gingee, Kallakurichi and Tindivanam.