Indira Parthasarathy is the pen name of acclaimed Tamil writer of modern times, R. Parthasarathy. Indira is his wife. Ee-Paa is his nickname. He is the only Tamil writer to have won both the Sangeeth Natak and Sahitya Academy Award (during the years 2004 and 1977 respectively). Parthasarathy is only the second Tamil writer to receive Padma Shri, after Jayakanthan. He received the honour in 2010. He is also the recipient of Saraswathi Samman Award, and many more honours. His mastery over Tamil language is indeed remarkable.
Biography of Indira Parthasarathy: The Master Playwright and Novelist
His early days, education, and career as an academician
He was born into a traditional Iyengar family in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on July 7, 1930. He was brought up in Kumbakonam. Parthasarathy was a voracious reader during his childhood. In his Vaishnavite home, the poetry of the Alwars was part of daily ritual.
He took graduation and post-graduation degrees in Tamil literature from Annamalai University, and later obtained a doctorate at the University of Delhi, based on his research work, ‘Vaisnavism in Tamil between Seventh and Nineth centuries’.
During the 1950s, he worked as a Tamil teacher in Madrasi Higher Secondary School, New Delhi. During the 1960s, he worked as a lecturer at Dyal Singh College of Delhi University. Later, he worked at Central Pondicherry University. He has had an incredible career as an academician for decades. He organized the school of performing arts and also served as the director of culture in the same university. He has also served as a visiting professor at many international universities.
His career as a playwright and novelist
Indira Parthasarathy published 16 novels, 10 plays, anthologies of short stories, and essays. Kuruthi Punal (1977) is Indira Parthasarathy’s most celebrated work. It won the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award. When he blended Marxist ideologies with deep Freudian psychological analysis, it was a completely fresh approach in Tamil fiction at the time.
Aakasa Thamarai, Mayaman Vettai, Theevukal, Yesuvin Thozhargal, Suthanthira Bhoomi, Helicoptergal Keezhe Irangi Vittana, and Krishna Krishna are the other major novels written by Parthasarathy.
He has also penned some plays including – Uchchi Veyyil, Porvai Porthiya Udalgal, Aurangazeb, Nandan Kathai, and Ramanujar. His novel, Uchi Veyyil, was adapted to the silver screen by the famous director, K.S. Sethu Madhavan. The movie titled Marupakkam (1991) won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Parthasarathy has established himself as a voice of many tones, adding dimensions to characters resonating with political issues.
His works revolutionized modern Tamil theatre and literature. Indira Parthasarathy is widely credited with bringing intellectual, philosophical depth to the Tamil stage. Through his works, he dealt with intense psychological realism, intellectual satire, and sharp critiques of orthodox social structures. He rejected the Kalaimamani award for its taking-the-artiste-for-granted impersonality. Beyond his creative writing, he served as a cultural ambassador.
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