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| R.M.Chidambaram, Mumbai |
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For his contribution to Telugu literature, Chidambaram, a Malayalee has been honoured by the Central Language Institute, Mysore, with an award that is given only once in five years. Born in Kerala, brought up in Andhra Pradesh and settled in Mumbai, the story of Chidambaram is as interesting as some of the stories he has penned.
And the pride of place in that story should go to his bosom friend of almost 3 decades whom he met for the first time after 27 years of correspondence. Chidambaram, whose very first story was published in the prestigious magazine, ‘Bharathi’, later wrote a flood of stories. However, after he migrated to Mumbai, the flow of creative writing stopped for almost 30 years.
His pen friend Subba Rao was a fan turned friend and well-wisher who kept writing to him. It was his physical meeting with his friend that brought him back to the thick of the literary field. After visiting Chidambaram, Subba Rao returned to Andhra Pradesh only to advertise in magazines for the lost works of the Malayali author. The response was overwhelming and from the stories thus collected he edited and published the selected works titled ‘R.M.Chidambaram Kadhulu’. The book is sponsored by the New York based Ravikumar and his wife whom the author does not know. Yet the book is dedicated to them. This too was an act of Subba Rao.
Last year the famous critic Sri Viranji reviewed an old story of Chidambaram. After praising the story, the critic wondered why the author has not written anything for the past 30 years and whether he was alive.
And now he has picked up the pen thanks to such encouragement from diverse quarters. Words taper into silence when he tries to express his deep sense of gratitude to his pal. “A relationship from the previous birth,” is how he comments about the improbable friendship.
Courtesy: Raju Mathew (text), Prasanth Natkar (photo), Sree, Malayala Manorama, February 2, 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
