As celebrations galore in Europe to mark the 150th anniversary of a renowned classic novel, before which the masters of the genre Leo Tolstoy and Dostoevsky bowed their heads, its reverberations are felt in Kerala as well.
Yearlong events are being held in the state as part of the sesquicentennial celebrations of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables (1862), a novel of profound humanism and genuine compassion which had enlightened the writers, political activists and literary enthusiasts around the world. A committee comprising prominent writers and academicians, chaired by former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University N A Karim, is spearheading the events in the state. While briefing on the relevance of the celebrations Karim said that a re-reading of the classic manifesting the great ideals of human dignity and justice can arouse a new political conscience in the state.
Over the years the novel has got more than hundred and seventy film adaptations in different languages. The movie Neethipeedam released in Malayalam in 1977 is a free rendering of the novel in the Kerala context.
Veteran actor Madhu who essayed the lead role in the movie proudly remembered it as the most challenging and beautiful role in his career.
Madhu’s character Velayudhan in the movie was that of the novel’s protagonist Jean Valjean. It was one of the most remarkable performances of the actor after his role in Chemmeen.
Better known as Paavangal in Kerala after the epoch-making translation by Nalappat Narayana Menon in 1925 Hugo’s novel had a pivotal role in moulding the socio-political sensibilities of erstwhile literary luminaries in Malayalam, including Basheer, Thakazhi and Kesavadev. Poet Vallathol’s remark that Paavangal should be read in front of ‘nilavilakku’ as if devouring a sacred text is a befitting testimony to the novel’s influence in the society then. “It was an astonishing factor that a man of an elite class had translated a novel on the poor, that too before the emergence of the progressive literature movement in the language,” said N A Karim. New editions of the novel’s translation have hit the book stalls recently. Venu V Desam, a noted translator of classics in Malayalam, who recently rendered a fresh translation of the novel suiting the sensibilities of present day readers, said that the work was well received by the literary enthusiasts in the state.
In his foreword to the latest edition of Paavangal writer M Mukundan has described the work as ‘the mother of all novels’.
‘Make youngsters, including students and emerging politicians, read Paavangal’ is the motto of the celebrations in the state. The organisers are of the view that it will cleanse their minds and enlighten their subjectivities. A slew of programmes, including talks by eminent writers, film shows, staging of plays, painting exhibitions and scriptwriting competition will be held across the nook and cranny of the state as part of the celebrations.
The festivities have already been held with the vibrant participation of eminent writers and literary enthusiasts at Thiruvananthapuram, Thodupuzha, Angamaly, Kozhikode and Thalassery.
Writer N Prabhakaran who inaugurated the gathering at Thalassery said that Paavangal is a ‘must read’ for politicians and a re-reading of the novel would make politics more humane and meaningful.