This year is somewhat important for Telugu literature in the sense that many stalwarts were born exactly 100 years ago and thus, the Telugu literary fraternity is celebrating Birth anniversaries. One such writer, who also is one of the intelligentsia, is Tripuraneni Gopichand. (1910-1962) He is a writer of many moods and nuances. A fiction writer par excellence, a philosopher, a Radio Producer, a Film Director, a critic — Gopichand was a man who represented Telugu people’s myriad ways of expression of that time (during 1950s and 60s).
Most writers in India, who grew up in the 40s and 50s received influences from different sources because that was the age of ‘imports’ from all over India as well as from the West. Gopichand was no exception to this; the major influence on him was his father, Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Choudary, who spear-headed the Rationalist and anti-Brahmin movement in Telugu literature. Later, he was influenced by Marxist thought, Aurobindo and M N Roy’s philosophy; as for literature, he was influenced by Bernard Shaw, Henrik Ibsen and Oscar Wilde, by his own admission. But the best thing about this vociferous reader and prolific writer, was his openness to new thoughts and ideas.
Admittedly, this openness may have given an impression of vulnerability and inconsistency; but, he was first and foremost a creative artist and only later a theoretician. Though he was influenced by most philosophers and social theorists, he did not bow in to them, without applying them to life and experience. That
was where he differed from many of his great contemporaries; he put all his theories to test in life and accepted only those which reflected in his experience; and others, which remained only abstract theories without base of experience, he rejected. In his magnum opus novel, Asamarthuni Jeevayatra (The Life of an Imbecile) this is the theme he discusses; in this
exquisitely written novel (the very first psychological novel in Telugu, written in 1945)
the protagonist cannot make adjustment with life and his theoretical world and ultimately commits suicide.
Gopichand was a fearless writer; he did not mince words; he was openly critical of the then extremely popular Romantic movement; he made fun of romantic poets in his short stories; he also made fun of one of the greatest modern writers of Telugu, Chalam, in his stories (though, one cannot say he really understood Chalam); he also made caricatures of many of his
acquaintances, which must have earned him a lot of enemies. As a fiction writer (he wrote 11 novels and a few hundreds of short stories) he excelled in psycho analysis of the characters. He could look deep into the recess of the human mind with kindness and sympathy. His lucid and natural style, the realism and variety in his subjects, his empathy towards the down-trodden, endear him to all types of readers.
Probably, his unique (though controversial) offer to Telugu readers is his philosophical compilations, Tatvavettalu (Philosophers) and Postu Cheyyani uttaralu (Letters Never Posted). As a fiction writer he had earned enough name and fame; but the philosophical bent in his mind would not be satisfied unless he became an essayist. The above two were of that kind. In his choice of philosophers (from Marx to Annie Besant) he probably showed the evolution in his own life style and thinking. He was also successful as a film writer and director, though left that glamour field before it enveloped him.
Gopichand, cannot probably be described as a universally admired writer; he is severely criticised by Marxist and Rationalist critics of present day; but he left an indelible mark on Telugu fiction with his deep concern for humanity which came out in all sincerity through his novels and short stories.