D. Jayakanthan, popularly known as JK, was an Indian writer, journalist, orator, filmmaker, critic and activist. Born in Cuddalore, he dropped out of school at the age of 9 and went to Madras, where he joined the Communist Party of India. In a career spanning six decades, he authored around 40 novels, 200 short stories, apart from two autobiographies. Outside literature, he made two films. In addition, four of his other novels were adapted into films by others.
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, popularly known as Thakazhi after his place of birth, was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. He wrote over 30 novels and novellas and over 7 short stories focusing on the lives of the oppressed classes. Known for his works such as Kayar and Chemmeen, Pillai was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the third highest Indian civilian award. He was also a recipient of the Jnanpith, India's highest literary award, awarded in 1984 for the novel Kayar.
Madhupal Kannambathu is an Indian film actor, director, and screenwriter who works in Malayalam cinema. Madhupal made his acting debut with Kashmeeram in 1994 and his directorial debut with Thalappavu (2008), which was about Naxal Varghese and won several awards in 2008.
Thinakkal Padmanabhan, popularly known as T. Padmanabhan, is an Indian short story writer of Malayalam literature. He is a recipient of several awards including the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary award of the Government of Kerala. He declined some of the earlier awards he was selected for which include Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1973), Odakkuzhal Award (1995) and Sahitya Akademi Award (1996). Mahatma Gandhi University conferred on him the honoris causa degree of the Doctor of Letters in 2018.
Kandanisseri Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan or V. V. Ayyappan, better known by his nom de plume Kovilan, was an Indian Malayalam language novelist and freedom fighter from Kerala. He is considered one of the most prolific writers of contemporary Indian literature. In all, he had authored 11 novels, 10 collections of short stories, three essays and a play. Though the settings of his stories varied from military camps in frozen Himalayas to obscure village in Thrissur, he brought to bear a universal dimension on them transcending the limitations of space and time. Though initially he was branded as a writer of military stories, Kovilan soon proved that he looked at life with its varied dimensions. His works like Thottangal, A Minus B and Ezhamedangal reflected the existential dilemmas of human beings instead of depicting mere external situations and realities in a linear mode. But Kovilan received the highest critical appreciation for his later work Thattakam, a powerful and poignant portrayal of generations of people in his ancestral hamlet.
P. C. Gopalan, popularly known by his pseudonym, Nandanar was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. He was known for his novels and short stories which had the backdrop of the Indian Army barracks of the 1940s and 1950s as well as for his children's literature. Anubhavangal, Ira, Thokkukalkkidayile Jeevitham, Athmavinte Novukal, Ariyappedatha Manushyajeevikal, Anubhoothikalude Lokam and a series of stories with Unnikkuttan as the lead character are some of his better known works. He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel in 1964 for his work, Athmavinte Novukal.
George Varghese Kakkanadan, commonly known as Kakkanadan, was an Indian short story writer and novelist in the Malayalam language. His works made break from the neo-realism that dominated Malayalam literature through the 1950s and 1960s. He is often credited with laying the foundation of modernism in Malayalam literature. He is a recipient of Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards in addition to numerous other awards and recognitions.
Subhash Chandran born in Kerala, India, is a Malayalam novelist, short story writer and journalist best known for the 2010 novel Manushyanu Oru Aamukham. His stories "Vadhakramam", "Sanmargam", "Parudeesa Nashtam" and "Guptham" have been adapted into films. He is the only writer to get Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for both his debut story collection (2001) and debut novel (2011).
Devan Sreenivasan, is an Indian film and television actor, producer, and politician from Kerala. He is known for his character roles in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu language films. After many second hero and supporting actor roles, he advanced to a lead actor with his films like Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam (1987), Oozham (1988), Simon Peter Ninakku Vendi (1988) and Aranyakam (1988). His well-known movies such as Vietnam Colony (1992), Ekalavyan (1993), Honest Raj (1994), Baashha (1995) and Indraprasdham (1996).
Akbar Kakkattil was an Indian short-story writer and novelist from Kerala state.
U. A. Khader was an Indian author. He published in Malayalam, including novels, novellas, short stories, travelogues and non-fiction. His works have been translated to various languages including English, Hindi and Kannada. He was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009 for his novella Thrikkottur Novellakal and had earlier received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for Thrikkottur Peruma.
Thoniyan Puthiyapurayil Shihabuddin, better known as Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu or Shihabuddin Poithumkadavu ,(Malayalam: ശിഹാബുദ്ദീൻ പൊയ്ത്തുംകടവ്; born 29 October 1963) is an Indian writer, journalist, poet, orator and television personality. He is a creative writer in Malayalam who has been writing short stories, novellas, novels, essays and poems since 1982. His works have appeared in all leading Malayalam magazines viz. Mathrubhumi weekly, Malayala Manorama annuals, India Today, Bhashaposhini, Kerala Kaumudi and the Samakalika Malayalam weekly. Most of his books have run into multiple editions with the sales of each book crossing around 10,000 copies. His stories have been prescribed by the Kerala State Education Board, University of Calicut, Mahatma Gandhi University and Kerala University as text books. He has also been translated to English, Hindi, Tamil and Arabic. He has been felicitated with awards several times by organizations such as the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, various other literary and cultural societies in India and abroad. He has scripted and directed many tele-films and serials, for Doordarshan, Asianet and Surya TV, including the script for one of the first mega serials in the Malayalam television, Kasavu. As a literary journalist, Shihabuddin has associated with three major weeklies: Poonkavanam (Kozhikode), Chandrika (newspaper) Weekly,(Kozhikode) Pravaasachandrika (Dubai) and Gulf Life in the capacity of editor and chief editor. He has traveled extensively in Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, accepting the invitation of Malayali literary and cultural organizations. He was the Chief Program Designer, Rahma Television Productions, in Kozhikode. Yarrikkum Vendatha Kan, his Tamil collection of short stories translated by KV Shylaja, published by Vamshi books, Tiruvannamalai. Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu was born on 29 October 1963 at Poythumkadavu near Valapattanam in Kannur district, Kerala. He is married to Najma, now working in a Government Higher Secondary School near Pattambi as an English teacher, and the couple has 4 children. He has resided in Kunnamkulam, Thrissur district since 2000.
Vietnam Veedu Sundaram was an Indian playwright, screenwriter and film director. He wrote films such as Gauravam, Vietnam Veedu, Gnana Oli, Satyam, Grihapravesam, Justice Gopinath, Annan Oru Koyil, Naan Yen Pirandhen and Naalai Namadhe. He also directed a few films and is well known for his family themes. He written stories films in languages such as Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He also worked as an actor in films and television.
Azeez was an Indian film actor in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 100 films. He came into the movie industry as a villain, later he started doing character roles, such as police officer, jailer, and minister. He was a Deputy superintendent (D.Y.S.P) in Kerala Police. He was a member of K.P.A.C., which was a prominent leftist drama troupe in Kerala, and thus he got famous as "K.P.A.C Azeez".
Poovankery Francis Mathew is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and a screenplay writer in Malayalam film and Television industries. A Winner of a National Film Award for Best Screenplay and multiple State television and other literary awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel, he is known for his original style of writing. Literary works such as Muzhakkam, Kadalinte Manam, Adiyalapretham, Iruttil Oru Punyalan, and Chaavunilam and screenplays such as Sararaanthal, Mikhayelinte Santhathikal, Megham, Kutty Srank and Ee.Ma.Yau are his major works.
Shaiju Mathew is an Indian Canadian author, screenplay writer, movie reviewer and director, known for his 2010 book Knocked Up. Knocked Up is set to become a feature film in Hindi, with Mathew co-producing. A Marathi movie Timepass loosely based on Knocked Up released in February 2014. The film was the highest grossing Marathi film until the release of Lai Bhaari in the same year, which broke its record. Andhra Pori starring Puri Akash son of Puri Jagannadh is also based on Mathew's novel Knocked Up.
Anupurath Krishnankutty, popularly known as Mundur Krishnankutty, was a Malayalam–language writer from Kerala state, India. He was born in Mundur in Palghat to parents Manakulangara Govinda Pisharody and Anupurath Madhavi Pisharasyar. He completed schooling from Parali High School and mastered in English literature from Government Victoria College, Palakkad. He obtained a B.Ed degree from NSS College, Ottapalam and worked as a teacher in Palakkad VVP High School, Palakkad PMG High School and Chittoor Training School.
Vinu Abraham, is an Indian short story writer, novelist, script writer and media person writing in Malayalam language hailing from Nedungadappally, near Thiruvalla in Pathanamtitta district of the south Indian state of Kerala. For the past 30 years he is based in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. His short stories and articles appear regularly in Malayalam periodicals in Kerala. He has published 23 books so far and penned screenplays for 7 Films.
Joseph Raphael, better identified as Ponjikkara Rafi, was an Indian essayist, playwright, short story writer and a novelist of Malayalam literature. His oeuvre consists of short story anthologies, novels, philosophical works and screenplays but he is best remembered for two novels, Daivadhoothan, regarded as the first Malayalam novel written in stream of consciousness narrative style, and Ora Pro Nobis, a historical novel based on the Dutch colonial rule. He was also the author of Kaliyugam, a philosophical work jointly written with his wife, Sabeena Rafi, which fetched him the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works in 1972.
Palakkalthazhe Mathai Mathew popularly known as Dr. P. M. Mathew Vellore, was an Indian psychologist, columnist, writer and actor from Kerala, credited with popularizing the subjects of Psychology and Sexology in Kerala. He was known for his clinical service as well as for the several psychology-related articles and columns he wrote in Malayalam periodicals during the last quarter of 20th century. He was also the author of over 20 books and acted in three Malayalam films.
