Vaikom is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located 33 km (20.5 mi) north of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about 152 km (94.4 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Vaikom has a population of 23,234 people, and a population density of 2,661/km2 (6,890/sq mi).
VaikomMuhammad Basheer, popularly referred to as Beypore Sulthan, was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, a humanist and an Indian independence activist. He was a novelist and short story writer noted for his path-breaking, down-to-earth style of writing that made him equally popular among literary critics as well as the common man. His notable works include Balyakalasakhi, Shabdangal, Pathummayude Aadu, Ntuppuppakkoranendarnnu, Mathilukal, Janmadinam and Anargha Nimisham and the translations of his works into other languages have earned him worldwide acclaim. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honor of the Padma Shri in 1982. He was also a recipient of the Sahitya Academy Fellowship, Kerala Sahitya Academy Fellowship, and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story. He was a recipient of the Vallathol Award in 1993.
Mathilukal is a Malayalam novel written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer in 1965.
P. K. Pokker is an Indian academic, who works as the Professor of Philosophy in Calicut University. He is the former director of State Institute of Languages, Keralabhasha Institute. Then, from 1 July 2015 to July 2017 he became Senior Fellow of Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR)New Delhi, and Visiting Professor Vaikom Muhammed Basheer Chair, Calicut University from 2018 to 2021 February. Now he is Dean of Social Sciences ,Thunjathezhuthachan Malayalam University, Tirur, Kerala. The first book, Aadhunikotharathayude Keraleeya Parisaram published in 1996 got wider attention in Kerala and won Thayat award for literary criticism in 1997. In 2007 he got Kerala Sahithya academy award for scholarly literature. In 2023 Kerala sahitya academy conferred Vilasini award for his study of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. In the first book an attempt was made to reveal the role of new theoretical approaches especially in understanding the cultural scenario of the world after cold-war. He has attended many national and international seminars. In academics he produced a number of PhDs and M.Phil scholars. There are about forty research articles and a good number of News paper- News weekly articles at his credit.
Viddikalude Swargam is a Malayalam short story collection by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1948. The book is one of the best acknowledged works of Basheer and is considered a modern Malayalam classic.
Mathilukal (transl. Walls) is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language film written, directed, and produced by Adoor Gopalakrishnan based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The film focuses on the prison life of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and the love between him and Narayani, a female inmate of the prison, who remains unseen throughout the film. Mammootty plays the role of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer while K. P. A. C. Lalitha gives voice to Narayani. The film was screened at the Venice Film Festival.
Mucheettukalikkarante Makal is a novel by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1951. Written in the colloquial tongue and filled with exceptional humour, the novel remains a best seller in Malayalam literature.
Anuragathinte Dinangal is a book by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1983. The author himself has traced Anuragathinte Dinangal to the diary he had kept of a Hindu girl's love for him frustrated by the objection from her parents and Basheer's refusal to hurt them. The book was originally titled Kaamukante Diary but was changed later on the suggestion of author M. T. Vasudevan Nair.
Anargha Nimisham is a collection of short stories by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1946. Unlike other works by Basheer which are filled with humour and satire, stories of Anargha Nimisham mostly deal with philosophical and spiritual aspects.
"Ente Thankam" is a short story written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. It is his first published work. Originally published in the now-defunct newspaper Jayakesari in 1937, it was later published in the collection Vishappu under the name "Thankam". A path-breaker in Malayalam romantic fiction, it had its heroine a dark-complexioned hunchback.
Visappu (Hunger) is a collection of short stories by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1954. The collection includes Basheer's first story "Ente Thankam" which is titled "Thankam" in the book. This story originally appeared in the Ernakulam-based newspaper Jayakesari in the year 1937. The other stories include "Visappu" (Hunger), "Marunnu" (Medicine) and "Pishachu" (Devil). Visappu is considered as a modern classic in south Asian literature.
Maranathinte Nizhalil is a novel by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1951. In this novel, Basheer has not followed his usual style of humour and sarcasm. It is an isolated work because of the subjective presentation of some of the hard experiences of its hero, and its technique resembles more or less the 'stream of consciousness' method.
Cheviyorkkuka! Anthimakahalam is a book by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer published in 1992. The book includes the speech given by Basheer on the occasion of being conferred the Doctor of Letters by University of Calicut on 19 January 1987. It was the last book of Basheer published during his lifetime.
Balyakalasakhi is a 2014 Malayalam language film adaptation of the famous novel of the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The romantic musical drama film was written and directed by debutante Pramod Payyannur and stars Mammootty, Isha Talwar, Meena, Seema Biswas, KPAC Lalitha and Mamukkoya in lead roles.
Kathabeejam is a one-act play written by Malayalam language author Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The play was written by Basheer in a period of few weeks and was conceived for the 16th anniversary of Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishath. It was published as a book in May 1945 and was Basheer's only play. The protagonist of the play is a writer named Sadasivan.
Dharmarajyam is a collection of essays written by Malayalam language writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. These politically charged essays were written against the policies of the then Diwan of Travancore Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer. The book was published in 1938 and was Basheer's first published book. The book was banned by the Travancore government in the same year. It is said that Basheer himself got these printed and sold them at local shops and households, going on foot. Subsequently, he was jailed for two years for conspiring against the government. The book was re-released by DC Books in 2008.
E. M. Ashraf is a Malayalam writer, film critic and Journalist. He is currently the director of Middle East, Kairali TV. He has written numerous books and articles in Malayalam language, most notably the biographies of veteran Malayalam writers Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and Sukumar Azhikode. His interview with late Indian painter M. F. Husain was published in Malayalam and later translated into Arabic and English.
Ronald Eaton Asher was a British linguist and educator specialised in Dravidian languages. He was a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1964), a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1991), and an honorary fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.
"Vishwavikhyathamaya Mookku" is a short story written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and published in 1954 in an anthology of the same name. The story is regarded as a classic in Malayalam literature.
"Neelavelicham" is a short story written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. Beginning with the introduction of one of the miracles of the narrator's life, the story is about the tender relationship that develops between a young writer who must live in a house notorious for being haunted and the ghost of a girl who is believed to haunt the house. The story is included in the collection Pavapettavarude Veshya.
