N.Vinoth Kumar
To
me, Balachandran Chullikkad got introduced by his poetic lines which appeared
in one of the short stories published by a Tamil magazine. The words go like
this: Life is a miracle. It always stocked an unexpected thing for you!
That
abruptly hauled me into his world of writings. Though I didn’t know the
language Malayalam, I had an insatiable yearning to read his writings.
Then
came, his translated poem over late actress Srividya, that appeared in Ananda
Vikatan, a popular Tamil weekly. Titled ‘Soundarya Lahari’, the poem
shoved me to search for his writing even more.
Finally,
albeit, I didn’t get the Tamil translation works of his writings, I landed up
in reading his autobiographical essay collection. Written in his mother tongue,
the book titled as ‘Chidambarasmarana’ Malayalam for ‘Chidambara
Ninaivugal’. The book translated into Tamil by K.V.Shailaja and published
by Vamsi Books, Tiruvannamalai.
In
this book ‘Poet’ Balachandran Chullikkad reminisces about his life in the past
and makes naked depositions as a humble ‘Bala’.
Starting
from his student days, dealing the relationship with his father with a kind of
cowardice, his guilty over aborting his child while he and his spouse were
still college students and that’s just because of lacking money, his
acquaintance with celebrities, his relationship with women, even losing his
face by a girl over whom he made sexual attempts…Chullikkad shares his
happenings and mishaps, unabashedly.
A
reader will be shocked to hear that such a great poet once sold his blood for a
pittance. But even in that poverty, he tried to be a Good Samaritan by giving
his blood-soaked money to one of the patients he met in the hospital.
On
another occasion, he strives to put off the fire in his belly. He was hungry
and searching for food. It was an auspicious day. While all other people
celebrating Onam, Chullikkad was left with hunger. All the hotels were closed
in near by surroundings. He doesn’t find a fistful of food to sate his
appetite.
Fortunately,
after a detour he finally lands in a house as a beggar. Pitied, the woman in
the house serves him. Midway, he confronts a girl who was shocked to see that a
great poet eating in her home that too in the floor as a beggar. Whether you or
I, being in that place probably we would have fled in spur of the moment. But,
Chullikkad accepts that confrontation with overwhelmed sorrow and continued to
tuck in.
He
also reminisces about his rendezvous with Tamil film actor the great, Shivaji
Ganesan. Chullikkad admires not only about the acting skills of Ganesan, but
also his out-of-stardom qualities. Really, Tamils can held their heads high.
Amidst
heart-wrenching incidents, there are some light moments fills the void. During
one of his visit to international book fair, where he meets a old lady who
issues a broadside over Swedish language as ‘a poor language’, simply because
it doesn’t had Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography.
In
one place, he says that ‘Poetry may be a decoration for those who are affluent.
But it is a malediction for the deprived’. Contemplating on the words we
realise… c’est la vie!
Throughout
the book the writing style is lucid and he doesn’t use any frills. That innate
quality makes the reader engaging. K.V.Shailaja has made a commendable effort
as a translator and this work turns to be a tour de force.
Overall,
to put it laconically…. A depressing book which I have read in recent times!
