Charu Nivedita

Charu Nivedita is a Tamil writer.He began writing at young age, and since then, has traversed the road less travelled, for over 35 years. He lives in Chennai. He introduced the literary genre Autofiction in India. He is best known for his transgressive works that are appreciated and criticized in equal measure. He writes columns in many leading English Dailies like Deccan Chronicle, Asian Age, etc. He is well known in Kerala through his writings.He is the only writer to attain a cult status in India.

Career

Charu Niveditha can easily be termed as the most controversial among Tamil writers of this period. His works are either deeply venerated by those who adore him or dismissed as pulp-fiction by those who criticize him. He is known for his racy style of writing and his ability to write on untouched topics with ease.

His first novel is Existentialismum Fancy Baniyanum. It had an entirely different way of storytelling that shattered the cultural beliefs ^{[citation needed]}about the body and mind, considered until then a taboo. It was about how a young man overcomes the angst of his life through his writings. The emergency regime which affected the Indian life in the seventies and the lives of a few friends which were sacrificed in the NAXALITE movement and the French existential thought were the key factors which made him to write this novel.

His next novel, his Magnum Opus Zero Degree is considered to be one of the best in transgressive fiction, as it completely transformed what is termed as taboo. It had also been reviewed by various magazines like tehelka.

His next novel Raasa Leela proved to be a satire on governmental red tape-ism and the nuances of the novel successfully portray pragmatically the cry of a man lost amidst the numerous, colossal walls and pillars of the labyrinth that the system has created, his agony and his thirst to break the shackles.

Charu Nivedita wrote his next novel Kaamarooba Kadhaigal as an internet novel. He says thus about the novel: "Lust is a celebration; at the same time, it's a hell where cruel dreams are executed. This is the first time conflicting thoughts emerged in my works. There cannot be any sort of parody towards such thoughts, as it is not possible to do so when these thoughts emerge from the man-woman relationship which becomes more psychological than in any other context. I can say, this is the continuation of the Greek pathos plays created 2500 years ago. According to me, it appears that this novel talks about the bestiality in a man-woman relationship. We can trace the roots back to the Greek epics and Marquis De Sade's works. Euripides’ Medea's blood-chilling ululation can be very well sensed in the near end of this novel."

He also adds, "While writing this novel, there was a crowd of young, beautiful women around me. But I experienced loneliness and emptiness to the core. On the contrary, in spite of living like a recluse currently, I do not experience emptiness now. The philistine crowd can never enter the world of a creator. They are like shells and bones without life inside them. Loneliness and other such feelings are absolutely impossible in the life of a man who traces his roots back to the numerous artists the world has seen so far. It is at this point that my autobiographical writing differs from my life, however similar they both may be. What the protagonist Perumal attains in this novel, is bitterness and when he is able to overcome the bitterness through his writing, he attains the state of bliss."

Charu Nivedita has also written numerous articles on various topics such as politics, literature, music, cinema, post-modernism, general human beliefs and many more. His essays, articles and novels have the satirical parody towards being a goat in the herd, and they convey the message of humanism, peace and harmony, as an ultimate goal in life. He is a social activist too, having participated in various movements and protests against the governmental oppression in the neighboring state Kerala where his writings are more popular than his native Tamil Nadu state and has represented the people in doing so. His latest Novel Exile was promoted in YouTube as a promo trailer.This is the first time a Tamil Novel got promoted through YouTube and other Social Media Websites by his readers group and fans.

Exile Novel got released on December 6, 2011 at Kamarajar Arangam,Chennai.The Novel was released by film lyricist Vaali. "Kokkarokku" character in the novel, gained favourable audience among readers although it is not author's favourite.

Quotes

"There is nothing like planning in my literature, at any point of time. It’s something which gets written between the schizoid state and dreams. Hence, with this same reason, I cannot comment on my writing. Like how I don’t accept the roles of a father, a son, a lover, a friend – I despise the role of a writer too. My writing is nothing but the brush strokes of a person trying to escape from hell"— Charu Nivedita.

Publications

Novels

1. Existantialisamum Fancy Baniyanum (எக்ஸிஸ்டென்ஷியலிஸமும் ஃபேன்ஸி பனியனும்)
2. Zero degree (ஸீரோ டிகிரி) - Tamil / English / Malayalam
3. Kaamarooba kadhaigal (காமரூப கதைகள்)
4. Thegam - (English version will be released soon)
5. Rasaleela - (English version will be released soon)
6. Exile - (English/French/Malayalam will be released soon)

Short stories

1. NaNo
2. Madumitha Sonna Pambu Kadhaigal (மதுமிதா சொன்ன பாம்புக் கதைகள்)
3. Oorin miga azhagaana Pen - Translated short stories from world Literature (ஊரின் மிக அழகான பெண் - மொழிபெயர்ப்புச் சிறுகதைகள்)
4. Book of Fuzus
5. Thirilokpuri
6. MUL
7. Morgue Keeper
8. Diabolically Yours in Exotic Gothic 5, Vol. II

Articles

1. Kalagam Kaadhal Isai (கலகம் காதல் இசை)
2. Konal Pakkangal (கோணல் பக்கங்கள்)
3. Konal Pakkangal II (கோணல் பக்கங்கள் II)
4. Konal Pakkangal III (கோணல் பக்கங்கள் III)
5. Yenakku Kuzhandhaigalai Pidikadhu (எனக்குக் குழந்தைகளைப் பிடிக்காது)
6. Kadavulum Nanum (கடவுளும் நானும்)
7. Thappu Thalangal (தப்புத் தாளங்கள்)
8. Theeraakaadhali (தீராக்காதலி)
9. Varambu Meeriya Pradhigal (வரம்பு மீறிய பிரதிகள்)
10. Dhisai Ariyum Paravaigal (திசை அறியும் பறவைகள்)
11. Moodupani Saalai (மூடுபனிச் சாலை)
12. Vaazhvadhu eppadi (வாழ்வது எப்படி?)
13. Ketta vaarththai (கெட்ட வார்த்தை)
14. Malaavi endroru Desam (மலாவி என்றொரு தேசம்)
15. Arugil Varaadhey (அருகில் வராதே)
16. Kanavugalin mozhipeyarppaalan (கனவுகளின் மொழிபெயர்ப்பாளன்)
17. Manamkoththi paravai (மனம் கொத்திப் பறவை)

Play

1. Rendaam aattam (ரெண்டாம் ஆட்டம்)

Literary review

1. Dhandeyin Siruththai (தாந்தேயின் சிறுத்தை)

Movie review

1. Cinema: Alainthuthiribavanin Azhagiyal (சினிமா: அலைந்து திரிபவனின் அழகியல்)
2. Cinema Cinema (சினிமா சினிமா)
3. Naragaththilirundhu oru kural (நரகத்திலிருந்து ஒரு குரல்)
4. Kanavugalin Nadanam (கனவுகளின் நடனம்)

Political essay

1. Azaadhi Azaadhi Azaadhi (அஸாதி அஸாதி அஸாதி)
2. Adhigaaram Amaidhi Sudhanthiram (அதிகாரம் அமைதி சுதந்திரம்)

Interview

1. Ozhunginmaiyin Veriyaattam (ஒழுங்கின்மையின் வெறியாட்டம்)

Filmography

Reviews

• Zero Degree book review in Tehelka magazine

References

External links

• YouTube EXILE novel promo
• charuonline.com
• My novel was treated like a song of freedom: Charunivedita
• Morgue Keeper - Charu Nivedita's story in Tehelka