Review of Indira Parthasarathy's ‘The Middlemen of Vedapura', translated by M.K. Sudarshan
In his long literary career spanning over 60 years, veteran Tamil littérateur Indira Parthasarathy, commonly known as Ee. Paa, has produced many works that reflect social and political events in Tamil Nadu. His novel Kurithi Punal, written in the backdrop of the 1968 Keezhvenmani massacre of 44 persons belonging to Scheduled Castes, fetched him the Sahitya Akademi award in 1977.
A novelist-cum- playwright, Prof. Parthasarathy, who turns 95 on July 10, won the Saraswathi Samman in the late 1990s for his play Ramanujar, based on the life of the founder of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, which propagated the concept of social harmony in South India in the 11th century. Another important play of his was Aurangazeb, written in the mid-70s, capturing one of the most eventful periods in Indian history.
His 90s novel Vedhapuratthu Vyaabaarigal, written at a time when Tamil Nadu experienced the eccentricities of those in political power, has now been translated by M.K. Sudarshan into English as The Middlemen of Vedapura.
Essentially a political satire, The Middlemen of Vedapura centres around a young woman, Apurva [the name of the granddaughters of Prof. Parthasarathy and his friend-littérateur Ashokamitran], who returns to Vedapura from abroad to rediscover her roots, and becomes a political player in the process, learning the tricks of the trade, and eventually mastering the art of survival in a field where deception and betrayal are the norms.
The plot would not be of interest to those who are not enamoured with politics but the narrative style and portrayal are engrossing. Notwithstanding certain striking similarities to political personalities that the country has seen, The Middlemen of Vedapura should not be viewed as a work that fictionalises real-life incidents. It goes beyond, and the translator has captured the spirit of the work very well.
ramakrishnan.t@thehindu.co.in
The Middlemen of Vedapura Indira Parthasarathy, trs M.K. Sudarshan BlueRose Publishers ₹499
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