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	* [[List of Malayalam-language authors]]		* [[List of Malayalam-language authors]]
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	~~{{Portal\|India\|Literature}}~~

	==References==		==References==

117.213.12.185 at 17:34, 23 April 2021

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{{Infobox writer 
| name = P. K. Balakrishnan
| image = P. K. Balakrishnan.gif
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| pseudonym =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|3|2}}
| birth_place = [[Edavanakkad]], [[Ernakulam]], [[Kingdom of Cochin]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|4|3|1925|3|2}}
| death_place = [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]], India
| occupation = [[Novelist]], [[critic]], [[essayist]], [[Journalist]] [[Indian independence movement|freedom fighter]]
| nationality = Indian
| citizenship =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| period =
| genre =
| subject =
| movement =
| notableworks =
grandchildren =Kevin krishnan
| spouse = K. Bhageerathi
| partner =
| children = Harikesh, Harikrishnan, Jayalekshmy
| relatives = {{ubl|Keshavan (father)|Mani Amma (mother)}}
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards = {{ubl|1974 [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel]]|1978 [[Vayalar Award]]|SPBF Award|Prof Velayudhan Endowment Award|Kesari Award}}
| signature =
| website = {{url|pkbalakrishnan.com}}
| portaldisp =
}}
'''Panikkassery Keshavan Balakrishnan''' (March 2, 1925 – April 3, 1991) was an Indian [[novelist]] and [[critic]]. A doyen of [[Malayalam literature]], he is best known for his novel, ''[[Ini Njan Urangatte]]'' (''And now, Let me Sleep''), a novel based on [[Mahabharata]] as well as a number of critical studies which include ''Chandu Menon Oru Padanam'', ''Novel - Siddhiyum Sadhanayum'', ''Kavyakala Kumaranasaniloode'' and ''Ezhuthachante Kala : Chila Vyasabharatha Patanangalum''. His work 'Jathivyavasthayum Kerala Charitravum is a work in social history. [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]] awarded him their [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel|annual award for novel]] in 1974. He was also a recipient of the [[Vayalar Award]] and other honours.

== Biography ==
P. K. Balakrishnan was born on March 2, 1925 at [[Edavanakad]], in [[Vypin]] island in [[Ernakulam district]] of the south Indian state of [[Kerala]] to Keshavan and Mani Amma.<ref name="Profile P K Balakrishnan">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/PKBalakrishnan/Html/PKBgraphy.htm |title=Profile P K Balakrishnan |publisher=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref> After early schooling in Edavanakkad, he joined [[Maharaja's College, Ernakulam]] but his studies were disrupted after four years when he participated in [[Quit India Movement]] and was jailed.<ref name="P. K. Balakrishnan - Veethi profile">{{Cite web |url=https://www.veethi.com/india-people/p._k._balakrishnan-profile-4315-22.htm |title=P. K. Balakrishnan - Veethi profile |date=2019-04-03 |website=veethi.com |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref> Though he was released from jail in 1944 and he resumed his studies, he could not complete it as he joined [[Kochi rajya prajamandalam]] to enter politics only to move to [[Kerala Socialist Party]] (KSP) soon. His association with KSP brought him into contact with [[Mathai Manjooran]], a noted [[Indian independence activist]] and KSP leader as well as others such as Perunna Thomas, [[Vaikom Muhammad Basheer]], M. P. Krishna Pillai, [[M. K. Sanu]]. Later, he took up the editorship of ''Dinaparabha'' but he had to quit following a public speech he made at a temple in [[Kozhikode]]. Later, he became associated with such publications as Kerala Bhooshanam, [[Kerala Kaumudi]] and [[Madhyamam]].<ref name="Madhyamam - History">{{Cite web |url=https://www.madhyamam.com/aboutus/history.html |title=Madhyamam - History |date=2019-04-03 |website=www.madhyamam.com |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>

Balakrishnan died on April 3, 1991, at the age of 66.<ref name="Profile P K Balakrishnan" />

== Legacy ==
The first of Balakrishnan's published works was a book on [[Narayana Guru]], which was a compilation of writings on Guru, including biographical sketches, narratives on Guru's activities and his literary contributions.<ref name="Narayana Guru">{{Cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/47382023-narayana-guru |title=Narayana Guru |website=www.goodreads.com |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref><ref name="Smith2015">{{cite book|author=Donald Eugene Smith|title=South Asian Politics and Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dknWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA182|date=8 December 2015|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-7908-3|pages=182–}}</ref><ref name="Smith1976">{{cite book|author=Bardwell L. Smith|title=Religion and Social Conflict in South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xNAI9F8IBOgC&pg=PA35|year=1976|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-04510-4|pages=35–}}</ref> This was followed by critiques<ref>{{cite web|title= A Short History of Malayalam Literature by Dr. K. Ayyappa Paniker, P 119,Information & Public Relations Department Kerala State, April 2006|url= https://archive.org/stream/ASHORTHISTORYOFMALAYALAMLITERATURE/A+SHORT+HISTORY+OF+MALAYALAM+LITERATURE_djvu.txt }}</ref> [[Chandu Menon]], [[Kumaran Asan]] and [[Ezhuthachan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Criticism in Malayalam Literature|url= http://keralaculture.org/literature-criticism/551|publisher=Dept of Cultural Affairs, Govt of Kerala}}</ref>

In his writings, he first dealt with Kerala history in the anthology on [[Narayana Guru]], the great social reformer of Kerala who changed the face of its caste-ridden society. He brushes with Kerala history again to study why [[Tipu Sultan]], an able ruler and administrator is perceived as an aggressor and a religious fanatic. The culmination of these studies over 3 decades was his work on the social history which departed from the established narration, titled ''Jaathivyavasthayum Kerala Charitravum'' (''The Caste System and History of Kerala'').<ref>{{cite web|title= A Differing Viewpoint on Kerala History |url= https://nandakishorevarma.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/a-differing-viewpoint-on-kerala-history/}}</ref>

''Pluto, Priyapetta Plutto'', was his first novel, was a real life story about his own dog.<ref name="P K Balakrishnan - chintha">{{Cite web |url=http://www.chintha.com/node/140 |title=P K Balakrishnan - chintha |website=www.chintha.com |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref> His next novel, ''[[Ini Njan Urangatte]]'' (And Now Let Me Sleep), a Mahabharata inspired work, is considered by many to be his magnum opus.<ref name="An Epic in Modern Idiom">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/br/2003/10/21/stories/2003102100020203.htm |title=An Epic in Modern Idiom |newspaper=The Hindu, 21 October 2003}}</ref> He also wrote a number of articles, of which only four collections have been published; two of them were published after his lifetime.<ref>{{cite web|title=Author's Website|url= http://www.pkbalakrishnan.com/about.php}}</ref> His novel, ''[[Ini Njan Urangatte]]'', has been translated into English by his daughter, P. K. Jayalekshmy two decades after his death under the name, ''Battle beyond Kurukshetra''.<ref name="Translating a legacy">{{Cite web |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/books-and-art/220318/translating-a-legacy.html |title=Translating a legacy |last=cris |date=2018-03-22 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en |access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>

== Awards and honours ==
P. K. balakrishnan received the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel]] in 1974 for his work, ''[[Ini Njan Urangatte]]''.<ref name="Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/ksa/Awards/novel.htm |title=Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel |date=2019-04-04 |access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref> Four years later, the same novel fetched him another major award in the form of [[Vayalar Award]] of 1978.<ref name="Winners of Vayalar Award">{{Cite web |url=http://keralaculture.org/vayalar-award/575 |title=Winners of Vayalar Award |date=2019-04-04 |website=keralaculture |publisher=Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala |access-date=23 March 2017}}</ref> He received the Kerala History Association Award for the book, [[:ml:ജാതിവ്യവസ്ഥിതിയും കേരളചരിത്രവും|''Jaathivyavasthithium Keralacharithravum'']].<ref name="Profile P K Balakrishnan" /> He was also a recipient of SPBF Award, Prof Velayudhan Endowment Award and Kesari Award.

== Works ==
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/narayanaguru?t=1 |title=Narayana Guru |publisher=DC Books |year=1954 |editor-last=P. K. Balakrishnan |quote=an anthology on the social reformer of Kerala}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/chandu-menon-oru-padanam?t=1 |title=Chandu Menon Oru Padanam |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=1957 |isbn=9788126412686 |quote=Chandu Menon, a Study - on the author of the first Malayalam novel, [[Indulekha (novel)|Indulekha]]}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/tippu-sulthan?t=1 |title=Tippu Sulthan |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=1959 |isbn=9788126414703 |quote=a historical biography}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/pluto-priyappetta-pluto?t=1 |title=Pluto Priyappetta Pluto |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=1963 |isbn=9788126408931 |quote=Pluto, My Dear Pluto - the story of his real life dog named after the [[Walt Disney]] counterpart}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/novel-siddhiyum-sadhanayum?t=1 |title=Novel Siddhiyum Sadhanayum |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=1965 |isbn=9788126411788 |quote=a work on the craft of novel writing, based on the works of [[Dostoevsky]], [[Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay]] and [[Jane Austen]]}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/kavyakala-kumaranasaniloode?t=1 |title=Kavyakala Kumaranasaniloode |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=1970 |isbn=9788126412563 |quote=The Art of Poetry through Kumaran Asan - on Malayalam poet [[Kumaran Asan]]}}
* ''[[Ini Njan Urangatte]]'' (''And now, Let me Sleep'') (1973) - A work originating from the great Indian epic Vyasabharatha (''Mahabharath'').<ref>{{cite news|title=A literary giant|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/literary-review/remembering-kodungallur-kunhikkuttan-thampuran-the-prolific-writer-best-known-for-translating-the-mahabharata-into-malayalam/article6470973.ece|access-date=23 March 2017|newspaper=The Hindu|date=4 October 2014}}</ref>
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/ezhuthachante-kala-chila-vyasabharatha-patanangalum?t=1 |title=Ezhuthachante Kala : Chila Vyasabharatha Patanangalum |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=1982 |isbn=9788126421329 |quote=a work on the father of Malayalam literature and some studies on The Mahabharata}}
* [[:ml:ജാതിവ്യവസ്ഥിതിയും കേരളചരിത്രവും|''Jaathivyavasthithium Keralacharithravum'']] (''The Caste system and History of Kerala'') (1983) - a work in Kerala history.
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/p-k-balakrishnante-lekhanangal?t=1 |title=P. K. Balakrishnante Lekhanangal |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=DC Books |year=2004 |isbn=8126407794 |quote=Articles of Balakrishnan}}
* ''Keraleeyatayum Mattum'' (''The Essence of Kerala etc.'') (2004) - a collection of 20 articles published in various periodicals over a time
* {{Cite book |url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/59587278-veritta-chintakal |title=Veritta Chintakal |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=Pratheeksha Books |year=2011 |quote=Thoughts Apart - Commentaries on social and political history of India triggered by contemporary events. Collected from articles written in Malayalam daily [[Madhyamam]]}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/59587013-oru-veera-pulakathinte-katha |title=Oru Veera Pulakathinte Katha |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=Poornna Printing And Publishing House |year=2015 |asin=B077XCCHZ4 |quote=The Story of a Heroic Thrill - a collection of articles}}

=== Translations of Ini Njan Urangatte ===
* {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CsBDDwAAQBAJ |title=Battle Beyond Kurukshetra: A Mahabharata Novel |last=P.K. Balakrishnan |date=2018 |publisher=OUP India |isbn=978-0-19-909322-9 |translator-last=P. K. Jayalekshmy |quote=English translation}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.indiaclub.com/Ini-Naan-Urangattum-TAMIL_p_391254.html |title=Ini Naan Urangattum |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=2001 |isbn=8126010843 |translator-last=A. Madhavan |quote=Tamil translation}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://www.sapnaonline.com/books/naninnu-nidrisuve-pk-balakrishnan-8126007230-9788126007233 |title=Naninnu Nidrisuve |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=9788126007233 |year=2000 |translator-last=Sara Aboobacker |quote=Kannada translation}}
* {{Cite book |title=Ab Mujhe Sone Do |last=P. K. Balakrishnan |publisher=Partishruti Prakashan |year=2017 |isbn=978-8126050710 |translator-last=G. Gopinathan |quote=Hindi translation}}

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
* [[List of Malayalam-language authors]]
{{div col end}}
{{Portal|India|Literature}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite web |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/202468 |title=P K Balakrishnan - A Multifarious Writer |last=K. A. Jency |date=2019-04-03 |website=Shodhganga |access-date=2019-04-03}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|title= Mahabharata Inspired Works |url= http://mahabharata-resources.org/inspired_malayalam.html }}

{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balakrishnan, P. K.}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian male novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:Malayalam novelists]]
[[Category:Malayalam literary critics]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language journalists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:People from Ernakulam district]]
[[Category:Novelists from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian writers]]
[[Category:Maharaja's College, Ernakulam alumni]]

P. K. Balakrishnan - Revision history

KatherinDenmark: expanded references for clarity and added references

CleanupBot II: Removed empty portal template using script

117.213.12.185 at 17:34, 23 April 2021