Sufi Paranja Katha - Revision history

Mohit Raj: small expanded section per sources and updated info

2025-12-11T10:45:05Z

small expanded section per sources and updated info

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:15, 11 December 2025
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	Ramanunni deals with a complex theme in this novel. A theme that was influenced by his childhood in [[Ponnani]]. "I lost my father when I was three and was attached to my mother. We were close to our neighbours who were Muslims. My friend Abdul Khayoom's father was fond of me. Eventually, I realised that the inner core of religion is spirituality," says Ramanunni.<ref name="Lekshmy Rajeev">Lekshmy Rajeev (25 February 2010). [http://www.thehindu.com/arts/voice-for-religious-unity/article113271.ece "Voice for Religious Unity"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>		Ramanunni deals with a complex theme in this novel. A theme that was influenced by his childhood in [[Ponnani]]. "I lost my father when I was three and was attached to my mother. We were close to our neighbours who were Muslims. My friend Abdul Khayoom's father was fond of me. Eventually, I realised that the inner core of religion is spirituality," says Ramanunni.<ref name="Lekshmy Rajeev">Lekshmy Rajeev (25 February 2010). [http://www.thehindu.com/arts/voice-for-religious-unity/article113271.ece "Voice for Religious Unity"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>

	The background of the novel is that of northern Kerala a few decades after the British established their authority. The Nair society that existed there was matrilineal. A child belonged to its ~~mother’s~~ family. In the story, a character called Muthassi is the oldest living member of the family. The family consists of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. In this set-up, known as a Tharavad, the oldest man is the administrator or the Karanavar. Sanku Menon is the Karanavar of the Melepullarath Tharavad. He is the grandson of Muthassi. Muthassi's daughter is Sanku Menon's mother. Sanku ~~Menon’s~~ sister Ammalu is the mother of Karthy, the principal character. The children did not inherit the property of their father. The inheritance was through the women of the family. In certain parts of Kerala, Muslims also give special importance to the ~~wife’s~~ house. ''Sufi Paranja Katha'' develops the theme from this complex background.		The background of the novel is that of northern Kerala a few decades after the British established their authority. The Nair society that existed there was matrilineal. A child belonged to its mother's family. In the story, a character called Muthassi is the oldest living member of the family. The family consists of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In this set-up, known as a Tharavad, the oldest man is the administrator or the Karanavar. Sanku Menon is the Karanavar of the Melepullarath Tharavad. He is the grandson of Muthassi. Muthassi's daughter is Sanku Menon's mother. Sanku Menon's sister Ammalu is the mother of Karthy, the principal character. The children did not inherit the property of their father. The inheritance was through the women of the family. In certain parts of Kerala, Muslims also give special importance to the wife's house. ''Sufi Paranja Katha'' develops the theme from this complex background.

	==Plot summary==		==Plot summary==
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	==Publication history==		==Publication history==
	''Sufi Paranja Katha'' was serialised in ''[[Kalakaumudi]]'' weekly in 1989 with the accompaniment of illustrations by the ~~acclaimed~~ [[Artist Namboothiri]]. It was published as a book in November 1993. First [[DC Books]] edition came in December 1995.		''Sufi Paranja Katha'' was serialised in ''[[Kalakaumudi]]'' weekly in 1989 with the accompaniment of illustrations by the [[Artist Namboothiri]]. It was published as a book in November 1993. First [[DC Books]] edition came in December 1995.

	==Awards==		==Awards==
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	==Translations==		==Translations==
	''Sufi Paranja Katha'' has been translated into English, French, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Konkani, Telugu and Bengali. The English translation by N. Gopalakrishnan titled ''What the Sufi Said'', was published by [[Rupa & Co.]] in February 2002.<ref>Aabha Anoop (14 November 2014). [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/writer-n-gopalakrishnan-is-no-more/article6620996.ece "Writer N. Gopalakrishnan is no more"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> The French translation, made on Gopalakrishnan's English version and titled ''Tharavad : Ce que disait le soufi'', was published by [[~~Pondicherry~~\|Pondichery]]-based publishing house Kailash Éditions in 2008. L. R. Swamy translated the novel into Telugu under the title ''Sufi Cheppina Katha'' (సూఫీ చెప్పిన కథ) which was published by Saranga Books in August 2012.<ref>[http://rajkaramchedu.com/about-author/ "Raj Karamchedu"]. Official website of Raj Karamchedu of Saranga Books. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> The Bengali translation was brought out with the support of Bengali writer Krishnendu and a Kerala-based writer Sunil Njaliyathu. The book was released in October 2014 in connection with a book fair in [[Frankfurt]] by Christian Weiss, director of the publication house- Draupadi Verlag, which brings out Indian books in German language.<ref name=Bengali/><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/sufi-paranja-katha-gets-bengali-edition/article6498765.ece "Sufi Paranja Katha gets Bengali edition"]. ''The Hindu''. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>		''Sufi Paranja Katha'' has been translated into English, French, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Konkani, Telugu and Bengali. The English translation by N. Gopalakrishnan titled ''What the Sufi Said'', was published by [[Rupa & Co.]] in February 2002.<ref>Aabha Anoop (14 November 2014). [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/writer-n-gopalakrishnan-is-no-more/article6620996.ece "Writer N. Gopalakrishnan is no more"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> The French translation, made on Gopalakrishnan's English version and titled ''Tharavad : Ce que disait le soufi'', was published by [[Puducherry (city)\|Pondichery]]-based publishing house Kailash Éditions in 2008. L. R. Swamy translated the novel into Telugu under the title ''Sufi Cheppina Katha'' (సూఫీ చెప్పిన కథ) which was published by Saranga Books in August 2012.<ref>[http://rajkaramchedu.com/about-author/ "Raj Karamchedu"]. Official website of Raj Karamchedu of Saranga Books. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> The Bengali translation was brought out with the support of Bengali writer Krishnendu and a Kerala-based writer Sunil Njaliyathu. The book was released in October 2014 in connection with a book fair in [[Frankfurt]] by Christian Weiss, director of the publication house- Draupadi Verlag, which brings out Indian books in German language.<ref name=Bengali/><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/sufi-paranja-katha-gets-bengali-edition/article6498765.ece "Sufi Paranja Katha gets Bengali edition"]. ''The Hindu''. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>

	==Film adaptation==		==Film adaptation==
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	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	{{Malayalam Literature \|state=collapsed}}		{{Malayalam Literature \|state=collapsed}}
			[[Category:1993 debut novels]]
	[[Category:1993 novels]]
	[[Category:1993 Indian novels]]		[[Category:1993 Indian novels]]
			[[Category:Indian romance novels]]
	[[Category:Malayalam novels]]		[[Category:Malayalam novels]]
			[[Category:Novels set in Kerala]]
			[[Category:Novels about marriage]]
			[[Category:Interfaith romance in fiction]]
			[[Category:Works originally published in Indian magazines]]
			[[Category:Works originally published in news magazines]]
			[[Category:Works originally published in literary magazines]]
	[[Category:Indian novels adapted into films]]		[[Category:Indian novels adapted into films]]
	~~[[Category:Novels set in Kerala]]~~		[[Category:Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award–winning works]]
	[[Category:Kerala Sahitya Akademi ~~Award-winning~~ works]]
	[[Category:DC Books books]]		[[Category:DC Books books]]
	~~[[Category:1993 debut novels]]~~

imported>Krishnavilasom Bhageerathan Pilla at 13:13, 11 July 2021

2021-07-11T13:13:27Z

New page

{{short description|Malayalam Novel}}
{{For|the film adaptation|Sufi Paranja Katha (film)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox book
| italic title = 
| name = Sufi Paranja Katha
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| author = [[K. P. Ramanunni]]
| audio_read_by =
| title_orig =
| orig_lang_code =
| title_working =
| translator = N. Gopalakrishnan
| illustrator = [[Artist Namboothiri]]
| cover_artist = N. Ajayan
| country = India
| language = Malayalam
| series =
| release_number =
| subject =
| genre =
| set_in =
| published =
| publisher = [[DC Books]]
| publisher2 =
| pub_date = November 1993
| english_pub_date =
| media_type =
| pages = 126
| awards = [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]<br>[[Edasseri Award]]
| isbn = 978-8-171-30604-6
| isbn_note =
| oclc =
| dewey =
| congress =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| native_wikisource =
| wikisource =
| notes =
| exclude_cover =
| website =
}}
'''''Sufi Paranja Katha''''' (Sūphi parañña katha; സൂഫി പറഞ്ഞ കഥ) (meaning, The Story as Told by the Sufi) is the [[debut novel]] of [[Malayalam]] novelist [[K. P. Ramanunni]]. It was originally serialised in ''[[Kalakaumudi]]'' in 1989 and published as a book in 1993. The novel has been translated into eight languages, including English (titled ''What the Sufi Said'') and French.<ref name=Bengali>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/bengali-version-of-sufi-paranja-katha-enters-eighth-edition/article6493185.ece "Bengali version of Sufi paranja Katha enters eighth edition"]. ''[[The Hindu]]''. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> [[Priyanandanan]] adapted the novel into a [[Sufi Paranja Katha (film)|film of the same name]] in 2010. K. P. Ramanunni himself wrote the dialogue and script of the film.<ref>R. Ramabhadran Pillai (27 September 2008). [http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/sufi-paranja-katha-on-celluloid/article1346512.ece "‘Sufi Paranja Katha’ on celluloid"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>

==Background==
Ramanunni deals with a complex theme in this novel. A theme that was influenced by his childhood in [[Ponnani]]. "I lost my father when I was three and was attached to my mother. We were close to our neighbours who were Muslims. My friend Abdul Khayoom's father was fond of me. Eventually, I realised that the inner core of religion is spirituality," says Ramanunni.<ref name="Lekshmy Rajeev">Lekshmy Rajeev (25 February 2010). [http://www.thehindu.com/arts/voice-for-religious-unity/article113271.ece "Voice for Religious Unity"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>

The background of the novel is that of northern Kerala a few decades after the British established their authority. The Nair society that existed there was matrilineal. A child belonged to its mother’s family. In the story, a character called Muthassi is the oldest living member of the family. The family consists of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. In this set-up, known as a Tharavad, the oldest man is the administrator or the Karanavar. Sanku Menon is the Karanavar of the Melepullarath Tharavad. He is the grandson of Muthassi. Muthassi's daughter is Sanku Menon's mother. Sanku Menon’s sister Ammalu is the mother of Karthy, the principal character. The children did not inherit the property of their father. The inheritance was through the women of the family. In certain parts of Kerala, Muslims also give special importance to the wife’s house. ''Sufi Paranja Katha'' develops the theme from this complex background.

==Plot summary==
The story revolves around the love and marriage between Mamootty, a Muslim and Karthy, a Nair Hindu. Though converted to Islam, Karthy is unable to resist the primeval tug of her original religion. We see pantheistic pagan traditions asserting themselves over members of all communities-as Mother Goddess for Hindus, as the Beevi and Jarum for the Muslims. The novel speaks about religious feelings and relationships and the mystic reach of these aspects.

==Publication history==
''Sufi Paranja Katha'' was serialised in ''[[Kalakaumudi]]'' weekly in 1989 with the accompaniment of illustrations by the acclaimed [[Artist Namboothiri]]. It was published as a book in November 1993. First [[DC Books]] edition came in December 1995.

==Awards==
* 1995: [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel]]
* 1989: [[Edasseri Award]]

==Translations==
''Sufi Paranja Katha'' has been translated into English, French, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Konkani, Telugu and Bengali. The English translation by N. Gopalakrishnan titled ''What the Sufi Said'', was published by [[Rupa & Co.]] in February 2002.<ref>Aabha Anoop (14 November 2014). [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/writer-n-gopalakrishnan-is-no-more/article6620996.ece "Writer N. Gopalakrishnan is no more"]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> The French translation, made on Gopalakrishnan's English version and titled ''Tharavad : Ce que disait le soufi'', was published by [[Pondicherry|Pondichery]]-based publishing house Kailash Éditions in 2008. L. R. Swamy translated the novel into Telugu under the title ''Sufi Cheppina Katha'' (సూఫీ చెప్పిన కథ) which was published by Saranga Books in August 2012.<ref>[http://rajkaramchedu.com/about-author/ "Raj Karamchedu"]. Official website of Raj Karamchedu of Saranga Books. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref> The Bengali translation was brought out with the support of Bengali writer Krishnendu and a Kerala-based writer Sunil Njaliyathu. The book was released in October 2014 in connection with a book fair in [[Frankfurt]] by Christian Weiss, director of the publication house- Draupadi Verlag, which brings out Indian books in German language.<ref name=Bengali/><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/sufi-paranja-katha-gets-bengali-edition/article6498765.ece "Sufi Paranja Katha gets Bengali edition"]. ''The Hindu''. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2015.</ref>

==Film adaptation==
{{Main|Sufi Paranja Katha (film)}}
The 2010 film adaptation of the novel was released with [[Sharbani Mukherjee]] as Karthy, [[Thampi Antony]] as Sanku Menon and [[Prakash Bare]] as Mammootty, directed by [[Priyanandanan]]. K. P. Ramanunni himself wrote the screenplay and dialogues for the film. The film won various awards, including four [[Kerala State Film Awards]].

Ramanunni says he had no intention of making the novel into a film. But producer, Kalam Karasseri, had wanted to do a film based on it for years and Ramanunni complied. Ramanunni says he has not deviated much from the novel and wrote the script with a lot of care as it dealt with a sensitive theme. "In order to enhance cinematic effects, only one small portion of the story has been done away with and the anti-colonial sentiments have been highlighted. The dialogues of the film celebrate the co-existence of different religions," says Ramanunni.<ref name="Lekshmy Rajeev"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:1993 novels]]
[[Category:1993 Indian novels]]
[[Category:Malayalam novels]]
[[Category:Indian novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Novels set in Kerala]]
[[Category:Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award-winning works]]
[[Category:DC Books books]]
[[Category:1993 debut novels]]