Quick Facts
Biography
V. Madhavan Nair (1915–1996) more popularly known as Mali Madhavan Nair was a lawyer, journalist, sportsman, musicologist, kathakali playwright, dramatist, editor and a pioneer in radio broadcasting. Other posts he held include editorial board member of Free Press Journal (Mumbai), editor of National Book Trust, station director of All India Radio, director of cultural affairs of Travancore Devaswom Board, chief editor of Kerala Nirmithi Kendram. As a journalist he wrote on arts, literature, Indian architecture and sports for a variety of English publications like The Hindu, The Statesman and Malayalam periodicals like Mathrubhumi.
He is more famous for his children's books he wrote under pseudonym "Mali".
Early life
His father was Sadasyatilakan T.K.Veluppillai. As a youth he was a good tennis player.
Career as Kathakali dramatist
His work Karnashapatham, is the most successful kathakali play written in the 20th century.
It saw more than 5000 stage performances during Mali's lifetime. It is deemed a classic by virtue of its theme and the innovative ingredients woven together. Compared to other kathakali plays, Karnasapatham is short, about three and half hours. Typical kathakali plays go on from dusk to dawn. The use of simple Malayalam in the lyrics or padams and the use of ragas such as Reethigowla and Hindolam, some of them for the first time in kathakali, added to its popular appeal. All the padams were written and tuned by Mali himself. It was first sung on stage by Vaikom Thankappan Pillai.
Children's author
He wrote about fifty novels and short stories for children. He was also editor of Malika a magazine for children. His retelling of Mahabharatha and Ramayana for children made him a household name. His novels Circus and Porattam were standard reading for the Kerala 9th standard syllabus.
Major works
- Unnikale Katha Parayam (1954)
- Unnikalkku Janthukathakal (1957)
- Unnikkathakal (1967)
- Mali Ramayanam (1962)
- Mali Bhagavatham (1968)
- Karnashapatham Attakkatha( 1969)
- Jeevanulla Prathima (1979)
- Mali Bharatham (1979)
- Mandakkazhutha (1979)
- Circus (1979)
- Sarvajithum Kallakkadathum (1979)
- Thenali Raman (1981)
- Vikramaditya Kathakal (1981)
- Purana Katha Malika (1981-12 volumes)
- Aitihya Lokam (1986)
- Kishkindha
- Anchu Minute Kathakal
