Indulekha

Chandu Menon's Indulekha (1889) is certainly the first significant Malayalam novel; the English lineage of the novel is acknowledged in the novel's subtitle: Englishnovel Matiriyilulla Oru Katha (A Story in the Manner of the English Novel).

Chandu Menon has written that he initially meant to translate Benjamin Disraeli's Henrietta Temple (1836) into Malayalam, but having struggled with the subtleties of an alien culture, he abandoned the project in favour of writing one on his own, depicting a familiar story. Chandu Menon's novel deals with the decline of the feudal, Brahminical culture in Kerala.

Menon's Indulekha dramatizes the resistance of a progressive woman named Indulekha who is being pressured into marrying a lecherous Brahmin, Suri Namboothiri, who represents the decadence of feudalism, its caste oppression and polygamy. Chandu Menon's heroine persists in her educated believes (she is an ardent student of English language!) and eventually weds her lover, Madhavan.

Chandu Menon's Indulekha set the tone for the future development of the novel in Malayalam. Writers began debating social issues through their elaborate probing into the individual experience of characters who were drawn from contemporary society. Menon started writing one more novel, Sharada. But he could complete only its first part.

An English version of Indulekha is availbale now. It's translated by Anitha Devasia and published by the Oxford University Press. The image on cover is a painting by Raja Ravivarma.

P K Balakrishnan's 'Chandumenon- Oru Padanam' is a serious attempt to examine the genius of O. Chandu Menon and the importance of his novels 'Indulekha' and 'Sharada'. This is the first
book in the name of P.K. Balakrishnan. Why did he write this book? He speaks: "It was not the greatness of the literary figure of Chandu Menon that first attracted me to him. His personality is much bigger than his writings. My contact with his literature is as a tool that reveals his special personality. His personality has many useful facets if understood in the context of the prevailing social milieu. My main attempt in this book is to present that vast personality which I perceived. It means that this book is not strictly a literary criticism. Exclusive essays on literature itself are handled through this view point."

(courtesy: Thomas Palakeel)