Nostalgia romanticised by émigrés for long is becoming a thing of the past.
The Malayali diaspora in the Middle East as elsewhere doesn’t quite experience nostalgia the way they used to, courtesy globalisation.
“They get to taste their favourite native cuisine, watch their favourite native films, and read books in their mother tongue. As for our traditional festivals, those back home do not celebrate them these days with the vigour, dynamism, and authenticity with which they are celebrated by the diasporic community,” says Benyamin, author of the chart-topping novel Aadujeevitham (Goat Days) — a searing account of the émigrés’ horrendous life in the Persian Gulf.
The book is in its 100{+t}{+h}edition now.
“The émigré writer of the current times looks at life around him and back home from a renewed outlook. The fresh crop is gaining acceptability, as they primarily voice the lives of the marginalised sections and there’s variety,” he told The Hindu the other day at Chengannur on the sidelines of a literary festival.
Benyamin insists that the stupendous success of Aadujeevitham hasn’t been burdensome, with readers’ expectations sky-high.
“I consciously tried in its wake to tread new paths, experimenting with form and content. Manjaveyil Maranangal , in its fifth edition with some 50,000 copies, was born out of this hunger. It’s rather easy for a writer to carry on with his tongue, linguistic style, once he’s found it. I don’t think such an identity is necessary. A good writer should be able to flit across styles and themes.”
If credible reviews by critics granted books a certain standing in the past, they have now been replaced by awards and word of mouth publicity, he says.
Lack of translations
Malayalam, like several other regional languages in India, is handicapped by the absence of quality translations.
“During my recent visit to Pakistan, I was told that the last to be translated from Malayalam to Urdu were the works of Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, and K.T. Muhammad.”
The latest on offer from Benyamin are his twin novels, Al Arabian Novel Factory and Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal — each leading to the other like the two hemispheres of a globe.
He’s currently working on a novel set in the erstwhile Central Travancore.
S. Anandan
