E. V. Krishna Pillai (14 September 1894 – 30 March 1938) was an Indian writer of

Malayalam literature Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six Classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a Sou ...

and member of

Sree Moolam Popular Assembly The Sree Moolam Popular Assembly in the erstwhile state of Travancore was the first popularly elected legislature in the history of India. Its predecessor legislative council was formed in Travancore in 1888 with eight appointed members. Sri Mu ...

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

. He was known to be a multi-talented personality and excelled as an advocate, Member of Legislative Assembly, editor and writer. During his short life, he wrote comedies, dramas, short stories and an autobiography. He was also a columnist and a caricaturist. He was an eminent satirist and a genius in comedy.

Biography

E. V. Krishna Pillai was born on 14 September 1894 at Kunnathur Taluk of

Quilon Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...

to Pappu Pillai and Kalyani Amma. After completing his schooling at Kunnathur, Krishna Pillai went on to graduate in Arts and Law and started his career as a government servant. He married Maheswari Amma, the youngest daughter of writer, C. V. Raman Pillai. The couple had five sons and two daughters. Chandraji (Ramachandran Nair), the eldest, was a film actor, the second son,

Adoor Bhasi K. Bhaskaran Nair (1 March 1929 – 29 March 1990), known by his stage name Adoor Bhasi, was an Indian actor and film director from Kerala. Adoor Bhasi was almost always cast as the man who stands next to the hero. His hilarious actions and role ...

(Bhaskaran Nair), and the third, Padmanabhan Nair (Padman), a journalist and the writer of the cartoon ''Kunchu Kurup''. His other children were Omana Amma, Rajalakshmi Amma, Sankaran Nair (who died at the young age of 18 due to

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

) and Krishnan Nair. Later, he took up the positions as Editor of publications such as ''Malayali'' and ''

Malayala Manorama ''Malayala Manorama'' is a morning newspaper in Malayalam published from Kottayam, Kerala, India by the Malayala Manorama Company Limited. Currently headed by Mammen Mathew; it was first published as a weekly on 22 March 1888, and currently has ...

''. Pillai during this period, shifted his residence to

Peringanad Peringanadu is a small village in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, India. It is known by the presence of Peringanadu Trichenda Mangalam Mahadeva Temple. Culture Peringanad is a small village located near Adoor. the village boasts of s ...

, near

Adoor Adoor (sometimes spelled ''Adur'') is a Municipality in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala State, India. It is the headquarters of Adoor Taluk and Adoor Revenue Division. Etymology Adoor (Ad-oor) in Malayalam translates as "Ad" means "separ ...

in erstwhile

state. He also served as a member of the

of Travancore. Krishna Pillai died on 30 March 1938 at the young age of 43. The ''E. V. Krishna Pillai Smaraka Sahitya Award'' has been instituted in his honour by Piravi Samskarika Samithi.

Works

Hasya Krithikal (comedy)

Naatakangalum Prahasanangalum (coma and farce)

Aathmakadha (autobiography)

Cherukadha (short story)

2 ente gandharvasnehithan

Novel

Prabandha Samahaaram (collection of essays)

Baala Saahithyam (children's literature)

E. V also co-authored books like Veeramahathwam with A. Sankara Pillai, Gaandhi Kaalam Onapaattu with C. V. KunjuRaaman.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, E. V. Krishna Writers from Thiruvananthapuram Malayalam-language writers 1894 births 1938 deaths Members of the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Indian essayists 20th-century Indian novelists Indian children's writers Novelists from Kerala