Omchery N. N. Pillai (born 1 February 1924) is an Indian Malayalam–language playwright, novelist and poet from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. He has written nine full-length plays, more than 80 one-act plays and a few novels. His plays are noted for their bold experiments in form and technique as well as the uncommon vision inherent in many of the themes. He won the

Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories.

twice: in 1972 for the play ''Pralayam'' and in 2010 for his overall contribution to

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 S ...

. In 2022, he was honoured with Kerala Prabha Award, second highest civilian award given by the Kerala Government.

Biography

Pillai was born in

Vaikom Vaikom, , is a municipal town and a capital town of Vaikom Taluk, situated in the northwest of Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. The town is also noted for its role in the Indian independence movement for being the venue of Vaikom ...

Kottayam district Kottayam (), is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that neither borders the A ...

of Kerala, on 1 February 1924, as the son of Omchery Narayanan Pillai and Pappikkutty Amma. He started writing poems at a very young age. After completing his education from University College, Thiruvananthapuram, he joined the news department of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

in 1951 and later promoted as Editor in their publication department. He pursued his higher studies in Mass Communication from Pennsylvania University, Watten school and

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's ...

and worked in the

Indian Institute of Mass Communication Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is an Indian media centre of learning and civil service training institute for the Indian Information Service Cadre funded and promoted by the Government of India in New Delhi. The IIMC is an auton ...

. After working in the Chief Censors Office and the Food Corporation of India, Pillai retired from the Central Service on February 1, 1989. He later joined the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and worked there till December 2019. Pillai wrote his first play ''Ee Velicham Ningaludethakunnu'' (This Light is Ours) at the behest of

A. K. Gopalan Ayillyath Kuttiari Gopalan (1 October 1904 – 22 March 1977), popularly known as A. K. Gopalan or AKG, was an Indian communist politician. He was one of 16 Communist Party of India members elected to the first Lok Sabha in 1952. Later he bec ...

who was then the Leader of Opposition in the Indian parliament. Members of Parliament K. C. George, P. T. Ponnoose, E. K. Imbichi Bava, V. P. Nair etc. acted in the play. Omchery has written nine full-length plays and more than 80 one-act plays. He founded the theatrical organisation 'Experimental Theatre' in 1963.

DC Books DC Books is a publisher in Kerala publisher of books in Malayalam, and one of the publishers in India . It also operates one of the largest book store chains in India, with a network of over 45 bookshops under the DC Books and Current Books b ...

published a collection of his 26 selected plays on 27 November 2011. Besides being a regular presence in Kerala's literary and cultural fields, Omchery is now the Principal of the Delhi Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's College of Communication Management. He is married to Leela Omchery who is a well-known singer and sister of famous Malayalam singer, Kamukara Purushothaman. Leela Omcheri is from the Mankoyikkal Nair Tharavadu in Thiruvattar, near the Aadhikeshava Permual Temple. The couple has a son, S. D. Omchery and a daughter, famous classical dancer, Deepti Omchery Bhalla.

Works

Plays

* ''Ee Velicham Ningaludethakunnu'' * ''Pralayam'' * ''Cherippu Kadikkilla''

Novels

* ''Pralayam'' * ''Thevarude Aana'' * ''Kallan Kayariya Veedu'' * ''Daivam Veendum Thettiddharikkappedunnu''

Awards

* 1972:

for ''Pralayam'' * 2010:

for his overall contribution to

* 2013: Pravasi Kalaratna Award * 2020:

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

, for ''Aakasmikam'' * 2022: Kerala Prabha, second highest civilian award of Kerala

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, Omchery N. N. 1924 births Living people Indian male novelists Indian male dramatists and playwrights Writers from Kochi Malayalam-language writers Malayalam-language dramatists and playwrights Malayalam novelists Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 20th-century Indian novelists 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Novelists from Kerala Poets from Kerala Dramatists and playwrights from Kerala 20th-century Indian male writers Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Malayalam Kerala Prabha Award Winners