V.D. Trivadi (1927–1985) was an Indian humorist,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

, and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. He was known for his columns and editorials published in ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...

'' and was widely regarded as the

Art Buchwald Arthur Buchwald (October 20, 1925 – January 17, 2007) was an American humorist best known for his column in ''The Washington Post''. At the height of his popularity, it was published nationwide as a syndicated column in more than 500 newspaper ...

Russell Baker Russell Wayne Baker (August 14, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American journalist, narrator, writer of Pulitzer Prize-winning satirical commentary and self-critical prose, and author of Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography '' Growing Up'' (1 ...

of India. As an essayist, he was considered to be "innovative, attractive, lively and very readable". Born in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, Trivadi started writing when young and was first published at the age of 12, using the pseudonym of T.V. Dattatreyan. On his first visit to

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

, the publisher of ''

The Illustrated Weekly of India ''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' was an English-language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 (as ''Times of India'' Weekly Edition; later renamed as ''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' in 1923) and ceasin ...

'' was surprised to discover that the youth of one of the significant contributors to his magazine. C. R. Mandy, the editor of the magazine, saw the potential brilliance of the young Trivadi and published many of his first poems and articles. Some poems were filled with symbolism and others with wit and candor. While at school, he was referred to as "a young Shakespeare" and he later studied at the

Madras Christian College Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institu ...

, where he was considered truly gifted. J. R. Macphail, an English professor and educator, recognized Trivadi's talent. Some compared Trivadi's humor, nonsensical verse, limericks and poems to

Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote over 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York Times'' the country's best ...

, while others compared him to

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

.Humour never ever dies! – Economic Times
/ref> Many of his articles appeared in ''

SPAN Span may refer to: Science, technology and engineering * Span (unit), the width of a human hand * Span (engineering), a section between two intermediate supports * Wingspan, the distance between the wingtips of a bird or aircraft * Sorbitan ester ...

'', a publication of the American embassy, where he was an editor. His writing career spanned over 40 years and a range of genres. He was always mildly surprised when he met
fan
despite its daily occurrence. Considered by many as a pioneer i
book publishing
advertising, and

public relations in India Public relations is a term that refers to the management of communication between an entity such as an organization or a celebrity, and external actors such as customers or clients. It is concerned with reputation building, and is often considered ...

, he connected well-deserved talent to publishing houses like Random House.
Ruskin Bond
on Trivadi
''A View From the Top''.)
Primarily of a literary bent, Trivadi was also regarded as someone who tried to establish a first in many areas o
book publishing and advertising
As a journalist and editor at newspapers, he wrote articles and editorials that garnered a worldwide fan base and following. His humor and larger-than-life persona led to invitations to attend conferences and universities in many countries. His poetry collection ''Silver Box, Mail Box'' was included as part of the curriculum at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in the UK. Professor Dr. J.I. Hans Bakker of the Guelph University, Ontario, Canada, acknowledged Trivadi as a 'true friend and boon companion' in his publication on th
'Gandhian Approach to Swadeshi or Appropriate Technology'
that he dedicated to Trivadi's memory. Trivadi succumbed to a massive heart attack at the age of 56. Even when suddenly taken ill, he is said to have quipped, "I cannot die yet; I have tickets to the movies." His death occurred before a planned trip as a distinguished guest to universities abroad.

Partial bibliography

In addition to his pieces for ''The Times of India'', Trivadi's work includes the following:
''Silver Box, Mail Box'' - Poetry Collection
* ''My Forest'' - award-winning play
''Gandhi'' - An Award-Winning Play

- A Novel
* ''Vivekananda'' - A Play that he was working on when he died * ''Giggly, The Ghost'' - A Children's Story

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trivadi, V. D. 1927 births 1985 deaths English-language writers from India Indian dramatists and playwrights