When Penguin India first approached her to translate her grandfather Kalki R. Krishnamurthy’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan to English, Gowri Ramnarayan had her reservations. Gowri, a journalist and an author, had always been fascinated by the works of Kalki―an iconic writer and pioneer of Tamil literature and journalism. However, she felt that there had already been many English translations of Ponniyin Selvan. Unsure whether she wanted to attempt one more, she sought the opinion of her husband and her children. They said she would regret it if she did not do it. That made up her mind.
Gowri’s swanky two-bedroom apartment is filled with an air of intelligence. A few bronze statues of the Buddha and books by Kalki stand out on the living room shelves. Clad in a sari and wearing a beautiful necklace, Gowri sits on a bamboo chair cum sofa. She is on a break from her hectic work schedule. A playwright, theatre director, journalist and once vocal accomplice to the legendary M.S. Subbulakshmi, Gowri is Kalki’s oldest grandchild. A critically acclaimed biographer, she is known for her sense of aesthetics and deep scholarship.
Penguin India reached out to her after she translated the 900-page Tamil biography of Kalki written by Sunda aka M.R.M. Sundaram. “It is absolutely brilliant, a work of bravura; it is an exhaustive biography,” she says. “It chronicles the first 50 years of the 20th century. Sunda talks about politics, independence, Mahatma Gandhi, Rajaji, the British and much more in the voice of Kalki.”
Gowri began translating Ponniyin Selvan two years ago. She had to put everything else in her life on hold. The first two books―First Flood and The Cyclone―are out. Three parts remain. “I am finishing the editing for the third part,” says Gowri. “It will come out in 2025.”
Gowri is in awe of the way Kalki simplifies complicated issues. In Ponniyin Selvan, for instance, Kalki describes every character in such a way that you understand the nature of the character just through the description. Gowri recalls how modern Tamil was evolving when Kalki wrote. “He made a breakthrough by exploring a plethora of subjects,” she says. “Tamil had not been used as a political tool before. His reformist manifestos, essays and political arguments in magazines fascinated me. He was able to explain complicated thoughts in simple terms. He was able to persuade the people to think the way he thought. He was trying to promote the values of Mahatma Gandhi and Rajaji. He was always engaged in arguments.” She adds that Kalki made massive contributions to developing Tamil. “He was one of the pioneers and had tremendous influence through his writings,” she says. “People from different walks of life and different persuasions read Kalki.”
She also praises his sense of humour. “He uses humour to engage readers,” she says. “I think humour is powerful, because when you laugh with a person you become that person’s strength.”
Gowri’s introduction to Kalki’s work came as a four-year-old. She came across some handwritten pages. They were writings by Kalki meant for publication in the Kalki magazine. But, the child did not find the pages to be interesting toys―she tore them up and threw them on the floor. Gowri’s uncle, K. Rajendran, who was heading the magazine at the time, lost it. But, even as he screamed and shouted at Gowri, Kalki was cool. Gowri vaguely remembers her grandfather asking Rajendran to piece and glue together the bits and send it to press. It was Rajendran who later read all six volumes of Ponniyin Selvan to Gowri when she was in school.
Gowri wanted her translation of Ponniyin Selvan to stand out from the movies and earlier translations. She thought that she knew all about Kalki’s writing as she had already translated a short story Alai Osai (Sound of Waves) and a novel set in the contemporary milieu. But, with Ponniyin Selvan, she was in for a surprise. She says the characters contradict themselves at times. “Facts seem different and situations are left undeveloped,” she says. “Readers may not notice, but, as a translator, I made hard decisions to deal with such contradictions.”
She brought in the humour and the puns as they were in Tamil, but the real challenge was translating the verses Kalki quoted from Sangam literature or poetry, the verses from Buddhist canon, and folk songs he had specially composed for Ponniyin Selvan. “They are an integral part of the narrative,” she says. “They amplify situations.” So, she chose to ride on the ups and downs used by Kalki to describe characters and use the same style of lilts and rhythms.
Gowri brings a fresh perspective and an international relevance to the epic. For those who have read Kalki’s original or watched the two movies by Mani Ratnam, Gowri’s translation might be just another version. But, for the new generation who are not as familiar with Tamil, Gowri’s translation and the way she brings in Kalki’s descriptions of a character or situation will open up a new world.
She perfectly captures the conversational tone. Love, loyalty, power, valour and revenge come alive in her translation. On Kalki’s 125th birth anniversary, Gowri’s translation is a perfect tribute to him.
THE CYCLONE: PONNIYIN SELVAN 2
Author: Kalki
Translated by Gowri Ramnarayan
Publisher: Penguin India
Price: Rs799; pages 544
FIRST FLOOD: PONNIYIN SELVAN 1
Author: Kalki
Translated by Gowri Ramnarayan
Publisher: Penguin India
Price: Rs799; pages 544