Mr PV Parthasarathy passed away yesterday (Sunday 2nd Apr) at his Venkatesa Agraharam (Mylapore) house. He was 81. Known popularly as PVP, he was the co-founder of Kumudam.
When studying in Law College, he forged a friendship with one of his fellow students - SAP Annamalai (chettiyar) - which lasted a life-time. These two youngsters shared a dream for a more informed society and national fervour and the two decided to start a magazine in Tamil.
They met two other like-minded eager youngsters - Raa Ki Rangarajan and Ja Raa Sundaresan - and the foursome put in their collective efforts and started KUMUDAM - that was in 1947. It was decided that SAP Annamalai would look after editorial (and financing the venture) matters with able inputs from Raa Ki and Ja Raa and PVP, very adept at commercial matters, would be the publisher.
Kumudam started coming from 1947 and its first issue had a print run of 2000 copies. It had to compete with well-established magazines like Ananda Vikatan, Kalki, Kalaimagal. The four gentlemen toiled hard and Kumudam soon became a force to reckon with. It broke fresh ground by appealing directly to the youth with glossy photographs and content.
PVP was a pioneering professional whose whirlwind tours to all parts of TN and India helped Kumudam establish itself. With innovations pouring in from SAP and others, Kumudam slowly became a family magazine and very soon it became the No 1 magazine in India ! (Today it sells more than 5 lakhs every week)SAP, PVP, Raa ki, Ja Raa lived and breathed Kumudam. They used to meet daily in Vellala Street, Purasaiwalkam, and discuss the matters well into the night and this habit continued for very long.
They used to call one another by "Vaada, poda" even when they became old, and none of them has ever missed a single function - big or small - in others' homes. Such was the bond and friendship between these four. By the way, it was a strong rumour that the very famous Q&A in Kumudam (ARASU kelvi-bathil) was a combined output from these three - A for Annamalai (SAP), RA for Rangarajan (Raa Ki), and SU for Sundaresan (Ja Raa)
Like most Tamils, I am an ardent reader of Kumudam since I learnt a, aa in Tamil. Like most Tamils I too must have read Kumudam every single week for the past 50+ years. Today when I learnt that PVP is no more, I felt I should write something about these pioneers, (great Jambavans in Tamil literary field). So this small blog.
Thank you Mr PV Parthasarathy.
Rajappa
11.30AM on 3 April 2006.
# Raa Ki lives in Annanagar and his weekly humorous writeups in Annanagar/Adyar Times are fantastic - I miss these now after coming to RA Puram.
When studying in Law College, he forged a friendship with one of his fellow students - SAP Annamalai (chettiyar) - which lasted a life-time. These two youngsters shared a dream for a more informed society and national fervour and the two decided to start a magazine in Tamil.
They met two other like-minded eager youngsters - Raa Ki Rangarajan and Ja Raa Sundaresan - and the foursome put in their collective efforts and started KUMUDAM - that was in 1947. It was decided that SAP Annamalai would look after editorial (and financing the venture) matters with able inputs from Raa Ki and Ja Raa and PVP, very adept at commercial matters, would be the publisher.
Kumudam started coming from 1947 and its first issue had a print run of 2000 copies. It had to compete with well-established magazines like Ananda Vikatan, Kalki, Kalaimagal. The four gentlemen toiled hard and Kumudam soon became a force to reckon with. It broke fresh ground by appealing directly to the youth with glossy photographs and content.
PVP was a pioneering professional whose whirlwind tours to all parts of TN and India helped Kumudam establish itself. With innovations pouring in from SAP and others, Kumudam slowly became a family magazine and very soon it became the No 1 magazine in India ! (Today it sells more than 5 lakhs every week)SAP, PVP, Raa ki, Ja Raa lived and breathed Kumudam. They used to meet daily in Vellala Street, Purasaiwalkam, and discuss the matters well into the night and this habit continued for very long.
They used to call one another by "Vaada, poda" even when they became old, and none of them has ever missed a single function - big or small - in others' homes. Such was the bond and friendship between these four. By the way, it was a strong rumour that the very famous Q&A in Kumudam (ARASU kelvi-bathil) was a combined output from these three - A for Annamalai (SAP), RA for Rangarajan (Raa Ki), and SU for Sundaresan (Ja Raa)
Like most Tamils, I am an ardent reader of Kumudam since I learnt a, aa in Tamil. Like most Tamils I too must have read Kumudam every single week for the past 50+ years. Today when I learnt that PVP is no more, I felt I should write something about these pioneers, (great Jambavans in Tamil literary field). So this small blog.
Thank you Mr PV Parthasarathy.
Rajappa
11.30AM on 3 April 2006.
# Raa Ki lives in Annanagar and his weekly humorous writeups in Annanagar/Adyar Times are fantastic - I miss these now after coming to RA Puram.
Comments
Post a Comment