A tribute to Uroob on his birth centenary

Akashavani Kozhikode airing a feature on ‘Ummachu’ on August 27

Recording in progress for the feature on Uroob’s ‘Ummachu’ at the Akashavani station in Kozhikode.

On his birth centenary, Uroob, one of the authors associated with modern Malayalam fiction, gets a rare and precious gift from his admirers through All India Radio.

Uroob’s novel Ummachu gets a rebirth in the form of a feature under the aegis of the Akashavani station in Kozhikode. The feature to be aired at 10.30 p.m. on August 27 includes descriptions on the author, the novel, as well as its content.

The feature is all the more important considering Uroob’s long-time association with Akashvani. He was a staff artist and producer for Akashvani in Kozhikode from 1950 to 1975. The feature is Akashvani’s tribute to the writer as well.

Ummachu , first published in December 1954, is into its 16th edition this year. While the first edition was published by KR Brothers based in Kozhikode, the latest one is being published by DC Books. The book, a grand success in all its previous editions, continues to enthral readers with its profound content and language.

The novel based in central Malabar is based on the life of the Muslim community here. It more or less surrounds the topic of a quarrel, the cause of which is a woman. Ummachu is a character that Malayali readers have taken to their heart just like Suhara in Vaikom Muhammed Basheer’s Balyakalasakhi .

“It is the emotional side of the social history of central Malabar that Uroob has portrayed in his work,” writer N.P. Muhammed had commented about

Ummachu in its preface.

The radio feature on Ummachu was prepared by Bachu Cheruvadi while Akashavani programme executive Mathew Joseph is the director.

Theatres artistes such as M.A. Nassar, K.S. Koya, and C.V. Dev besides rather fresh faces such as A.N. Ashitha Kumari, Pradeep Gopal, Gayathri Muraleedharan, K.Neeraj, Finu Fawas, and Anurag have rendered voices to various characters in the feature.