A Malayalam novel is getting a pictorial makeover to mark Valentine’s Day on Monday.
As many as 100 paintings are being drawn based on various situations in Premanagaram, authored by Kozhikode native Bineesh Puthuppanam. The artists featured are Madanan, Jolly M. Sudhan, K. Sudheesh, Mukhthar Udarampoyil, Naveen Kumar, Joshi Perambra, Abhilash Thiruvoth, among others. A digital exhibition of these paintings too has been planned with artist Ambili Vijayan curating the show.
Right from the first chapter to the last part of the 152-page book would be turned into colourful images. As many as 100 people who bought the novel would be given these paintings. The organisers said that such a gift to the readers was probably a first for a Malayalam novel. Both senior and junior artists were coming together for the initiative, they said.
The book has been published by DC Books, Kottayam.
On unconditional love
The novelist said that the main theme of the novel was unconditional love. The depth of man-woman relationships was portrayed through the love story of Neelu, a middle-aged woman, and Madhav, a youngster. “It features the contradictory social situation in Kerala where progressive features and deep-rooted superstitions coexist,” he said.
The novel, released in December last year, had got its second edition within a month. Mr. Puthuppanam, a teacher at N.S.S. College Nilamel, Kollam, is also a poet and lyricist. He has worked for movies such as Maheshinte Prathikaram.