>GreenC bot at 16:46, 20 April 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox book

| name = Arabi Ponnu<br>(The Arab Gold)
| image = Arabi Ponnu.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| alt =
| author = [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]<br>[[N. P. Mohammed]]
| title_orig = അറബിപ്പൊന്ന്
| translator = P. K. Raveendranath
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = India
| language = [[Malayalam]]
| series =
| subject =
| genre = Novel
| publisher = [[DC Books]]
| publisher2 =
| pub_date = {{Start date|1960|||}}
| english_pub_date = 1993
| media_type = Print
| pages = 440
| awards =
| isbn = 978-81-713-0516-2
| oclc =
| dewey =
| congress =
| preceded_by =
| preceded_by_quotation_marks =
| followed_by =
| followed_by_quotation_marks =
| wikisource =
}}

'''''Arabi Ponnu''''' is a [[Malayalam]] [[novel]] jointly written by [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]] and [[N. P. Mohammed]]. The theme is the smuggling of gold from Arab countries, especially [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]], in its early period.

==Background==
The novel is unique in the aspect that it was written jointly by two writers-M. T. Vasudevan Nair and N. P. Mohammed. The two had maintained a very close personal relationship right from their first meeting in 1954. At the time, NP was 25 but already a recognized author while MT was still a budding writer, having published a few short stories. About the meeting, MT said in an interview to ''[[The Hindu]]'', "I had only admired him from a distance till then. I was thrilled when he said he had also read some of my stories. We had tea together that evening." Later, in 1956, MT moved to Calicut where NP was residing and they became very close friends. MT would later recall that it was NP who always first read the draft of his novels.<ref>R. Madhavan Nair (4 January 2003). [http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/04/stories/2003010402780400.htm "NP and MT - a unique bond"]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''[[The Hindu]]''. Retrieved 10 September 2017.</ref>

The idea of co-authoring a novel struck the writers after they came across ''[[The Ugly American]]'', a novel penned by [[Eugene Burdick]] and [[William J. Lederer]].<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/2005/01/04/stories/2005010411700300.htm "N.P. Mohammed remembered"]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''[[The Hindu]]''. 4 January 2005. Retrieved 10 September 2017.</ref> For writing ''Arabi Ponnu'', the duo stayed at a rented house in Karuvarakkundu village, Malappuram for about two weeks.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Premkumar |first1=E.K |title=‘അറബിപ്പൊന്നി’ന് 60 വയസ്സ്. |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/sunday/2020/07/11/sunday-60th-anniversary-for-arabipponnu.html |website=manoramaonline.com |publisher=Manorama |access-date=28 September 2020 |ref=Published on 12 July 2020}}</ref>

==Plot summary==
The Arabs came in their [[dhow]]s laden with dates to [[Calicut]], the Port of Truth, and through the dates smuggled in gold. The Port of Truth became the Port of Treachery. Koya, the protagonist, saw his hands smeared with the stink of Arab gold, opium, smuggled liquor and women. He saw them, he lived with them. He loaded opium on a Chinese vessel anchored off [[Beypore]]. But he emerged as a new man from the world of treachery and robbery, deceit and betrayal.

==References==
<references />

{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Malayalam novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in Kerala]]
[[Category:Novels by M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]
[[Category:DC Books books]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novels]]
[[Category:1960 Indian novels]]

Arabi Ponnu - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 16:46, 20 April 2021