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{{short description|Indian writer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kainikkara Kumara Pillai
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1900|9|27}}
| birth_place = [[Perunna]], [[Changanassery]], [[Kottayam district]], Kerala, India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1988|12|9|1900|9|27}}
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| occupation = Playwright, actor
| notable_works = {{ubl|''Harichandra''|''Mathruka Manushyan''|''Mohavum, Mukhtiyum''}}
| spouse = Bagheerathi Kunjamma
| children =
| relatives = {{ubl|N. Kumara Pillai (father)|Parvathy Pilla (mother)|[[Kainikkara Padmanabha Pillai]] (brother)}}
| website =
| awards = {{ubl|1970 [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama]]|1975 [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship]]|1986 [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship]]|Puthezhan Award|Guruvayurappan Trust Award|SPCS Award}}
}}
'''Kainikkara Kumara Pillai''' (1900–1988) was an Indian teacher, actor, short story writer, essayist and playwright of [[Malayalam literature]], best known for his plays such as ''Harichandra'', ''Mathruka Manushyan'' and ''Mohavum, Mukhtiyum''. He was the younger brother of [[Kainikkara Padmanabha Pillai]], a noted author and thinker. An author of 18 books, Kumara Pillai was awarded the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama]] in 1970. The [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi]] inducted him as a distinguished fellow in 1975 followed by the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]] in 1986.

== Biography ==
Kainikkara Kumara Pillai was born on 27 September 1900 at [[Perunna]], [[Changanassery]], in [[Kottayam district]] of the south Indian state of [[Kerala]] to Perunayil N. Kumara Pillai, a lawyer and an [[Ayurvedic]] physician and Haripattu Poothottal L. Parvathy Pilla.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaigraphy.htm |title=Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal |date=2019-04-15 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal |access-date=2019-04-15}}</ref>
After completing his schooling at a number of schools like [[Changanassery]] Government Middle School, St, Berchman's High School, [[Mannar, Alappuzha|Mannar]] Nair Samajam School and [[Thiruvalla]] SCS High School, he completed his pre-university course at [[Maharaja's College, Ernakulam]] and obtained a BA in Philosophy from [[Government Arts College, Kumbakonam]] to start his career as a teacher at the NSS school in Kainikkara.<ref name="Kainikkara Kumara Pillai - Veethi profile">{{Cite web |url=https://www.veethi.com/india-people/kainikkara_kumara_pillai-profile-2245-42.htm |title=Kainikkara Kumara Pillai - Veethi profile |date=2019-04-16 |website=veethi.com |access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref> Later, he served as the principal of the [[Karuvatta]] High School from 1924 to 1943, as the Head Master of Palkulangara High School in Thiruvananthapuram. and as the principal of [[Mahatma Gandhi College]], [[Trivandrum]] (1955–56).<ref name="Mahatma Gandhi College, Trivandrum">{{Cite web |url=http://www.trivandrum.co.in/mgcollege.html |title=Mahatma Gandhi College, Trivandrum |date=2019-04-16 |publisher=Trivandrum.co.in |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831053025/http://www.trivandrum.co.in/mgcollege.html |archive-date=31 August 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 November 2009}}</ref> Among other positions, he was a Director of Educational Services of [[All India Radio]], Trivandrum.

Kumara Pillai was married to Bagheearthi Kunjamma. He died on 9 December 1988 at the age of 88.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" />

== Legacy and honours ==
Kumara Pillai was one of the pioneers of modern Malayalam theatre<ref name="Art forms of India">{{Cite web |url=http://indiansaga.com/art/theatre2_art.html |title=Art forms of India |date=2019-04-16 |website=indiansaga.com |access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref> and was a part of the Progressive Writers'Association whose members included [[Vaikom Muhammad Basheer]], [[Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai]], [[Joseph Mundassery]] and [[P. Kesavadev]].<ref name="Paslithil2006">{{cite book|author=A. Paslithil|title=Public Library Movement: Kerala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LXVVlWK3U4oC&pg=PA107|year=2006|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7835-579-5|pages=107–}}</ref>
He started his literary career with ''Duranthasanka'', an adaptation of [[Othello]] of [[William Shakespeare]],<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> which preceded eighteen books, composed of plays, short stories and essay compilations.<ref name="Kainikkara Kumara Pillai - Veethi profile" /><ref name="List of works">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaiBooks.htm |title=List of works |date=2019-04-16 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref> A noted actor of the times, he also translated [[Shakespeare]]'s ''Othello'' and ''Antony and Cleopatra'', and adapted the play ''A New Way to Pay Old Debts'' by [[Philip Massinger]], with the title ''Manimangalam''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Western influence on Malayalam language and literature |author=K. M. George |publisher=Sahitya Akademi, 1998 |ISBN=81-260-0413-4 |page=154}}</ref> ''[[Manyasree Viswamithran]]'', a Malayalam film made by [[Madhu (actor)|Madhu]] in 1974, was based on a story by Kumara Pillai and it was he who wrote the screenplay and dialogues for the film.<ref name="Manyasree Viswamitran">{{Cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235570/ |title=Manyasree Viswamitran |date=2019-04-16 |website=IMDb |access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref><ref name="Maanyashree Vishwaamithran (1974)">{{Cite web |url=https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movie.php?i=537 |title=Maanyashree Vishwaamithran (1974) |website=www.malayalachalachithram.com |access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref> He taught Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai in school<ref name="Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/Thakazhi/Html/Thakazhigraphy.htm |title=Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai |date=2019-02-03 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-02-03}}</ref> and encouraged the aspiring writer to take up prose which helped him in his literary career.<ref name="Clark1970">{{cite book|author=Thomas Welbourne Clark|title=The Novel in India: Its Birth and Development|url=https://archive.org/details/novelinindia00icis|url-access=registration|year=1970|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-01725-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/novelinindia00icis/page/218 218]–}}</ref> He was associated with ''Vidyalaya Poshini'', an educational journal, serving as its chief editor for a while and was with the All India Radio, heading its educational programs.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> He also contributed to the development of public library movement in Kerala.<ref name="Paslithil2006" />

[[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]] selected ''Mathruka Manushyan'', a play written by Kumara Pillai, for their [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama|annual award for drama]] in 1970, the play would later be included in the curriculum of the [[University of Travancore]] and [[Madras University]].<ref name="Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/ksa/Awards/Play.htm |title=Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama |date=2019-04-16 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516212809/http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/ksa/Awards/Play.htm |archive-date=16 May 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Akademi honoured him again in 1986 with the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship|distinguished fellowship]] in 1986,<ref name="Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/Fellows/Html/HonoraryList.htm |title=Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship |date=2019-04-15 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331092627/http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/Fellows/Html/HonoraryList.htm |archive-date=31 March 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in between, he was elected as a fellow by the [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi]] in 1975.<ref name="Drama, Fellowship List, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralaculture.org/drama-ksna/457 |title=Drama, Fellowship List, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi |date=2019-04-15 |website=www.keralaculture.org |language=en |access-date=2019-04-15}}</ref> He was also a recipient of the Puthezhan Award, Guruvayurappan Trust Award and SPCS Award.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" />

==Selected works==
=== Plays ===
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=306573&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Vichara veechikal |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1955 |publisher=National Book Stall |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=304834&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Mohavum mukthiyum |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1938 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=304833&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Mathrukamanushyan |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1969 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=304832&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Harischandran |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1933 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=35717 |title=Manimangalam |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1938 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=35414 |title=Veshangal |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1946 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=35718 |title=Prema Parinamam |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1951 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaiBooks.htm |title=Agnipareeksha |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1954 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=37411 |title=NingalAriyum |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1956 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=4720 |title=Satyathinde Panthavu |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1968 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=5055 |title=Oulichukali |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1968 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
{{div col end}}

=== Essays ===
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=305605&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Natakeeyam |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1978 |publisher=National Book Stall |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=305931&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Kainikkarayude prabandhangal |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1984 |publisher=Little Prince Publications |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://mgucat.mgu.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=145631&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Avismaraneeyar |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1984 |location=Kottayam, N B S |language=Malayalam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaiBooks.htm |title= Kedavilakkukal|last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1949 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=36712 |title=Avismaraneeyar |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1952 |publisher=Kamalalaya |location=Thiruvananthapuram |language=Malayalam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaiBooks.htm |title=Gandhi Vichara Veethikal |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1970 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
{{div col end}}

=== Short stories and novel ===
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaiBooks.htm |title=Durandashanga |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1931 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKPillaiBooks.htm |title=Balahradayam |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1934 |publisher=Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society |location=Kottayam}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=63264 |title=Achane Konna Makan |last=Kumara Pillai |first=Kainikkara |date=1959 |location=Kottayam, N B S |language=Malayalam}}
{{div col end}}

=== Translations ===
* {{Cite book |url=https://catalog.uoc.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=305047&query_desc=au%252Cwrdl%253A%2520Kainikkara%2520Kumara%2520Pillai |title=Antoniyum Cleopatrayum |last=Shakespeare |first=William |date=1967 |publisher=National Book Stall |location=Kottayam |translator-last=Kumara Pillai |translator-first=Kainikkara}}

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
* [[List of Malayalam-language authors by category]]
* [[List of Malayalam-language authors]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKumaraPillai.htm |title=Portrait commissioned by Kerala Sahitya Akademi |date=2019-04-15 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-15}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/KainikkaraKumaraPillai/Html/KainikkaraKumarapillaiScript.htm |title=Handwriting |date=2019-04-15 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-15}}
* {{cite book|author=K. M. George|title=Western Influence on Malayalam Language and Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MZqqyxVkufQC&pg=PA151|year=1972|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-0413-3|pages=151–}}
* {{cite book|author=M K K Nayar|title=Story of an Era Told Without Ill-will|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EvGvDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA389|date=24 February 2014|publisher=DC Books|isbn=978-93-81699-33-1|pages=389–}}
* {{Imdb name|nm10436996}}
* {{cite book|author=Amaresh Datta|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&pg=PA1084|year=1988|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1194-0|pages=1084–}}

{{Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, Kainikkara Kumara}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Dramatists and playwrights from Kerala]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1988 deaths]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]
[[Category:People from Thiruvananthapuram district]]
[[Category:Indian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Maharaja's College, Ernakulam alumni]]
[[Category:All India Radio people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian short story writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]

Kainikkara Kumara Pillai - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 13:35, 14 August 2023