EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

When Penguin India first approached her to translate her grandfather Kalki R. Krishnamurthy’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan to English, Gowri Ramnarayan had her reservations. Gowri, a journalist and an author, had always been fascinated by the works of Kalki—an iconic writer and pioneer of Tamil literature and journalism. However, she felt that there had already been many English translations of Ponniyin Selvan. Unsure whether she wanted to attempt one more, she sought the opinion of her husband and her children. They said she would regret it if she did not do it. That made up her mind.

Gowri’s swanky two-bedroom apartment is filled with an air of intelligence. A few bronze statues of the Buddha and books by Kalki stand out on the living room shelves. Clad in a sari and wearing a beautiful necklace, Gowri sits on a bamboo chair cum sofa. She is on a break from her hectic work schedule. A playwright, theatre director, journalist and once vocal accomplice to the legendary M.S. Subbulakshmi, Gowri is Kalki’s oldest grandchild. A critically acclaimed biographer, she is known for her sense of aesthetics and deep scholarship. 

Penguin India reached out to her after she translated the 900-page Tamil biography of Kalki written by Sunda aka M.R.M. Sundaram. “It is absolutely brilliant, a work of bravura; it is an exhaustive biography,” she says. “It chronicles the first 50 years of the 20th century. Sunda talks about politics, independence, Mahatma Gandhi, Rajaji, the British and much more in the voice of Kalki.”

Gowri began translating Ponniyin Selvan two years ago. She had to put everything else in her life on hold. The first two books—First Flood and The Cyclone—are out. Three parts remain. “I am finishing the editing for the third part,” says Gowri. “It will come out in 2025.”