Fantasy and Reality Blur in Literature, Says Anand

THRISSUR:

Veteran Malayalam writer Anand on Sunday said that in literature it is often impossible to draw a clear line between fantasy and reality, as both constantly intersect in the creative imagination.

He was delivering his reply speech at a two-day seminar that examined his literary universe, held alongside a sculpture exhibition inspired by his creative legacy. The seminar and exhibition were organised as part of the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Anand said he had always written with a sense of purpose, maintaining that he felt he had something concrete to communicate to the world. Recalling his early days, he said Bombay had deeply influenced him, particularly its vast, faceless crowds. The crowd, he observed, fascinated him as a social and psychological presence.

He spoke of a constant tension between the individual and the crowd, noting that when a person fails to preserve their individuality, they inevitably dissolve into the collective mass. Reflecting on his own journey into writing, Anand said his work was shaped by the many people he had encountered over a lifetime, adding that these human interactions became the driving force behind his narratives.

The writer also pointed out that fundamental human problems remain unchanged across time. He argued that when any system, including a government, fails to respond to a rapidly changing world, it is destined to collapse. To explain this, he likened such systems to a cycle that loses balance when it cannot adjust to shifting conditions.

Explaining why locations outside Kerala frequently appear in his works, Anand said he had lived in various places beyond the state for nearly seven decades, and these experiences naturally found their way into his writing.

Writer and Kerala Sahitya Akademi president K S Sachidanandan said that Anand had never chased awards or recognition. He observed that Anand’s literary works call for deeper analysis from multiple perspectives, as they continue to open up new layers of meaning. Sachidanandan also noted that Anand was acutely aware of the limitations and imperfections of all ideologies, including Marxism.