‘As long as love exists, we cannot escape Vayalar Ramavarma’ AlankodeLeelakrishnan at MBIFL 2026

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam poet and critic Alankode Leelakrishnan said that Malayalis will remain inseparable from poet Vayalar Ramavarma as long as love exists among human beings. He was speaking on the opening day of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2026) during a session titled *‘Vayalar: Ozhukku nilaykkatha 50 varshangal’, marking five decades since the poet’s death.

Reflecting on Vayalar’s enduring legacy, Alankode noted that although the poet lived only 47 years, his words have survived half a century and will continue to do so for centuries to come. “Even after 500 years, at least one line of Vayalar will remain alive,” he said, underscoring the timelessness of his poetry and songs.

Alankode described Vayalar as a poet first and a lyricist later, arguing that his film songs were a natural evolution of his poetry rather than a departure from it. According to him, there is no other Malayalam poet who has written about love with such depth, diversity and dignity. Vayalar’s portrayal of lovers and women was never erotic or vulgar; instead, women were elevated to near-divine figures. “He loved women by making them goddesses,” Alankode said, citing evocative addresses such as 'Mananeshwari', 'Chakravarthini'etc as examples.

Vayalar’s songs, he said, shaped the emotional imagination of at least four generations, making love a civilising force rather than a spectacle. Notably, the poet never resorted to demeaning language or imagery, choosing instead tenderness, reverence and grace.

Nature was another central theme in Vayalar’s work. His poetry flowed through rivers, winds and landscapes, ranging from the Ganges, Yamuna, Nile and Euphrates to Kerala’s own Pallathuruthiyar and Kaithapuzha. Water, seasons, flowers and shores appeared repeatedly in his lines. Alankode pointed out that Vayalar was among the first poets to describe Kerala as a 'shore filled with God', a phrase that resonates with the later popularisation of the idea of 'God’s Own Country'. “In Vayalar’s poetry, even cactus plants bloom,” he remarked, highlighting the poet’s ability to find beauty and hope everywhere.

Beyond nature and love, Vayalar’s work drew from a vast intellectual and philosophical range — from the 'Bhagavad Gita' to science and Marxist thought. Alankode observed that Vayalar may be the only poet in the world to have transformed the 'Communist Manifesto' into a song, most famously beginning with 'Sarvaraajyathozhilalikale...' (Workers of the world to unite). Remarkably, these revolutionary songs were sung not only by communists but also by those opposed to communism.

At the same time, Vayalar wrote countless devotional and patriotic songs, including ‘Sabarimalayil Thanga Suryodayam...’ and ‘Ezharaponnana...’, revealing a rare ideological breadth. His poetry, Alankode said, focused on humanity rather than religion, embracing compassion as a unifying force.

Vayalar also played a crucial role in introducing world literature to ordinary Malayalis. Through his songs and poems, readers and listeners encountered figures such as Kalidasa, P B Shelley and others. Alankode pointed out that the opening lines of ‘Ujjayiniyile gayika...’ from the movie 'Kadalpalam' alone contain references to the entirety of Kalidasa’s literary universe.

Addressing criticism that Vayalar relied heavily on upper-caste imagery, Alankode rejected the claim, noting that no other Malayalam poet used as many subterranean and marginalised images. Vayalar wrote extensively about the oppressed, often portraying their lives with empathy and an optimistic belief that a brighter morning would follow their suffering.

Concluding his lecture, Alankode said that Vayalar’s poetic universe cannot be contained within anniversaries or brief commemorations. “A day, a week or even these fifty years are not enough to explore the greatness of this man,” he said, suggesting that a dedicated 'Vayalar Saptaham' (7 days assigned to discuss Vayalar's works) would still fall short of fully understanding his contribution.

“As long as love exists,” Alankode reiterated, “we cannot escape Vayalar.”