O. N. V. Kurup, Malayalam poet and lyricist, Died at 84

Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was born on May 27, 1931, and died on February 13, 2016.

He was popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V.,

He was a renowned Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India,

O. N. V. won Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. O. N. V.

He was also a lyricist in Malayalam cinema.

Kurup has penned a lot of lyrics for dramas and TV serials also.

Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup received the awards Padma Shri in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011, the fourth and second highest civilian honours from the Government of India.

In 2007, Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Kerala, Trivandrum.

He was known for his leftist leaning.

Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency for the Lok Sabha elections in 1989.

He was a lecturer at Maharajas College – Ernakulam, University College – Trivandrum, Arts and Science College – Kozhikode, and Brennen College – Thalassery.

Kurup joined Government Women’s College – Trivandrum as the Head of Malayalam Department.

He was also a visiting professor at Calicut University.

Mr. Kurup retired from service in 1986.

The poet received the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, for the year 2007.

Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was the fifth Jnanpith laureate from Kerala and the second Malayalam poet to win the prestigious award.

According to a statement by Bharatiya Jnanpith, the trust which presents the award, Kurup began his career as a “progressive writer and matured into a humanist though he never gave up his commitment to socialist ideology”.

Before his death settled at Vazhuthacaud in Thiruvananthapuram, with his wife Sarojini.

He has a son Rajeev works with the Indian Railways Authority, and daughter Dr.Mayadevi was a noted gynaecologist in Durham, United Kingdom.

Also, the Malayalam playback singer Aparna Rajeev was his granddaughter.

O. N. V. Kurup passed away at 84 yrs old due to age-related ailments.