Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Writer
Writer

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

Born 21 January 1908 · Kerala — Died 5 July 1994

Authored the Malayalam novel Balyakalasakhi, a classic in Indian literature.

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, popularly referred to as the Beypore Sultan, was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, a humanist and a freedom fighter in the Indian national movement. He was a novelist and a short story writer known for his path-breaking, down-to-earth style of writing that made him equally popular among the literary critics as well as the common man. His notable works include Balyakalasakhi, Shabdangal, Pathummayude Aadu, Ntuppuppakkoranendarnnu, Mathilukal, Janmadinam, Anargha Nimisham. The translations of his works into other languages have earned him worldwide acclaim.

✨

A detail that
surprised us

“

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer once escaped an arrest warrant by leaving Kerala and spent seven years traveling across India, Asia, and Africa, doing various odd jobs before settling into his literary career.

The Story

1
In 1924, a young Vaikom Muhammad Basheer met Mahatma Gandhi during the Vaikom Satyagraha and famously climbed onto Gandhi's car to touch his hand, marking his early commitment to India's independence movement.
2
🕊️ In 1930, Basheer joined the Salt Satyagraha in Malabar but was arrested and imprisoned for three months in Kannur Jail, where he read about the executed revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.
3After his release in 1931 under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Basheer edited the revolutionary journal Ujjivanam, which forced him to flee Kerala due to an arrest warrant.
4🌍 For seven years, Basheer traveled across India, Asia, and Africa, taking on various jobs, experiences that deeply influenced his later literary work.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Shri

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

In 1930, Basheer was sentenced to three months imprisonment at Kannur Prison for participating in the Salt Satyagraha, where he was deeply moved by the executions of Bhagat Singh and others, fueling his revolutionary spirit.

🖼️

Through the Years

1 photograph from the archives
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer portrait clearly showing the writer's face
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer portrait clearly showing the writer's face
2007

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth in Thalayolaparambu, Kerala
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer was born as the eldest child of Kayi Abdurahman and Kunjathumma in Thalayolaparambu, near Vaikom, Kottayam district.
1908
⚡
Career
Met Mahatma Gandhi at Vaikom Satyagraha
As a young student, Basheer encountered Gandhi during the Vaikom Satyagraha and embraced Khadi and swadeshi ideals, deepening his involvement in the freedom struggle.
1924
⚡
Career
Imprisoned for Salt Satyagraha Participation
Basheer was arrested and sentenced to three months in Kannur Prison for his role in the Salt Satyagraha in Malabar district.
1930
⚡
Career
Released under Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Basheer was freed from prison along with 600 others after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, resuming his revolutionary activities including editing Ujjivanam journal.
1931
📖
Publication
Published Balyakalasakhi
Basheer released Balyakalasakhi, a novel portraying childhood love, which gained critical acclaim and popular success in Malayalam literature.
1944
📖
Publication
Wrote Pathummayude Aadu
After recovering from a nervous breakdown, Basheer wrote the autobiographical and humorous Pathummayude Aadu while still under treatment.
1959
🏅
Award
Awarded Padma Shri
The Government of India honored Basheer with the Padma Shri, acknowledging his literary and social contributions.
1982
🕊️
Death
Death in Beypore, Kerala
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer passed away in Beypore at the age of 86, leaving behind a rich legacy in Malayalam literature.
1994
More moments to come...
+ Add a moment

🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Basheer wrote his first acclaimed novel, Balyakalasakhi, in 1944, which remains celebrated for its depiction of childhood love using simple, everyday language uncommon in Malayalam literature of the time.

02 / 04
👤PERSONAL

He earned the nickname 'Beypore Sultan' after settling in Beypore, Kozhikode, where he lived most of his later life and wrote some of his most notable works.

03 / 04
👤PERSONAL

Despite a serious nervous breakdown in the early 1950s, Basheer returned to writing with Pathummayude Aadu in 1959, blending humor and personal experience in his characteristic style.

“

"Man is not a machine to be worked but a being to be loved."

— Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer , Malayalam fiction writer, Malayalam literature
More from this archive
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer , Malayalam fiction writer, Malayalam literature
01
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer , Malayalam fiction writer, Malayalam literature
My Name Is Basheer
02
My Name Is Basheer
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer | ആരായിരിന്നു ബഷീർ : സുനിൽ പി ഇളയിടം | Sunil P Ilayidam
03
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer | ആരായിരിന്നു ബഷീർ : സുനിൽ പി ഇളയിടം | Sunil P Ilayidam
'Vaikom Muhammad Basheer was very meticulous in in writing' - MK Sanu | #MKSanu #Literature #Basheer
04
'Vaikom Muhammad Basheer was very meticulous in in writing' - MK Sanu | #MKSanu #Literature #Basheer
Vaikom Muhammad basheer remembrance Mammootty | വൈക്കം മുഹമ്മദ് ബഷീർ അനുസ്മരണം മമ്മൂട്ടി
05
Vaikom Muhammad basheer remembrance Mammootty | വൈക്കം മുഹമ്മദ് ബഷീർ അനുസ്മരണം മമ്മൂട്ടി
The letter written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer for Sukumar Azhikode | Memories of Basheer
06
The letter written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer for Sukumar Azhikode | Memories of Basheer
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer remembered On his 20th Death Anniversary
07
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer remembered On his 20th Death Anniversary
Kochi Remembers Vaikom Muhammed Basheer On His Death Anniversary
08
Kochi Remembers Vaikom Muhammed Basheer On His Death Anniversary
Remembering Malayalam author Vaikom Muhammad Basheer ; Ignorance towrads 'Basheer smarakam'
09
Remembering Malayalam author Vaikom Muhammad Basheer ; Ignorance towrads 'Basheer smarakam'
19th death anniversary of Sulathan of Malayalam Literature, Vaikam Muhammed Basheer
10
19th death anniversary of Sulathan of Malayalam Literature, Vaikam Muhammed Basheer

🌱 What changed because of them

Basheer revolutionized Malayalam literature by introducing colloquial language and everyday characters, making literature accessible to the common man. His works challenged social and religious orthodoxies, influencing Kerala's cultural and literary institutions to embrace more democratic and humanistic narratives. His legacy persists in academic studies and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi's continued promotion of his works.

💬 Social Buzz

💬

What are people saying about Vaikom Muhammad Basheer?

Share posts from historians, journalists and notable voices about this icon. 🇮🇳

💭 Memories & Tributes

Share your memory of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer...
Loading memories...
Is this profile accurate?