Meet The Author Who Defined Tamil Crime Fiction For Over Five Decades

With a bibliography comprising more than 1,500 Tamil-language crime fiction and detective novels, and at least 2,000 short stories in a career spanning five and a half decades and counting, Rajesh Kumar isn't just another author. He is the genre.

Kumar stands as a colossus in the literary culture of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. His novels are hard to miss there: be it at newsstands in bus stops, railway stations or roadside tea stalls, not to mention libraries or bookstores.

One of the state's most popular names, however, is a nom de plume. Like Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Carolyn Keene or closer home, Kumar's peer Sujatha. While the others opted to write under their pen names, in KR Rajagopal's case, there was an element of necessity.

“When I began my journey as a writer, there were already several authors with the name Rajagopalan,” he told City Times in an interview, adding that the pen name helped avoid confusion. One of his novels, Ulagai Vilai Kel, was adapted into the recently released Zee 5 crime thriller web series Regai (fingerprint).

Directed by M Dhinakaran and starring Bala Hasan, Pavithra Janani, Anjali Rao and Vinodhini Vaidhyanathan, Regai follows a police inspector (Hasan) on the trail of a team that tries to cover up deaths from medical trials as accidents.

Fame has come to Kumar, 78, after loads of persistence and hard work. The Tamil movies Sandamarutham (2015), Chennaiyil Oru Naal 2 (2017) and Agni Devi (2019) are among his other cinematic adaptations. Yet, he wears his achievements lightly.“I never imagined that I would enter the field of writing or that I would gain such fame."

The initial tryst

Kumar's tryst with writing happened by chance in 1968, when he was pursuing his undergraduate studies.“My Tamil professor asked if any student could write a short story for the college annual magazine," he recalled.“I penned my first short story... which received great appreciation.”

That marked the beginning of a virtuous circle of appreciation and literature. A year later, Kumar wrote his first short story for Maalai Murasu, a Tamil eveninger, and received his first payment of Rs10 (Dh0.40 approximately in today's exchange rates).

A diverse background in education - and life - helped. Born and brought up in Coimbatore, Kumar pursued a Bachelor of Science in Botany, followed by a Bachelor of Education degree. After completing his studies, Kumar spent about six months at home without a job, writing stories. His family, he said, "didn't take it lightly but, instead, encouraged my dedication to writing."

He then worked as a teacher in government schools for five years.“Every event I witnessed began to take shape as stories through my pen and found their way into print,” he recalled. That began to pay off.

“As readers came to appreciate my writing style, many magazines of that period began to request and publish my stories,” he added.“Even today, the reason I continue to write is because of the immense encouragement and support I keep receiving from my readers."

Crime and education

As with teaching, Kumar believes his crime fiction can illuminate contemporary scientific ideas through compelling narratives.“To me, crime is an inseparable aspect of human nature, a theme that has resonated through the ages. The great Indian epics Mahabharatha, Ramayana and Silappathikaaram (an ancient Tamil epic), all bear the essence of crime, retribution and moral consequence."

Kumar believes that the motives for crime have remained constant since time immemorial.“Crime will always remain a reflection of human emotion and desire,” he said.“I believe that as long as humanity exists, crime and its narratives will endure.”

Regai, according to Kumar, satisfies him as his novel - originally set in the 1990s when cellphones or the Internet weren't available - has been adapted to the present day skilfully.

In crime fiction, the difference between credible and bizarre can be a thin line. Kumar avoids this trap by looking to the real world for inspiration.

"A few years ago, a flight departing from Malaysia disappeared mid-flight and never reached its destination. Even today, no one knows what happened to that aircraft. I wrote a serial story named Velvet Crimes based on this incident," he said.

The flight (MH-370) may have met with a tragedy, but Kumar believes in happy endings. "In my story, the plane didn't crash. The climax reveals that the plane is flying under a different identity."

No need for big banners, actors

Kumar is keen on bringing more of his works to the large screen -especially his characters, the detectives Vivek, Roopala and Vishnu - but he isn't fascinated by big banners.“Good companies and talented directors are enough. Only then will the novels turn into excellent films,” he said.“Young directors engage deeply in story discussions with writers and excel at crafting screenplays. My connections continue only with them.”

He is also particular that casting isn't his domain. "When my stories are made into films, I never insist that a particular actor should play a certain role," he said.“That decision will be made by the director and the producer."

He may have scaled back his writing assignments, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, but Kumar's daily routine till date involves at least seven hours of writing and one hour for research. But Kumar says he never stays up unnecessarily to write.

He, however, admits to some quirks when it comes to writing.“I don't type my stories on a computer. I write them by hand with a ballpoint pen on A4 sheets, revise them, and then scan and send them,” he said.“To this moment, I haven't been able to give up this habit.”

All in the family

Kumar insists that his writing is a family effort.“It is because of their constant encouragement that I have been able to keep writing continuously for 56 years,” he said.“Later, my wife became a true companion in my literary journey; she reads all my works and helps by correcting errors.” His two sons are now printing and selling his books under the name RK Publishing.

There's also a familial touch to his pen name.“My sister's name is Rajeswari, and her son's name is Anandakumar - two people who mean the world to me. I took the first part of my sister's name, Rajes, and combined it with the last part of my nephew's name, Kumar, thus forming 'Rajesh Kumar'."

Quiz him on who he'd want to solve a crime and save his life, between Satyajit Ray's ace sleuth Feluda or Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and pat comes the reply:“It's a matter of life, so I'd rather choose God.”

Rajesh Kumar's tips for budding writers

• Read extensively.

• Keep yourself updated with the times, especially now when science is expanding in incredible ways.

• Whatever story you tell, make sure it carries an element of surprise.

• Explore stories that other writers hesitate to touch, what some might call 'pseudo-science'.

• Avoid lengthy dialogues in your narratives; use concise and sharp conversations instead.

MENAFN17122025000049011007ID1110491249