C.R. Omanakkuttan, writer and beloved teacher to students across generations, died at a private hospital here around noon on Saturday.
He was 80 years. C.R., as he was popularly known, is survived by wife Hemalatha, son and filmmaker Amal Neerad, and daughter and academic Anoopa. Actor Jyothirmayi and theatre personality and academic Gopan Chidambaram are his daughter-in-law and son-in-law.
C.R’s body will be kept at his home—named Thirunakkara as a mark of his love for his birthplace in Kottayam—till 9.30 a.m. on Sunday and between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Kadavanthra for the public to pay homage. The cremation will be held with State honours at the Ravipuram crematorium at 2.30 p.m.
C.R. won the State Sahithya Akademi award for his book Sreebhoothavilasam Nair Hotel in 2010. But his most widely discussed piece of writing was a series titled Shavam Theenikal (corpse eaters) published in the Deshabhimani daily on the heart-wrenching tale of the forced disappearance and custodial murder of engineering student Rajan during the Emergency. Rajan’s father Eachara Warrier was C.R.’s roommate and colleague at Government Arts and Science College, Meenchanda, in Kozhikode where C.R. started his teaching career in 1973. The friendship made C.R. accompany a hapless Eachara Warrier as he ran from pillar to post seeking help to find his missing son.
In an interview to Mathrubhumi daily in 2016, C.R. said while leaders like K. Karunakaran, A.K. Antony and Vayalar Ravi gave promises of support without result, Eachara Warrier was snubbed by then Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon who reportedly asked the anguished father: “Shall I now venture out in search of your son?”
Shavam Theenikal and Selected Stories of C.R. were published at an event inaugurated by his student and actor Mammootty in Kochi on September 3. Another student of his, actor Salim Kumar, too, attended the event. This was the last event attended by C.R. in which his closing words were, “Thank you, thank you everyone!” recalled publisher and C.R.’s student.
C.R., who taught at Maharaja’s College for 23 years, was a film buff all through his life and maintained good relationship with writers like Karoor Neelakanta Pillai. He wrote the biography of actors Elizabeth Taylor and Miss Kumari besides numerous books and short stories, most of them peppered with humour. He also worked in film and literary journals before working in the State’s Public Relations department.
He was a member on the governing committee of Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham, State film award committee and on the board of the State Film Development Corporation.
Condoling C.R.’s death, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that C.R. was a keen analyst of the histories of literature and politics. He upheld Left-leaning cultural stances in his life, Mr. Vijayan said.
