# P. F. Mathews

Poovankery Francis Mathews is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and a screenplay writer in Malayalam film and Television industries. A Winner of a National Film Award for Best Screenplay and multiple State television and other literary awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story, he is known for his original style of writing. Literary works such as Muzhakkam, Kadalinte Manam, Adiyalapretham, Iruttil Oru Punyalan, and Chaavunilam and screenplays such as Sararaanthal, Mikhayelinte Santhathikal, Megham, Kutty Srank and Ee.Ma.Yau are his major works.

## Early years

Mathews was born in a Latin Christian family on 18 February 1960 in Ernakulam, Kerala to Francis of the Poovankery house and his wife Mary. After his early schooling in Don Bosco School and St. Augustine's School, Kochi, he graduated in economics from St. Albert's College Kochi, in 1980 and secured his master's degree in Malayalam in 1982. He started writing at the age of 10 when he used to write and direct one- act plays. He took to short stories at the age of 16 and his short stories have been published in leading Malayalam publications like Malayala Manorama, Kalakaumudi, Mathrubhumi, Madhyamam and Bhashaposhini. He spent his regular career at Advocate General's Office of the High Court of Kerala from where he superannuated in 2016.

## Literary career

His first short story anthology, Njayarazhcha Mazha Peyyukayayirunnu (It Was Raining on Sunday), was published in 1986 by Current Books. His second work was a novel, Chaavunilam (Land of the Dead), based on the coastal life in Kochi and published in 1996 by DC Books, which won the State Bank of Travancore award for the best novel. Subsequent years produced two more short story collections, Jalakanyakayum Gandarvanum (the Mermaid and the Celestial Lover) and 2004il Alice (Alice in 2004). In 2013, a short story anthology, Kathakal (Stories), and his memoirs, Theerajeevithathinu Oru Oppees (A Requiem for the Coastal Life), were published. His second novel, Iruttil Oru Punyalan (A Saint Shrouded in Darkness), was published in 2015, and two of its chapters were published by Mathrubhumi weekly, prior to the official release of the book. The book has since been translated into Tamil, under the title, Iruttil Oru Punithan, by P. S. Ramesh.

## Film and television career

Mathews debuted into screen writing with a documentary film, Keep the City Clean. In 1991, he won the Kerala State Television Award for screen play, for the tele-series Sararaanthal (The Lantern), broadcast in Doordarshan. He received his second state television award for Mikhayelinte Santhathikal (Descendants of Mikhayel), in 1993. Several works followed, which included Dr. Harischandra (1994), Roses in December (1995), Charulatha (1999), Aathma (2000), Edayanum Mankidavum (2003), Megham (2004), Mantharam (2005), Aa Amma (2006), Pakalmazha (2009) and Daivathinu Swantham Devootti (2012), the last one winning State television award for the best Series. He has also won the script writing competition held nationwide by National Film Development Corporation of India, for Naattukaaryam, in 1993.
Mathews' foray into big screen was in 1986 with the story of Thanthram (the Plot), a Mammooty starrer. This was followed by Puthran (the Son), a sequel to the successful tele series, Mikhayelinte Santhathikal. The next was Kutty Srank, directed by Shaji N. Karun, which won him the National Film Award for Best Screenplay for the year 2010. Antichrist, a Lijo Jose Pellissery project, with Prithviraj, Fahadh Faasil and Indrajith in lead roles, was put on hold after initial discussions. The next project, Ee.Ma.Yau, a Lijo Jose Pellissery film, was released in May 2018 and the film received good critical reviews. Another Lijo Jose Pellissery film has also been announced, with Mamootty in the lead role.
Mathews also sat in the jury panel of the Kerala State Film Awards for the year 2016.

## Personal life

Mathews, a recipient of the KCBC Yuvaprathibha (Young Talent) award (1999), is married to Shobha and the couple has two sons, Unni Mathews and Anand Mathews, both of whom are part of the 'Karikku' team. He has been employed with the Advocate General's Office, Ernakulam, and has since superannuated from service.

## Awards and recognitions

| Award | Year | Work |
| National Film Award for Best Screenplay | 2010 | Kutty Srank |
| Kerala State Television Award for Best Screenplay | 1991 | Sararaanthal |
| Kerala State Television Award for Best Screenplay | 1993 | Mikhayelinte Santhathikal |
| National Film Development Corporation of India Prize for Best Screenplay | 1993 | Naattukaaryam |
| State Bank of Travancore Award for Best Novel | 1996 | Chaavunilam |
| KCBC Yuvaprathibha Award | 1999 | General Contribution |
| Movie Street Film Award for Best Screenplay | 2019 | Ee.Ma.Yau. |
| Sinema Zetu International Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay | 2019 | Ee.Ma.Yau. |
| Vaikom Muhammed Basheer Award | 2019 | Pathimoonnu Kadalkaakkakalude Upama |
| Akbar Kakkattil Award | 2021 | Chila Pracheena Vikarangal |
| 2020 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel | 2021 | Adiyala Pretham |
| O V Vijayan Memorial Literary Award | 2022 | Adiyala Pretham |
| Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story | 2022 | Muzhakkam |
| O. V. Vijayan Literary Award | 2022 | Muzhakkam |
| G Smaraka Puraskaram | 2025 | Overall contributions |

## Literary works

| Work | Year | Genre / Comments |
| Njayarazhcha Mazha Peyyukayayirunnu | 1986 | Short story – Anthology |
| Chaavunilam | 1996 | Novel |
| Jalakanyakayum Gandarvanum | 1998 | Short story – Anthology |
| 2004il Alice | 2004 | Short story – Anthology |
| 27 Down | 2011 | Short story – Anthology |
| Kathakal | 2013 | Short story – Anthology |
| Theerajeevithathinu Oru Oppees | 2013 | Memoir |
| Iruttil Oru Punyalan | 2015 | Novel |
| Pathimoonnu Kadalkakkakalude Upama | 2018 | Short story – Anthology |
| Theranjedutha Kathakal | 2018 | Short story – Anthology |
| Ee Ma Yau | 2019 | Screenplay |
| Iruttil Oru Punithan | 2019 | Tamil translation of Iruttil Oru Punyalan |
| Adiyalapretham | 2019 | Novel |
| Chila Pracheena Vikarangal | 2019 | Short story – Anthology |
| Kadalinte Manam | 2021 | Novel |
| Muzhakkam | 2021 | Short story – anthology |
| Moonga | 2024 | Short story – anthology |
| Kanaima | 2024 | Novel |

## Tele-series and Documentaries

| Work | Genre | Director | Year |
| Keep the City Clean | Documentary | Jude Attipetty | 1981 |
| Sararaanthal | Tele-series | Jude Attipetty | 1991 |
| Mikhayelinte Santhathikal | Tele-series | Jude Attipetty | 1993 |
| Dr. Harischandra | Tele-series | Jude Attipetty | 1994 |
| Roses in December | Tele-series | Jude Attipetty | 1995 |
| Charulatha | Tele-series | Prashanth | 1999 |
| Aathma | Tele-series | Mohan Kupleri | 2000 |
| Edayanum Mankidavum | Tele-series | Jude Attipetty | 2003 |
| Megham | Tele-series | Saji Surendran | 2004 |
| Mandaram | Tele-series | Saji Surendran | 2005 |
| Aa Amma | Tele-series | Kiran | 2006 |
| Pakalmazha | Tele-series | Gireesh Konni | 2009 |
| Daivathinu Swantham Devootti | Tele-series | Madhupal | 2011 |
| Kali Gandaki | Tele-series | Madhupal | 2017 |

## Filmography

| Year | Work | Contribution | Notes |
| 1986 | Thanthram | Story | |
| 1995 | Puthran | Screenplay | |
| 2002 | Savithriyude Aranjanam | Screenplay | |
| 2009 | Kutty Srank | Screenplay | Won:National Film Award for Best Screenplay |
| 2017 | Crossroad | Screenplay | Anthology film; Segment-Oru Rathriyude Kooli |
| 2018 | Ee.Ma.Yau | Screenplay | |
| 2019 | A for Apple | Story | |
| 2019 | Athiran | Screenplay | |