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 News18 Kerala Malayali of the Year 2023 Literary contributions G Smaraka Puraskaram 2025 Overall contributions Pravasa Kairali Sahithya Puraskaram 2025 Adiyalapretham
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 – anthologyKanayma 2024 NovelOchukalude Kaloppu 2025 Memoirs
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 Notes1986 Thanthram Story 1995 Puthran Screenplay 2002 Savithriyude Aranjanam Screenplay 2009 Kutty Srank Screenplay Won:National Film Award for Best Screenplay2017 Crossroad Screenplay Anthology film; Segment-Oru Rathriyude Kooli2018 Ee.Ma.Yau Screenplay 2019 A for Apple Story 2019 Athiran Screenplay
See also List of Indian writers
References
Further reading
External links