One Lakh Copies and Counting: How Vikatan’s Velpari Became a Publishing Landmark
“Nature has not created any life in a habitat that can be lost. Therefore, a life losing its habitat is equivalent to cutting its roots from nature.” These lines from Velpari, the Tamil novel published in two volumes spanning 1,408 pages, have struck a deep chord with readers.
On July 11, Vikatan – Tamil Nadu's oldest and most renowned publication – marked a milestone, celebrating the sale of one lakh copies of the novel. Veerayuga Nayagan Velpari was written by Su. Venkatesan, a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author and Member of Parliament from Madurai, representing the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The novel was first published as a weekly serial in Ananda Vikatan in 2016 and ran uninterrupted for 111 weeks, from Deepavali 2016 to Christmas 2018. It was released in a book form on December 29, 2018, by the then Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, M.K. Stalin, who now serves as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Even during its serialisation in Ananda Vikatan, the novel garnered an overwhelming response from readers. Fan pages and reader circles emerged on social media under the name Velpari, and such was the impact of the characters that several readers named their children after characters in Velpari. At the success event of the novel held on Friday (July 11) at the Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai, the Vikatan management staged 30 children and honoured their parents who had done so.
The novel chronicles the life of Pari, a valiant chieftain who ruled the Western Ghats region of Tamil Nadu. It narrates his fierce resistance against the Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties – collectively known as the Muventhar (the Three Crowned Kings) – as he fought to protect his land, people, and natural resources.
Su. Venkatesan describes Velpari as a story rooted in the conflict between two worlds: the tribal society of the hill people and the property-owning agrarian kingdoms that rose through flourishing agriculture.
In his special address at the event, actor Rajinikanth praised the author's writing style and said he was very surprised to know that the novel had sold more than one lakh copies. "After Kalki, I see this great kind of storytelling only in Su Venkatesan's writing – he is a modern-day Kalki," the actor said."
Actor Rajinikanth with Tamil author and CPI(M) MP Su. Venkatesan at the success event of 'Velpari'. Photo: Vikatan
Filmmaker Shankar, who is soon going to make the novel into a movie, said, "Enthiran was once my dream project; now my dream project is Velpari. Like Avatar and Game of Thrones, this film has the potential to emerge as an intellectually enriching and popular Indian and Tamil creation that the world can admire."
Drawing from the 2,281 poems of Sangam literature – particularly those that mention Pari – the author shaped the novel’s core narrative. But he didn’t stop with literary sources. To bring the world of Pari to life, he also travelled through the Western Ghats, speaking with tribal communities who still inhabit the region, and learning about their way of life, customs, and relationship with nature.
Speaking about the novel’s recent milestone – crossing one lakh copies in sales – Su. Venkatesan says, “What gives me more joy than the commercial success of the novel is that more than 1,000 readers have named their children after the characters in this novel.” Names like Pari, Adhini, Kabilan, Neelan, Iravadhan, Udhiran, Mayila, and Porchuvai – central characters in Velpari – continue to find a place in families across Tamil Nadu, a testament to the emotional and cultural resonance the novel has created.
To honour the legacy of the novel, Vikatan brought Velpari to life through its audio platform, Vikatan Play, where it quickly became the most-listened-to title ever. This remarkable reception reflects just how deeply the story has entered the hearts and homes of Tamil people.
Speaking about Velpari's phenomenal reach, B. Srinivasan, Managing Director of the Vikatan Group, said, “It is nothing short of historic. Selling over 1,00,000 copies of a book in a regional language in an era of digital distractions and fleeting attention – this is an extraordinary milestone. In Indian publishing history, perhaps only Mother by Maxim Gorky, translated across languages, has reached such a scale. But Velpari is different. It is not just literature – it is legacy. It is rooted in the very soul of Tamil culture, yet it strikes a chord with modern readers and listeners alike.”
Srinivasan described the success of Velpari a cultural moment the entire Tamil world can take pride in. “When Maniam Selvan’s majestic paintings joined hands with Su. Venkatesan’s powerful storytelling, something magical happened — a visual and narrative symphony that elevated Velpari from a novel to an epic,” he said. “This is not just a publishing triumph. This is a celebration of our identity, our art, and our storytelling tradition.”
The special emblem unveiled at the success event of 'Velpari'. Photo: Vikatan
The success of Velpari also offers a compelling answer to a long-standing question of why the Tamil society celebrates a small chieftain like Pari more than the grand emperors of the Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties.
Retired IAS officer and Chairman of the International Institute of Tamil Studies, R. Balakrishnan, explains this: “Pari is a name that has been deeply rooted in Tamil tradition for more than 2,000 years. The Chera, Chola and Pandya were the great three emperors, and countless stories have been written about them. But Pari was not an emperor – he was the leader of a clan who lived in a mountainous region. Tamil tradition reveres seven great philanthropists known as the Kadaiyelu Vallalgal – the 'last seven philanthropists.' All of them came from the hill regions, and none were emperors. Not one ruler from the Chera, Chola, or Pandya dynasties features in this list.
“The reason Pari’s legacy endures—perhaps even more strongly than that of the three kings—is that he belongs to one of the earliest layers of Tamil collective memory. The success of Velpari lies in the author's literary mastery in transforming the life of such a leader into a powerful narrative. Su. Venkatesan has compellingly reimagined a personality already deeply embedded in Tamil cultural consciousness.”
Another big reason behind the success of Velpari is the vivid and evocative illustrations by Maniam Selvan. It is through his masterful strokes that readers were transported into the world of Pari – experiencing the rugged grandeur of the Parambu hills, the hush of dense forests, the roar of cascading waterfalls, the tenderness of love and the fury of battle. His art added a rich visual layer that brought the story to life in unforgettable ways.
This article went live on July twelfth, two thousand twenty five, at fifty-two minutes past five in the evening.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
