The Unread Story of ‘Auto’ Chandran’s Dumbbells

At a time when people generally identify a poor man as a Tamil writer just by observing his gloomy face and scruffy clothes, M. Chandrakumar alias ‘Auto’ Chandran, a novelist and body builder, is always cheerful with his radiant face and sense of humour. In a Sunday literary meet, an orator, by his inelegant speech, makes even the handful of audience sleep on their chairs. Chandran too, who is also a dignitary on the dais, deviates himself from the orator’s lengthy speech, but lovingly observes his large biceps unnoticed to the audience.  

The city-based auto driver cum writer’s Tamil novel lockup became the storyline of the box office hit Visaranai. The film bagged the Amnesty International Italy’s “Cinema for Human Rights” award in the 72nd International Film Festival of Venice.

Chandran was a muscleman first and then a writer. Nevertheless, he says that only the books, which he enjoyed in his teens, ignited his flair for workouts and made him fancy performing the valorous deeds of the heroes that appear in those books.    

“The books Romapuri Pandian, Pattampoochi, Kolayuthirkalam and the popular Tamil comics Ambulimama and Pativikramadityan Kathai had a great impact on me. The heroes in these stories  were strong and adventurous and they fought against evils in the society. They inspired me to start workouts and become like them. “Says Chandran, who owns a gym in his home.

A man who created a number of youth as champions in bodybuilding and martial arts, Chandran says:

“ Provide me just a little area, measuring  of one’s sleeping mat, I can teach the nuances of various exercises and convert  anyone  into a bodybuilder without using any fitness equipment “       

Chandran philosophizes that performing workouts and martial arts is the path to attain the wisdom of comprehending body-mind coordination.  

On how workouts and martial arts make the performer ambidextrous, Chandran explains:  

“As we use our hands equally in workouts, the right and left brains get coordinated. Unless performing such strenuous physical exercises, I doubt, whether mere meditations prescribed by self-styled god-men can create the harmony between the two hemispheres of brain. Performance of martial arts as Silambam, Karate and Kunfu demands the use of both arms. Hence, being ambidextrous in their stunts, the heroes Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and M.G.Ramachandran, the film actor and former Tamil Nadu chief minister, could scale the heights of fame and carved a niche for themselves in the history of action movies.  

A teenage runaway, Chandran learned lessons from practical life by taking up odd jobs at places including Vijayawada and Guntur. He wrote his real life experiences into short stories and novels.  Author of the books Boomiyai Kolaikalamaakkum America, Lockup, Kattuthulayinoode Kaatru and Veppamatra Velloliyil, Chandran’s academic qualification is SSLC. 

Link to the article in The New Indian Express http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/c/33953470