Chennai

He was also a novelist and his detective hero Shankarlal used to travel the world, solving crimes and taking on international criminals. 

Where Tamilvanan’s skill as a writer stood out was the factual information and his background research which was like going through an encyclopaedia. It was a wealth of information on foreign countries when few Indians could travel abroad.

The simpleton sleuth who succeeded by sheer luck

For generations, Thuppariyum (detective) Sambhu, a simpleton-turned-detective par excellence held sway over the urban household. 

Created by Dhevan, Sambhu was a bank clerk who finds a series of detective successes attributed to him and becomes a household name within a short time. 

His distinct feature was his kazhugu mook ku (eagle nose) and bald pate.  To go with that unflattering face, the author blessed him with mild mental capacity, quite the opposite of the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes.

 Unlike Holmes whose successes were an irritant to the police,  Sambhu had a very supportive and appreciative collaborator in Inspector Gopalan. 

Tamilvanan

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