Velpari by Su. Venkatesan sells over 1 lakh copies, event held in Chennai

Veerayuga Nayagan Velpari, the novel by Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author and Member of Parliament Su. Venkatesan, has crossed one lakh copies sold. Ananda Vikatan hosted a celebration last Friday at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai, to mark the novel’s success.

The novel, which tells the story of hill chieftain Pari and his resistance against the Chera, Chola, and Pandya kings, was first published as a weekly serial in Ananda Vikatan from Deepavali 2016 to Christmas 2018. It was later released as a book in December 2018 by M.K. Stalin, then Leader of the Opposition and now Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. During its serialisation, Velpari gained popularity, with fan pages, reader clubs, and parents naming children after its characters.

Speaking at the event, Su. Venkatesan said, “When I began writing Velpari, I knew it was an important story to tell. But it was you — the readers — who made it a phenomenon. More than sales, what gives me joy is that over a thousand children have been named after characters from this story.”

Actor Rajinikanth praised the author’s narrative craft and cultural contribution in a special message: “Velpari is not just a novel — it is a movement that reminds us who we are and what we stand for. After Kalki, I see this kind of storytelling only in Su. Venkatesan — he is a modern-day Kalki.”

Acclaimed filmmaker Shankar, who dreams of bringing Velpari to the silver screen, highlighted its cinematic appeal: “Enthiran was once my dream project; now my dream project is Velpari. Like Avatar and Game of Thrones, this story has the potential to become an intellectually enriching and globally admired Tamil creation.”

Drawing from over 2,200 Sangam-era poems and extensive fieldwork in the Western Ghats with tribal communities, Venkatesan brought alive Pari’s world — a conflict between the hill tribes’ way of life and the agrarian kingdoms’ expanding power.

On behalf of Vikatan, managing director B. Srinivasan reflected on the book’s cultural and commercial triumph: “Selling over a lakh copies in a regional language, in the age of digital distractions, is extraordinary. Velpari is not just literature — it is legacy. It has crossed into homes, hearts, and conversations, and become a cultural moment the Tamil world can take pride in.”

Extending its reach further, Vikatan produced Velpari as an audiobook on its exclusive ‘Play’ platform within the Vikatan app.

The evening also featured remarks from R. Balakrishnan, retired IAS officer and chairman of the International Institute of Tamil Studies, who explained Pari’s lasting legacy: “Pari’s story is deeply embedded in Tamil memory because he represents the early, selfless, hill-dwelling philanthropists — not emperors but protectors of people and nature. The genius of Velpari lies in reimagining this memory into a powerful narrative.”

With plans for translations, adaptations, and more stories, both Vikatan and Su. Venkatesan are committed to taking Velpari’s journey even further. The event was presented by Prominance Window Systems as title sponsor, and powered by Sathya Agencies, Kingmakers IAS Academy, Velammal New Gen Edu Network, VGN Homes and Prithvi Innerwears.

afaqs! recieved this information in a press release.