KOCHI: This is the book to be seen with, Ram c/o Anandhi. Akhil P Dharmarajan’s third work has become a must-have, with people creating social media reels and shorts featuring the book.
Coming after two barely noticed self-published works, the new release by the 30-year-old mechanical engineering diploma holder has achieved record sales of 2.5 lakh copies across 38 editions.
In a sector previously considered sluggish amid the dominance of web content and declining readership, the book’s sudden popularity has led to a surge of excitement, especially among young readers.
Keeping company with Akhil’s book is Nimna Vijay’s second novel Ettavum Priyappetta Ennodu, which has sold 85,000 copies. Also trending are Orikkal by N Mohanan, Daivathinte Charanmar and Sneham Kamam Bhrantu by Joseph Annamkutty Jose as well as actress Jolly Chirayath’s autobiography Ninnukathunna Kadalukal.
Recognising the trend, ‘CICC’ Jayachandran, a book publisher and retailer for the past 42 years, noted that certain books flew off the shelves during Valentine’s Day as couples competed to gift books—a novelty in the publishing industry.
“This surge may be tied to the rise of the internet, which has introduced a new set of readers to Malayalam literature. It remains to be seen whether this is a fleeting trend or a sustainable development,” Jayachandran said.
During the pandemic, there was a spike in crime thrillers, likely due to their popularity on OTT platforms, he pointed out. “But most failed to sell and remain as dead stock. The current trend began with Jolly Chirayath’s autobiography, but Akhil’s book has broken all records and is selling exceptionally well,” he said.
Jayachandran recalled that some books, such as Remanan by Changampuzha, had a devoted following in the past, with many soldiers carrying a copy with them as they travelled to border regions. However, except for books adapted as textbooks by universities, sales rarely exceeded 25,000 copies.
“It was letterpress in those days, and composing a novel was time-consuming and costly,” he said. “Once 25,000 copies were printed, it was not economical to produce additional copies, especially given the sporadic and staggered demand. The current sales volume is unprecedented, it and can be attributed to technology that allows printing on demand.”
Akhil confirmed that his books were among the top gifting choices, and that some of his readers were new to the hobby.
“Some readers bought the book to post photos or reviews online. However, many have since reviewed other books and evolved as readers. This boosts my confidence as a writer and reinforces my dream to be known as a storyteller,” he said.
Akhil aspired to share his stories from a young age, aiming to witness the excitement on people’s faces as his narration sparked vivid images in their minds.