Azhagiya Periyavan, originally named C. Aravindan, was born on March 3, 1968, in Pernambut, Vellore district, Tamilnadu, to Mr. Chinnadurai and Mrs. Kamalam. He is a middle school science teacher who has ventured into diverse fields such as poetry, short stories, novels, essays, songs, screenplays, and movie dialogues.
His literary journey commenced in 1988 with the publication of his first short story Theettu. In 2001, he gained recognition with the release of his acclaimed novel, Thagappan Kodi. To date, he has authored four novels and a hundred short stories, along with contributing many essays and poems to Tamil Literature. Notably, Azhagiya Periyavan has received prestigious awards, including the Kalaignar Porkizhi Award and the Tamil Development Department Award. The Dravidar Kazhagam honoured him with the Thanthai Periyar Award.
His literary creations have transcended linguistic boundaries, being translated into Malayalam, English, and various other languages. Azhagiya Periyavan has also left his imprint on the film industry, contributing to Short Film projects like Nadanda Kathai, Kankaanikum Maranam, and these two are available in YouTube. He also wrote screenplay for Manusangada, a future film directed bay Amsan Kumar. Currently, he has penned dialogues for films ‘Election’ and ‘Thangalaan’. And this Thangalaan was the film of notable director Pa. Ranjith.
Beyond his literary pursuits, Azhagiya Periyavan boasts experience in publishing and journalism. He is an advocate for education and a socio-political activist. Azhagiya Periyavan is hailed for making Dalit literature rich and aesthetic by vividly capturing the life in North Tamil Nadu with its unique dialects and politics.