Colourful new Google Doodle celebrates writer Kamala Das

Author and poet Kamala Das got a colourful new Google Doodle in her honour on Thursday. The artwork, made by artist Manjit Thapp, is just as lively as many of her writings.

Das, recently in news for the controversial biopic starring Manju Warrier, was born on March 31, 1934 in Punnayurkulam, Kerala and died on May 31, 2009 in Pune. She wrote several poems, short stories and novels in English and Malayalam and was also a widely read columnist who wrote extensively on politics, women's issues, child care and more.

She lived under several pseudonyms throughout her life. While born Kamala, she later took pen names Madhavikutty and Kamala Das before finally converting to Islam in 1999 and changing her name to Kamala Surayya.

The Kerala high court on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre, Central Board of Film Certification and director of the her biopic and sought their replies on charges raised in the petition seeking a ban on the Malayalam film for "supporting and justifying love jihad". KP Ramachandran said in his plea filed on Monday that the film, directed by Kamal and starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, glorifies conversion and related incidents and omits some of the "painful incidents in her real life."

"Such films are getting released at a time when there is a hot debate on "love jihad" and central agencies are probing it," he said.

Das' conversion is said to be at the behest of a 38-year-old Muslim man. The move created a furore in both the communities. Ramachandran also claimed that Das was one of the first victims of the so-called "love jihad". He added that she wanted to come back to the Hindu fold before her death but some fundamentalist elements foiled this.

"She was allegedly enticed to the religion by a young leader feigning love. In the end, she was forced to lead a solitary life," he said.