DandapaniJayakanthan, 71, was pushing forty when he received the Sahitya Akademi awardfor in 1972--quite unusual, as Tamil writers are deemed eligible only after thehair turns grey. Since then he has not missed a single honour due to any Tamilwriter. The one award that eluded him is now his: the Jnanpith. Jayakanthan’soeuvre is staggering. Some forty novels, novellas, hundreds of essays, filmscripts, columns. But he is predominantly known for his hundred and fifty oddstories.