INDIAN AUTHORS AND BOOKS - 2 - ANSWERS

1. B. Mirza Hadi Ruswa

(A painting of Mirza Hadi Ruswa)

Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa‎ (1857 – 21 October 1931) was an Urdu poet and fiction writer, plays and treatises (mainly on religion, philosophy and astronomy). Ruswa,  well-versed in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, English, Latin, and Greek, served on the Nawab of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for many years.

His famed Urdu novel, "Umrao Jan Ada", published in 1905, is considered by many as the first Urdu novel. It is based on the life of a renowned Lucknow courtesan and poet of the same name. According to the novel, the story of Umrao Jaan was recounted by her to the author, when he happened to meet her during a "mushaira" (poetry gathering) in Lucknow. On listening to her couplets, the author along with Munshi Ahmad, a novel and poetry enthusiast present at the gathering, convinces Umrao Jaan to share her life story with them. The novel is written in first person as a memoir. The book was first published in Lucknow in 1899.

The novel is known for its elaborate portrayal of mid-19th century Lucknow, its decadent society and also describes the moral hypocrisy of the era, where Umrao Jaan also becomes the symbol of a nation that had long attracted many suitors who were only looking to exploit her.

Over the years the novel has inspired many films both in India and Pakistan. It was made into a Pakistani film in 1972, "Umrao Jaan Ada and 4 Indian films: most notably the 1981 film "Umrao Jaan" made by Muzaffar Ali starring Rekha in title role and "Umrao Jaan" (2006) by JP Dutta.

2. C. Jyotirao Phule

"Mahatma Jotirao Govindrao Phule" (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) was a social activist, thinker, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra whose work extended to many fields, including eradication of untouchability and the caste system and women's emancipation. Phule, born in 1827 into a family that belonged to the Mali caste (considered to be "Shudra"), is mostly known for his efforts in educating women and lower caste people. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women education in India. Phule started his first school for girls in 1848 in Pune. On 24 September 1873, he, along with his followers, he formed the "Satyashodhak Samaj" (Society of Truthseekers) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes. People from all religions and castes could become a part of this association which worked for the upliftment of the oppressed classes. Through this the samaj he opposed idolatry and denounced the caste system. Satyashodhak Samaj campaigned for the spread of rational thinking and rejected the need for priests. Phule is regarded as an important figure in the social reform movement in Maharashtra.

"Gulamgiri" is a 1873 book by Jyotirao Phule, which has sharp protest against the caste system of India.

3. A. Ahmednagar

"The Discovery of India" was written by India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during his imprisonment in 1942–1946 at Ahmednagar fort in Maharashtra for participating in the Quit India Movement (1942 – 1946). The book started from ancient history, Nehru wrote at length of Vedas, Upanishads and textbooks on ancient time and ends during the British raj. The book is a broad view of Indian history, culture and philosophy. The book is considered as one of the finest writing on Indian History.

(The DVD Cover of "Bharat Ek Khoj")

(Roshan Seth played Nehru in "Bharat Ek Khoj")

The television series "Bharat Ek Khoj" directed by Shyam Benegal which was released on state-run Doordarshan channel in 1988 was based on this book. 

4. B. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay

"Byomkesh Bakshi" is an Indian-Bengali fictional detective created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. Referring to himself as a "truth-seeker" in the stories, Bakshi is known for his proficiency with observation, logical reasoning and forensic science which he uses to solve complicated cases, usually murders. The character has often been called the "Indian version of Sherlock Holmes". Initially appearing in the 1932 story "Satyanweshi", the character's popularity immensely increased in Bengal and other parts of India. Though it gained pan-India popularity almost 6 decades later with a TV series on Doordarshan directed by Basu Chatterjee with Rajit Kapur portraying "Byomkesh Bakshi" and K.K. Raina as "Ajit Kumar Banerji".

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, known for his humor, wit and satire, also wrote historical fiction like "Kaler Mandira", "Gour Mollar", "Tumi Sandhyar Megh", "Tungabhadrar Teere" (all novels), "Chuya-Chandan", "Maru O Sangha" (later made into a Hindi film named "Trishangni") and stories of the supernatural with the recurring character "Baroda", the Ghost Investigator. His stories are always very short and generally have a twist ending.

Apart from the TV Series, "Byomkesh Bakshi" has been adopted as 20 odd Bengali Films and a Bollywood movie named "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!" starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Ashish Rana in lead roles. 

5. A. Devaki Nandan Khatri

"Chandrakanta" is a popular epic fantasy Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri (18 June 1861 – 1931), who belonged to the first generation of popular novelists in the modern Hindi language. Published in 1888, it was considered as the first modern Hindi novel. It gained a cult following and contributed to the popularity of the Hindi language. The story is a romantic fantasy about two lovers who belong to rival kingdoms: the princess "Chandrakanta of Vijaygarh", and the prince "Virendra Singh of Naugarh".

("Shikha Swaroop" played "Princess Chandrakanta" in the immensely popular TV Series on Doordarshan "Chandrakanta" during 1994-1996)

It inspired Nirja Guleri's mega-budget TV serial of the same name (though the screenplay had many differences from the novel) aired on Doordarshan from 1994-1996 which became one of the biggest-ever blockbusters in the history of Indian television.

The Novel was later adopted into another TV Series "Chandrakanta — Ek Mayavi Prem Gaatha" produced by Ekta Kapoor which premiered on Colors TV on 24 June 2017 and ended on 16 June 2018.