BookLog
Marathi
V S khandekar – Amrutvel
A tale of woman who lost her bearings after she lost the person she loved. It tracks her through her realization of what she needs versus what she gets and learning through the relationship of idealized friend and her family. Becomes monotonous in bits when monlogues explore the thoughts but the unstable characters hold out the interest. Some of the characters like the friend of lead protagonist’s turn to being afraid all the time is unbelievable. The use of movie like floating flashbacks(letters from parents) could have been done better.
V P Kale – One for the road
Endearing,readable and “unput downable” short stories of passion, comic realizations through characters across the spectrum of society. As the title suggests it is a light read.
V P Kale – Partner
It is perspective of two people from eiher side of the life as if on railroad tracks, every incident is narrated by the two leads. The adjustments/compromises, presence of exploitative relatives in context of less space (implying less resources too) in Mumbai come out easily. His”Vapurza” is still on to read list.
Girish Karnad – Tughlaq
Very timely and fresh even now for present political situation and another generation with shattered dreams and ideals. Yes it is fearfully close to Ms. Gandhi(Indira) as shrewd but “ideal” oriented strong person. Emergency imposition would be the Daulatabad of her regime. BJP too in grand pipedreams of Modi is doing pretty much the same. India is not Gujarat. Somebody needs to tell them Germans(in nazi period)/Israelis in present period were/are also democratic, had great infrastructure. It does not mean a dime. Hate and Obliteration of other community is not the end. Well reverse too needs to be told to the Islamic world, since thy have gotten them selves into victim hood. They had great/good civilization but a major part was based on use of sword. Now it has declined where dictators in defence uniform/civil uniform are doign interpretation and implementation/misuse of shariat laws. Since the opposition of any kind is not tolerated, treachery/character insinuation/outright murder is on rise.
Rajan gawas – Tanakat
Part of the “Dalit literature” – moving saga about politics, interaction, conditioned behavior of generation of people without identity in small town through the eyes of Dalit student. It is much better appreciated as it does not outpour just angst and revenge against the religion and society but also brings out the nuances of “misguided leaders” of dalit movements by dozens and their acting as new exploiters. It is fresh as ever and very light in reading inspite of the heavy language.
Madhu mangesh karnik – Mahim chi khadi
This book is revolting at times and shares the episode of life in slums in Mumbai (way back in 1950s I guess). It succeeds briliantly in catching your attention as it drags you down deep in dungeons of slimy underneath of workings of the society getting formed. It endears you to the characters as you struggle through the pages (very strong language/too realistic) to see where they end up. Whatever was said so back far in past still holds good for pretty much any slum anywhere as people flock to megacities in search of livelihood. Book is extremely strong in content and even shocking in its realism. (very far away from idealized konkan-desh-ghati/old lifestyle and Ranjit Desai/Sawant’s hero worship stuff, a rebuttal to dalit movement before it took shape to show new dalits are the have nots across the spectrum)
Anand Yadav – Ghar jawai
Marathi/Hindi have a word – “व्यंग्य”. Not sure I have heard of word which comes close in English (no it is not satire). There is whole genre of books available from Gadgil/Joshi/Atre/Navare etc which are extremely enjoyable. This book looks like it is stationed in western maharashtra somewhere between Sangli/satara and presents great view of life and its participants.
V Madgulkar – Banagarwadi
Much more idealized account of teacher’s experience with people who mend sheep and their lives as teacher tries to bring in concept of study for kids.
Upara – Laxman Mane
There is whole trend in Marathi literature to focus on fringe groups and showcase extreme realism and make it part of the “movement-चळवळ”. This is more so for the old timers who rebelled against the pune based stronghold on the literrary medium who ignore the ground realities across the state. These folks started seperate conventions and prizes to bring out the realities .But as Anand yadav captured it few writers were overzealous (if I can I will post the fictionalized interview of “village- grameen” writer by him) thus disconnecting the majority of the middle class across cities. Upara is part of the earlier movement focusing on the people who are on move and treated like criminals/unwanted and just the birth in one of those societies is enough to brand one as criminal. It is autobiography given to possibly exaggerate some of the incidences as is evident now that Mr Mane is politician and amassed massive fortune 
.
Kosla – Bhalachandra Nemade
Immense things have been said about this book and I do not have anything in particular to add. Although I found this whole line of losers(ok when nemade wrote it maybe it was fashionable to write then like this) and their lives bit pathetic. I also found book close to catcher in the rye?
Massage(The Masseur) – Vijay TendulkarVijay Tendulkar – is controversial and very hurt at deep level somewhere to continue the outpour of angst against the fault ridden society through decades of his work across various mediums(play/movie/novels). His plays are brutal to say the least and number of viewing of ghashiram kotawal/sakharam/gidhade binder ensure the fact that he sticks out for scathing honesty. He can stir every side as he brings the mirror to show the dark face of the society. Old folks still remember how puneri elites went for his blood.
Jejuri – Kolatkar - arguably better writer than Salman Rushdie for his command of language, observation and modernism. Unfortunately he died early in 2004.
“A Scratch (via – http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~anoop/weblog/archives/000081.html)
what is god and what is stone
the dividing line if it exists is very thin at jejuri
and every other stone is god or his cousin
there is no crop other than god and god is harvested here
around the year and around the clock
out of the bad earth and the hard rock
that giant hunk of rock the size of a bedroom
is khandoba’s wife turned to stone
the crack that runs right across is the scar
from his broadsword he struck her down with once
in a fit of rage
scratch a rock
and a legend springs”
Apologies – I really do not have the links to the publisher and amazon (could not find them there). I picked up another load of books from Kolhapur Book fair(thanks to Datta Anna).
English
Seven Sixes are Forty-Three, the translation of Kiran Nagarkar’s 1974 Marathi novel Saat Sakkam Trechalis.
Ravan and Eddie – again Kiran Nagarkar.
Plays(ranga shankara)
Baby – Tendulkar – what did you expect with tendulkar being the playwright , I guess mom/jyoti were stupefied watching such a play being enacted – they want to be taken only for the ones which are regular humorous ones.
Chandrashekar Kambar’s “Thukra’s Dream” (Thukrana Kanasu) – rare time when writer himself was present in the translated play presentation. The play conveyed the shattered dream as it stands years after it was conceived and continues for many.
Cotton 56, Polyster 84 – Ramu Ramanathan. A brilliant undertaking of the last days of the Mumbai(erstwhile) textile mills, the associated politics (each party wanted to control the workers across dock/municipality/textile/pharma etc- resulting in migration of most of the firms outside Mumbai) and effect on the families (nothing less than catastrophies). It is ironical that Raj thakre bought the mill land to develop it commercially. Anyone visiting Phoenix mills etc today will not be able to listen to one room owners/workers’s shattered life.
Wife/Sister/Mom got to see more plays (makdachya hathi champagne, rajit kapoor’s stuff).
Place to get theater info
http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas
http://www.rangashankara.org/
Kannada Books
Masti – Rangana Maduve
Bhyrappa – Vamshavruksha , bhitti, Parva (close to a marathi novel of similar kind)
Translation
Malayam -
M.T Vasudevan Nair: Asuravithu (The Demon Seed, Malayalam)
Movies
Manorama 6 feet under – Navdeep Singh
Johnny Gaddar – S raghavan
Being Cyrus – Homi Adajania (late watch)
Omkara – Vishal B (late watch)
Bheja fry – Sagar Ballary
