Manu Bhandari

Mannu Bhandari
Born (1931-04-03) 3 April 1931
Bhanpura, Madhya Pradesh
Spouse(s) Rajendra Yadav

Mannu Bhandari (Hindi: मन्नू भंडारी) (born 3 April 1931) is an Indian author, whose work dates up to late 1950s - early 1960s. She is most known for her two Hindi novels, Aapka Banti (आपका बंटी) and Mahabhoj (महाभोज). She is often credited as one of the pioneers of the Nayi Kahaani Movement, a Hindi literary movement initiated by authors including Nirmal Verma, Rajendra Yadav, Bhisham Sahni, Kamleshwar etc. Starting in the 1950s, a newly independent India was going through societal transformations like urbanization and industrialization . This demanded new debates, new opinions and new points of view, provided by those part of the Nayi Kahaani movement, including Bhandari. Narratives and stories mostly dealt with the relationship between sexes, gender inequality and equality as a new class of working and educated women had emerged then.

Bhandari is one of the post independence writers who portray women under a new light, as independent and intellectual individuals. Through the subject matter of her narratives, Bhandari highlights the struggles and difficulties women have constantly encountered in the past. Sexual, emotional, mental and economic exploitation had placed women in an extremely weak position in our society. Her female characters in her stories are portrayed as strong, independent individuals, breaking old habits and emerging and creating an image of 'new women'.

Biography

Bhandari was born on 3 April 1931, in Bhanpura, Madhya Pradesh and grew up largely in Ajmer, Rajasthan, where her father Sukhsampat Rai Bhandari, was a freedom fighter, social reformer and the producer of the first English to Hindi and English to Marathi dictionaries.[1][2] She was the youngest of five children (two brothers, three sisters). She had her early education in Ajmer, graduated from Calcutta University and then went onto obtaining an M.A degree in Hindi language and literature, at Hindu Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi. She is the wife of Hindi author Rajendra Yadav.[3]

She began her career as a Hindi Professor. From 1952-1961 she taught at Kolkatta’s Baliganj Shiksha Sadan, 1961-1965 at Kolkata’s Rani Birla College, 1964-1991 at Miranda House College, Delhi University and from 1992-1994 she chaired the directorship at Ujjain’s Premchand Srijanpith, in Vikram University. In 2008, Bhandari was honoured with the Vyas Samman, instituted by the K K Birla Foundation for her autobiography Ek Kahaani Yeh Bhi. This award is given every year for outstanding literary achievements in Hindi.

Her works reflect the changing moods of society, as they shape and mould her writing and subject matter. Modernism, prevailing social issues and transformations, contemporary social situations, daily struggles of an individual have all played a part in impacting and influencing Bhandari’s works.

She is known for both her short stories and novels. ‘Ek Plate Sailab’ (1962), ‘Main Haar Gayi’ (1957), “Teen Nigahon Ki Ek Tasvir’, ‘Yahi Sach Hain’ ( ), ‘Trishanku’ and Aankhon Dekha Jhooth are amongst her most popular works. Centered around the hardships and sentiments of a child observing the tragedy of marriage separation, “Aapka Bunty” is considered to be one of the greatest and most successful Hindi novels ever written. Co-authored by her husband, author Rajendra Yadav, Ek Inch Muskaan (1962) is a tragic love story of modern educated people the author-duo worked on. This was also the first novel that Bhandari worked and it was later serialised. The dialogues for the male protagonist, Amar were written by Rajendra Yadav while those of the female characters, Amala and Ranjana were written by Bhandari.

Bhandari is considered to be amongst the greatest Hindi storytellers of the 19th-20th century. Her novel, ‘Mahabhoj’ (1979) highlights the struggles and battles of a common man constantly getting sucked into the immense bureaucratic corruption that exists within society. This story was later adapted to a highly popular and successful play and was performed all over the nation, including at the (Bharat Rang Mahotsav) (National Theatre Festival), in New Delhi . Similarly, film ‘Rajnigandha’ based on her story ‘Yahi Sach Hai’ went onto winning a filmfare award for best film in 1974.

Translated works

Bhandari's works have been translated into many Indian languages and some have been adapted into films. The Hindi movie Rajnigandha (1974), which was based on her short story Yahi Sach Hai (यही सच है),[4] won the Filmfare Best Movie Award in 1974; she wrote dialogues for film, Swami (1977), also directed by Basu Chatterjee. She also wrote the story of 1986 film, Samay Ki Dharaa.

Plays and fiction

Compilations of stories

Staged

Feature Films

Tele Films

Awards

Bibliography

Fiction

Anthology

Plays

Screenplay

Autobiography

Children's Literature

References

  1. ↑ http://www.indianmemoryproject.com/tag/sukhsampat-rai-bhandari/
  2. ↑ The Twentieth Century English Hindi Dictionary
  3. ↑ http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/4656/7/07_chapter%203.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.abhivyakti-hindi.org/gauravgatha/2004/yahi_such_hai/ysh1.htm
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