Vyankatesh Madgulkar : A Villageful of Stories and a Forestful of Tales

Vyankatesh Madgulkar (1927–2001) was one of the pioneers of modernist short fiction (nav katha) as well as ‘rural’ (grameen) fiction in Marathi in the post-World War II era. He wrote eight novels, two hundred short stories, several plays, including some notable ‘folk plays’ (loknatya), screenplays and dialogues for more than eighty Marathi films. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of Vyankatesh Madgulkar’s work by analysing selections from his major creative fictions and nonfictions. This is augmented with important writings on him by his contemporaries, as well as critical writings, commentaries and reviews by present-day scholars. It situates Madgulkar in the context of Marathi literary tradition and Indian literature in general. Part of the Writer in Context series, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of Indian literature, Marathi literature, English literature, comparative literature, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, global south studies and translation studies. Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Contents List of Figures Preface to the Series Preface Acknowledgements Introduction: Situating Vyankatesh Madgulkar Section 1 Chitrakathi: Selections from Madgulkar’s Creative Writing Short Stories 1 The Black-faced One (Kalya Tondachi) 2 Deva Satva Mahar 3 Dharma Ramoshi 4 Vyaghri 5 Way to the Bazaar (Bajarachi Vaat) Excerpts from the Novels 6 The Village Had No Walls (Bangarwadi) 7 Whirlwind (Vavtal) 8 Tender Days (Kovale Divas) 9 Transfer of Power (Sattantar) Excerpts from the Plays 10 Oh, You Silly Potter (Tu Veda Kumbhar) 11 Sati 12 Oh, The Husband Has Gone to Kathewadi (Pati Gele Ga Kathewadi) Section 2 When The Brush Was Not Enough 13 Presidential Address at the 57th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, Ambejogai on 4 February 1983 14 A Conversation with Vyankatesh Madgulkar 15 My Life as a Hunter 16 Vyankatesh Madgulkar’s Work in the World of Art, Writing on Art, and His Art 17 Madgulkar’s Drawings and Illustrations Section 3 Between the Regional and the Universal 3.1 Critical Reception and Legacy 18 The Course of the New Short Story and Madgulkar’s Story 19 The Regional and the Rural Reality in Vyankatesh Madgulkar’s Short Stories 20 Limitations of Language in Rural Literature and the Way Forward 21 Plays of Vyankatesh Madgulkar: Some Observations, Some Questions 22 Vyankatesh Madgulkar (Vyama): Depiction of Dalit Life 23 Female Characters in Vyankatesh Madgulkar’s Narrative Prose 24 Reconnoitring Caste, Language and Folklore in the Novels Vavtal by Vyankatesh Madgulkar and Fakira by Anna Bhau Sathe 25 Nature of Political Consciousness in Vyankatesh Madgulkar’s Writings 26 Tatya: A Tribute 27 The Inseparable Relationship between Man and Water-culture As Seen in Madgulkar’s Writings 28 Vyankatesh Madgulkar’s Nature Writing – A Love and a Passion 3.2 Remembering Tatya 29 Loving Yet Detached 30 Dear Tatya 31 The Rustic Journey of Bangarwadi 32 Memorabilia and Image Photo Gallery Section 4 Biochronology and Bibliography 33 A Biochronology Vyankatesh Madgulkar: A Select Bibliography List of Contributors Index