Chandrakant Keshavlal Bakshi ( gu, ચંદ્રકાંત કેશવલાલ બક્ષી) was a
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...
author from
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, India and a former
Sheriff of Mumbai
The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Bombay.
The Sheriff is an officer of the High Court and the nominal Head of the High Court Department which carries out the ord ...
. He was known for his bold and new concepts in writing during his time in
Gujarati literature
The history of Gujarati literature ( gu, ગુજરાતી સાહિત્ય) may be traced to 1000 AD, and this literature has flourished since then to the present. It is unique in having almost no patronage from a ruling dynasty, othe ...
. He is also addressed as Bakshi or Bakshibabu. Born in
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the administrative headquarters of Banaskantha district. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants.
Ety ...
, he completed higher education and had a business in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
. He started writing there and later moved to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
for his teaching career. He wrote 178 books, and wrote extensively in newspaper columns.
Life
![Home of Chandrakant Baxi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Home_of_Chandrakant_Baxi.jpg)
Chandrakant Bakshi was born on 20 August 1932 at
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the administrative headquarters of Banaskantha district. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants.
Ety ...
(now in
Banaskantha district
Banaskantha district is one of the thirty-three districts of the Gujarat state of India. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Palanpur which is also its largest city. The district is located in the Northeast of Gujarat and is pre ...
, Gujarat).
He was second child of Keshavlal Bakshi and Chanchalben, a Gujarati
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
family. He completed his primary education in Palanpur. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1952 from St. Xavier's College,
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
(now Mumbai). He moved to
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
(now Kolkata) where he studied for an
LL.B
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
. in 1956 and an
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in History in 1963.
He was in the textile business for twelve years and had a garment shop in Calcutta. He wrote his first short story ''Makan Nu Bhut'' (Ghost of the House) at this shop. He published his first book ''Padgha Doobi Gaya'' (Sunken Echoes) in 1957.
In 1969, he moved to Mumbai and settled there and started teaching history at Raheja College. He joined
Mithibai College
The Mithibai College of Arts, Chauhan Institute of Science & Amruthben Jivanlal College of Commerce and Economics is a college affiliated to the University of Mumbai. The college was established in 1961 in Vile Parle, Mumbai by Shri Vile Parle ...
as a professor of history and politics from 1970 to 1980. He also taught post-graduate students at the
University of Bombay
The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai.
The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed ...
and was its senate member. He was the principal of L. S. Rajani Arts and Commerce College from 1980 to 1982 and retired from there. Later he accepted writing and journalism as his career. He wrote columns for several dailies and magazines. He also served as an adviser to ''
Divya Bhaskar
''Divya Bhaskar'' () is a Gujarati newspaper in Gujarat, India, owned by D B Corp Ltd. It is one of the highest circulation Gujarati dailies. With the most local editions in Gujarat, it is published from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jam ...
'' daily.
He was appointed to the ceremonial post of
Sheriff of Mumbai
The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Bombay.
The Sheriff is an officer of the High Court and the nominal Head of the High Court Department which carries out the ord ...
in 1999 by the
Government of Maharashtra
The Government of Maharashtra is the state governing authority for the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a democratically elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the Vidhan Sabha for a five-year term.
Maharashtra has a Maharashtra Legisla ...
.
He died on 25 March 2006 in
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
following a heart attack.
Writing
Style
Bakshi prepared only one draft for his writings. His language was a mix-up of Gujarati and Urdu words. His novels and stories had impact of
existentialism
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
, his characters are suffering and frustrated yet surviving. ''Ekra'' (1963) is one such example. In his novels, the story was a chief element. He rejected social and literary taboos in his novels but his works were concerned for readers. He freely borrowed words and phrases from Hindi, Urdu and English in his works.
He wrote historical fiction like ''Atitvan'' and ''Ayanvritta''. His short stories have themes like complexities of urban life, emotional outbursts, and the atmosphere of war. He wrote extensively on history and culture. According to ''Rediff'', his writing was 'sharp and brutal' when he criticised people he disliked. His biography ''Bakshinama'' was partially published in serialised form in Gujarati daily ''Samkalin''. Some parts were not published due to its violent imagery like urinating on the dead body of his enemy.
Works
He is best known for his sixth novel ''
Paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...
'' published in 1967, which revolves around protagonist Professor Shah who becomes paralyzed and reminisces about his past life events in hospital. The novel is translated in
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
. Another well known non-fiction book he authored is મહાજાતિ ગુજરાતી (Gujarati - A great race), a book on the traditions, characteristics and behavior of the various castes of Gujarat.
He authored 178 books, including 17 books on history and culture, 26 novels, 15 collections of
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
, six books on politics, eight
travelogues
Travelogue may refer to:
Genres
* Travel literature, a record of the experiences of an author travelling
* Travel documentary
A travel documentary is a documentary film, television program, or online series that describes travel in general or t ...
, two plays and 25 books on varied subjects, besides his autobiography ''Bakshinama''.
He has also written extensively in newspapers and 15 of his books have been translated into
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
,
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
, English and other languages.
His works are as follows:
[Introduction of Samkal(Novel)]
Short stories
Novels
Columns
He wrote weekly columns in several Gujarati newspapers and magazines including ''
Divya Bhaskar
''Divya Bhaskar'' () is a Gujarati newspaper in Gujarat, India, owned by D B Corp Ltd. It is one of the highest circulation Gujarati dailies. With the most local editions in Gujarat, it is published from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jam ...
'', ''
Gujarat Samachar
''Gujarat Samachar'' is a Gujarati-language daily newspaper published in India. Its headquarters are in Ahmedabad with a branch in Surat. It is distributed from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Mehsana, Bhuj and New Y ...
'', ''
Sandesh Sandesh may refer to:
*Sandesh (confectionery), a Bengali sweet prepared in Bangladesh and India
*Sandesh (magazine), ''Sandesh'' (magazine), a children's magazine in West Bengal
*Sandesh (Indian newspaper), ''Sandesh'' (Indian newspaper), a Gujara ...
'', ''
Mid-Day
''Mid-Day'' (stylised as mid-day) is a morning daily Indian compact newspaper owned by Jagran Prakashan Limited. Editions in various languages were published in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. In 2011, the Delhi and Bangalore editions were ...
'', ''
Chitralekha''.
Adaptations
His popular short story 'એક સાંજની મુલાકાત ... ' (One evening visit) was adapted into a telefilm "Ek Shaam Ki Mulakaat" by
Tigmanshu Dhulia
Tigmanshu Dhulia (born 3 July 1967) is an Indian film dialogue writer, director, actor, screenwriter, producer and casting director known for his works in Hindi cinema and Television. He wrote the dialogue for the 1998 film '' Dil Se..'', the f ...
. It was the first episode of acclaimed Indian television series
Star Bestsellers, aired on
Star Plus
StarPlus is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedies, ...
in 1999–2000. The main leads were played by
Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020), also known simply as Irrfan, was an Indian actor who worked in Indian cinema as well as British and American films. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors in In ...
and
Tisca Chopra
Tisca Zareen Chopra (née Arora; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress, author and film producer who has appeared in over 45 feature films, predominantly in Hindi language.
''Taare Zameen Par'', her best known feature film, was India's off ...
.
Controversies
His short story ''Kutti'' was banned by the
Government of Gujarat
The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciary ...
and an arrest warrant was issued against him; so he fought a court case against the government. They later withdrew all charges against him.
He criticised Indian politician,
Bal Thackeray
Bal Thackeray (; 23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), also known as Balasaheb Thackeray, was an Indian politician who founded the Shiv Sena, a right-wing pro-Marathi and Hindu nationalist party active mainly in the state of Maharashtra. ...
in his column and was asked to apologise by Thackeray's party members. He refused and never did.
In popular culture
His autobiography ''Bakshinama'' was adapted into a Gujarati play, ''
Hu Chandrakant Bakshi
''Hu Chandrakant Bakshi'' (English: I, Chandrakant Bakshi) is a 2013 biographical one-man play about Gujarati writer Chandrakant Bakshi, starring Pratik Gandhi. The play is written by Shishir Ramavat and directed by Manoj Shah. It was premiered ...
'', by Shishir Ramavat. It was directed by
Manoj Shah
Manoj Sakarchand Shah (born 5 February 1955) is an Indian theatre director, actor and producer known for his works in the Gujarati theatre. He has directed over 90 plays, such as one-man plays and biographical plays, in different genres . He is ...
and starred
Pratik Gandhi
Pratik Gandhi is an Indian actor. He worked in Gujarati theatre before entering Gujarati cinema. He received wide acclaim for portraying Harshad Mehta in Sony LIV series ''Scam 1992''. He acted in several Hindi films thereafter.
Early life
Ga ...
in the lead role.
Personal life
He married Bakula, who died in 2002. Their daughter Reeva Bakshi lives in Ahmedabad.
His elder brother Lalit and younger brother Bakul, a retired
I. A. S. officer, are also columnists.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakshi, Chandrakant
20th-century Indian essayists
1932 births
2006 deaths
Gujarati-language writers
Sheriffs of Mumbai
People from Banaskantha district
Novelists from Gujarat
20th-century Indian novelists
20th-century Indian short story writers
Indian columnists
University of Mumbai alumni
Indian travel writers
Indian political writers
20th-century Indian historians
Indian autobiographers