Mannu Bhandari
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Mannu Bhandari Yadav (3 April 1931 – 15 November 2021) was an Indian author, screenplay writer, teacher, and playwright. Primarily known for her two Hindi novels, ''Aap Ka Bunty'' (''Your Bunty'') and ''Mahabhoj'' (''Feast''), Bhandari also wrote over 150 short stories, several other novels, screenplays for television and film, and adaptations for theater. She was a pioneer of the ''Nayi Kahani'' movement in Hindi literature, which focused on the aspirations of the emerging Indian middle class, and her own work is notable for its depiction of the inner lives of middle class working and educated women. Her work tackles themes of family, relationships, gender equality, and caste discrimination in India. Bhandari's writing has been extensively adapted for film and stage, including productions for
Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
(India's public broadcast service), the BBC, and National School of Drama in India. Her work has been widely translated into other Indian languages from Hindi, as well as French, German and English. She received numerous awards in India for her work, including the
Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan also known as UP Hindi Sansthan is an autonomous organisation in Uttar Pradesh, working for the promotion of Hindi language. It is run under the Department of Languages, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from organiz ...
and the
Vyas Samman The Vyas Samman is a literary award in India, first awarded in 1991. It is awarded annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation and includes a cash payout of Rs 4,00,000 (as of 2019). To be eligible for the award, the literary work must be in the Hi ...
. She was one of the most notable writers in 21st century Hindi literature, with the ''Indian Express'' describing her as a "doyenne of the Hindi literary world," after her death.


Biography


Early life

Bhandari was born on 3 April 1931, in
Bhanpura Bhanpura is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mandsaur district, located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Bhanpura was discovered by King Bhanu bhil. It was also ruled by the Chandrawats of Mewar during the times of Rana Sanga's rule. The ...
,
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
and grew up largely in
Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
,
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
, where her father Sukhsampat Rai Bhandari, was a
freedom fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...
, social reformer and producer of the first English to Hindi and English to Marathi dictionaries. While he was engaged in social reform as part of the
Arya Samaj Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sanny ...
, a Hindu reformist institution, according to Bhandari he frequently denigrated her for her dark complexion. She was the youngest of five children (two brothers, three sisters).


Education and teaching career

Bhandari was initially educated in Ajmer, and graduated from
Calcutta University The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...
in
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
. She went on to earn an M.A. degree in Hindi language and
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
, at
Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU) IAST: kāśī hindū viśvavidyālaya IPA: /kaːʃiː hɪnd̪uː ʋɪʃwəʋid̪jaːləj/), is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916 ...
. As a student she was active politically and in 1946, helped organize a strike after two of her colleagues were dismissed for being involved with
Subhash Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose ( ; 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945 * * * * * * * * *) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperi ...
's
Indian National Army The Indian National Army (INA; ''Azad Hind Fauj'' ; 'Free Indian Army') was a collaborationist armed force formed by Indian collaborators and Imperial Japan on 1 September 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. Its aim was to secure In ...
. Bhandari initially worked as a lecturer in Hindi in Calcutta, teaching first at Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan, a primary and secondary school, and later at Kolkata’s Rani Birla College 1961-1965. After moving to Delhi with her husband, she became a lecturer in Hindi literature at
Miranda House Miranda House is a constituent college for women at the University of Delhi in India. Established in 1948, it is one of the top ranked colleges of the country and ranked as number 1 for consecutively six years (as of 2022). History Miranda ...
College,
University of Delhi Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE) ...
. From 1992-1994 she chaired a honorary directorship at Ujjain’s Premchand Srijanpith, in Vikram University.


Family

Bhandari married Hindi author and editor
Rajendra Yadav Rajendra Yadav (28 August 1929 – 28 October 2013) was a Hindi fiction writer, and a pioneer of the 'Nayi Kahani' movement of Hindi literature. He edited the literary magazine ''HANS'', which was founded by Munshi Premchand in 1930 but ceased ...
. They met in Calcutta (now
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
), while Bhandari was studying at
Calcutta University The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...
. Bhandari and Yadav lived in
Tollygunge Tollygunge (Bengali: টালিগঞ্জ; nicknamed 'Mini Mumbai' or 'Mini Bombay') is a locality of South Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. It is famed as the centre of the Indian film industry, known as Tollywood, Marathi Cinema, South Indi ...
in Kolkata until 1964, when they moved to
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
. They lived in Delhi thereafter, and had one child, a daughter named Rachana. Bhandari and Yadav separated in the 1980s, but never divorced, remaining friends until Yadav's death in 2013.


Death

Bhandari died on 15 November 2021 at the age of 90 in
Gurgaon Gurgaon (pronunciation: ʊɽɡãːw, officially named Gurugram (pronunciation: ʊɾʊɡɾaːm, is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest of the nationa ...
, India.


Writing


Fiction and non-fiction

Bhandari's first publication was a short story titled 'Main Har Gayi' ('I Have Been Defeated') in 1957, in the Hindi ''Kahaani'' magazine. 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 Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) (भारत रंग महोत्सव) or the National Theatre Festival, started in 1999, is the annual theatre festival organised by National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. The festival was started to showcas ...
) (National Theatre Festival), in
New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
.She followed it with a novel, ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' (''One Inch Smile'') in 1961, co-authored with her husband,
Rajendra Yadav Rajendra Yadav (28 August 1929 – 28 October 2013) was a Hindi fiction writer, and a pioneer of the 'Nayi Kahani' movement of Hindi literature. He edited the literary magazine ''HANS'', which was founded by Munshi Premchand in 1930 but ceased ...
. ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' was an experimental novel, narrating the story of a marriage between a man and woman, with Yadav and Bhandari writing for each character in alternate chapters. The plot was devised by Bhandari, and the title, by Yadav. The book was initially serialised in a Hindi magazine, ''Gyanoday'', and was republished as a book in 1991. Bhandari had continued to write short stories for Hindi magazines during this period, and she followed the success of ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' with four collections of short stories, which were published between 1961 and 1970. In 1971, Bhandari published her second book, and first solo novel, titled ''Aap Ka Bunty'' (''Your Bunty''). It portrayed the collapse of a marriage through the eyes of a nine-year old child, the titular Bunty, whose parents ultimately divorce and remarry other people. Bhandari took up residence temporarily at the
Miranda House College Miranda House is a constituent college for women at the University of Delhi in India. Established in 1948, it is one of the top ranked colleges of the country and ranked as number 1 for consecutively six years (as of 2022). History Miranda ...
in Delhi, to complete the novel. The book was initially serialised in ''Dharmayug'', a Hindi magazine, and immediately attracted a wide readership, resulting in Bhandari receiving large amounts of fan letters and reader comments with each chapter's publication. Published to great acclaim, the novel has been described as a 'milestone and a turning point in Hindi literature', and was subsequently translated widely, including into French, Bengali, and English. In 1979, Bhandari published her third novel, ''Mahabhoj''. The novel was based on the massacre of Dalits in Belchhi, Bihar, in which 11 persons belonging to Dalit and Scheduled Caste communities were captured, bound, murdered, and their corpses burned, by a private militia of 'upper' caste landlords in 1977, who then feasted beside the pyre while it burned. The incident garnered widespread public attention, including personal attention from India's then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. ''Mahabhoj'', meaning 'banquet' presented a fictionalised retelling of this incident, through the eyes of Bisu, a young Dalit man who was traumatized by previous massacres and attacks on marginalized Dalit communities. Bisu's attempt to investigate and hold accountable the perpetrators of these crimes results in his death, and the intimidation and massacre of his entire village, in the novel. Taking place amidst an electoral campaign, the novel was praised for its understanding of Dalit marginalization and political vulnerability. The novel was a commercial success, running into 31 editions as of 2021. Bhandari continued to write short stories through her career, publishing in Hindi magazines as well as in ''
Indian Literature Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognised languages. The earliest works of Indian literature were o ...
'', and the ''Journal of South Asian Literature''. Bhandari published several more collections of these stories in Hindi, including ''Ek Plate Sailab'' (1962), ''Teen Nigahon Ki Ek Tasvir, Yahi Sach Hai, Trishanku and Sampoorna Kahaniyan.'' In 2007, she published an autobiography, ''Ek Kahaani Yeh Bhi'', describing her life, political activism, writing, and marriage.


Film, television, and stage

Bhandari's works have been frequently adapted for production in film, television, and on stage. In 1974, a story by Bhandari titled, Y''ehi Sach Hai'' (''This is the Truth'') was adapted into a film by
Basu Chatterjee Basu Chatterjee ( bn, বাসু চ্যাটার্জ্জী; 10 January 1927 – 4 June 2020) was an Indian film director and screenwriter. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Chatterjee became associated with what came to be known as mi ...
, called ''
Rajnigandha ''Rajnigandha'' () is a 1974 Hindi film directed by Basu Chatterjee. It is based on the short story "Yahi Sach Hai" by noted Hindi writer Mannu Bhandari.Rajani''. ''Rajani'' was broadcast on India's public service broadcaster,
Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
, and was an account of a housewife who engaged in social and political reform movements. An episode written by Bhandari, about the plight of taxi drivers, gained wide public attention, in particular. Bhandari also adapted a story by Bengali writer
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, alternatively spelt as Sarat Chandra Chatterjee ( bn, শরৎচন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায়; 15 September 1876 or ৩১ শে ভাদ্র ১২৮৩ বঙ্গাব্দ ...
, for a film that Chatterjee made, titled ''
Swami Swami ( ; sometimes abbreviated sw.) in Hinduism is an honorific title given to a male or female ascetic who has chosen the path of renunciation (''sanyāsa''), or has been initiated into a religious monastic order of Vaishnavas. It is used eith ...
'', in 1977, but disagreed publicly with Chatterjee's decision to have the heroine of the story fall at her husband's feet at the end of the film, rather than be embraced by him. In 1979, Chatterjee adapted another of Bhandari's stories into the film, ''
Jeena Yahan ''Jeena Yahan'' is a 1979 Bollywood film, directed by Basu Chatterjee and produced by N.P. Ali under Jamu Pictures. The film is based on story ''Ekhane Aakash Neyi'' by Manu Bhandari. Cast *Shekhar Kapur *Shabana Azmi *Dina Pathak * Sunder *Pu ...
'', which received critical acclaim. Following the critical and commercial success of her novel, ''Mahabhoj'', Bhandari adapted the book for the stage. It was staged by
Amal Allana Amal Allana (born 14 September 1947) is an Indian theatre director, scenic designer and costume designer and presently she is in her second consecutive term as the Chairperson of National School of Drama, India's premier institute of Theatre tra ...
for the
National School of Drama National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an indepe ...
in Delhi, in a production that was also commercially successful, critically acclaimed, and ran for several years. Bhandari also wrote a very successful play, titled ''Bina Deevaron Ke Ghar'' (''A House Without Walls''). Productions of ''Mahabhoj'' have been staged in other languages as well, including Nepali,


Critical reception

Bhandari's writing can be situated within the early stages of the ''Nayi Kahani'' movement, a Hindi literary movement in the 1950s and 1960s that focused on the aspirations and problems of the educated middle class in post-Independent, post-colonial India. The movement included several of Bhandari's contemporaries, such as her husband, the author
Rajendra Yadav Rajendra Yadav (28 August 1929 – 28 October 2013) was a Hindi fiction writer, and a pioneer of the 'Nayi Kahani' movement of Hindi literature. He edited the literary magazine ''HANS'', which was founded by Munshi Premchand in 1930 but ceased ...
, as well as authors like
Nirmal Verma Nirmal Verma (3 April 192925 October 2005) was a Hindi writer, novelist, activist and translator. He is credited as being one of the pioneers of the ''Nai Kahani'' (New Story) literary movement of Hindi literature, wherein his first collection ...
,
Bhisham Sahni Bhisham Sahni (8 August 1915 – 11 July 2003) was an Indian writer, playwright in Hindi and an actor, most famous for his novel and television screenplay '' Tamas'' ("Darkness, Ignorance"), a powerful and passionate account of the Partition of ...
,
Kamleshwar Kamleshwar may refer to: * Kamleshwar (writer) * Kamleshwar Dam * Kamleshwar Patel {{Hndis, Kamleshwar ...
. These writers reflected society in newly-independent India, as it came to terms with rapid industrialization and urbanization and wrote in a markedly realistic style, in opposition to the prevailing romantic forms of Hindi literature. Writers like Rajendra Yadav,
Mohan Rakesh Mohan may refer to: People * Mohan Shumsher JBR, Former prime minister of Nepal * Mohan (actor) (born 1956), Indian film actor * Mohan (director), Indian director of Malayalam films * Mohan (name), a name generally found among Hindus * Mohan (cl ...
and
Kamleshwar Kamleshwar may refer to: * Kamleshwar (writer) * Kamleshwar Dam * Kamleshwar Patel {{Hndis, Kamleshwar ...
used the format of short stories, giving the movement the name of ''Nayi Kahani'' or ''New Stories''; Bhandari followed this pattern, but wrote novels as well. Women writers, such as Bhandari, and
Krishna Sobti Krishna Sobti (18 February 1925 – 25 January 2019) was an Indian Hindi-language fiction writer and essayist. She won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her novel ''Zindaginama'' and in 1996, was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the ...
, in particular, navigated the conflicts arising from the transition of women moving from domestic roles to participation in education and employment outside the home, often depicting the tension between tradition and modernity, the desire for economic independence, and individual autonomy. Critic and writer R.S. Singh has noted on an assessment of Bhandari's oeuvre that her "...forte is the middle-class woman seeking emancipation from social and moral conservatism in order to develop her personality on an equal footing with man's, and thus make her existence meaningfully significant." Writer and critic
Mrinal Pande Mrinal Pande (born 26 February 1946) is an Indian television personality, journalist and author, and until 2009 chief editor of Hindi daily '' Hindustan''. Early life and education Pande was born in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, 26 February 194 ...
wrote that Bhandari's work depicted "...reflect the strange tensions between spent old systems that continue to dominate middle-class India and the emerging new cluster of ideas,"praising her work for having an honest approach to these conflicts. Bhandari's style has been characterised by critics as marked with disregard for formal structure. This “''shilpaheenata''” (formlessness), according to writer Kuldeep Kumar, enabled Bhandari to focus on her skills in simple and direct narration. Her portrayal of female characters, use of irony, and symbolism have won critical acclaim. Her short stories frequently employed satire, especially when addressing political themes, such as the functioning of India's legal system, or wealth and poverty.


Awards

*
Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan also known as UP Hindi Sansthan is an autonomous organisation in Uttar Pradesh, working for the promotion of Hindi language. It is run under the Department of Languages, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from organiz ...
(Uttar Pradesh Hindi Institute) for ''Mahabhoj'' 1980-1981 *
Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad Indians or Indian people are the citizens and nationals of India. In 2022, the population of India stood at over 1.4 billion people, making it the world's second-most populous country, containing 17.7 percent of the global population. In a ...
(Indian Language Council), Kolkata, 1982 * Kala-Kunj Samman (award), New Delhi, 1982 * Bhartiya Sanskrit Sansad Katha Samaroh ( Indian Sanskrit narrative function), Kolkata, 1983 * Bihar Rajya Bhasha Parishad (Bihar State Language Council), 1991 * Rajasthan
Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
, 2001–02 * Maharashtra Rajya Hindi
Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...
(Maharashtra State Hindi Literature Akademi), 2004 *
Hindi Academy Hindi Academy ( hi, हिन्दी अकादमी) is an autonomous organisation in Delhi, India, set up by the Government of Delhi in 1981. The organisation was founded with the objective of promoting Hindi language, Hindi literature and ...
, Dilli Shalaka Samman, 2006–07 * Madhya Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan (Madhya Pradesh Hindi Literature Conference), Bhavbhuti Alankaran, 2006–07 *
K. K. Birla Foundation The K.K. Birla Foundation was established in 1991 by Krishna Kumar Birla in Delhi. Its mission is to promote literature (especially Hindi literature) and the arts, as well as education and social work. It regularly gets mentioned in the media for ...
presented her with the 18th
Vyas Samman The Vyas Samman is a literary award in India, first awarded in 1991. It is awarded annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation and includes a cash payout of Rs 4,00,000 (as of 2019). To be eligible for the award, the literary work must be in the Hi ...
for her work, ''Ek Kahani Yeh Bhi'', an autobiographical novel.


Bibliography


Fiction

* ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' (1962) (co-authored with
Rajendra Yadav Rajendra Yadav (28 August 1929 – 28 October 2013) was a Hindi fiction writer, and a pioneer of the 'Nayi Kahani' movement of Hindi literature. He edited the literary magazine ''HANS'', which was founded by Munshi Premchand in 1930 but ceased ...
) * ''Aapka Bunty'' (1971) * ''Mahabhoj'' (1979)


Anthologies of short stories

* ''Mai Haar Gai'' (1957) * ''Ek Plaite Sailab'' (1962) * ''Yahi Such Hai'' (1966) * ''Tin Nigahonki Ek Tasvir'' (1959) * ''Trishanku'' (1978) * ''Meri Priya Kahaniya'' (1973) * ''Pratinidhi Kahaniya'' (1986) * ''Srestha Kahaniya'' (1979) * ''Sampurna Kahaniya'' (2008)


Plays

* ''Bina Deevaron Ke Ghar'' (1966) * ''Mahabhoj: Dramatisations'' (1981) * ''Bina Divaron Ka Ghar'' (1965) * ''Pratishodh tatha Anya Ekanki'' (1987)


Screenplay

* ''Katha-Patkatha'' (2003)


Autobiography

* ''Ek Kahaani Yeh Bhi'': (2007)


Children's literature

* ''Aankhon Dekha Jhooth'' (Anthology of Stories) * ''Aasmata'' (Fiction) * ''Kala'' (Fiction)


Translations and adaptations


Adaptations

Bhandari has been closely involved in several film, television, and stage adaptations of her works. However, her work has also been adapted by others for production. In 2017, a classical
Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...
dance performance of her story, 'Trishanku' earned critical acclaim for her daughter, the choreographer and dancer Rachna Yadav, and for music composers, the
Gundecha brothers The Gundecha Brothers are Indian classical singers of the dhrupad genre of the Dagar vani. From 1985 to 2019 the duo consisted of brothers Umakant Gundecha and Ramakant Gundecha and were awarded the Padma Shri for art for 2012. Following the de ...
. Her stories have been included in the Hindi curriculum for schools, set by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. In 1986, Bhandari sold the rights to her second novel, ''Aap Ka Bunty'' and it was subsequently adapted for a film produced by Dharmendra Goyal and directed by Sisir Mishra. The film, ''Samay ki Dhara'', starred
Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several ge ...
,
Shatrughan Sinha Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 9 December 1945) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol (Lok Sabha constituency), Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he ...
,
Tina Munim Tina Ambani (née Munim) is a former Indian actress. She is married to Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group. She is actively involved in many foundations and charities. Many of these were established in the memory of her in-laws, Dhirubhai a ...
and
Vinod Mehra Vinod Mehra (13 February 1945 – 30 October 1990) was an Indian actor in Bollywood, Indian films. He started out as a child actor in the late 1950s before starting his film career as an adult in 1971. He acted in over 100 films from the 1970s t ...
. Bhandari subsequently sued the filmmakers, Kala Vikas Pictures Pvt Ltd, on the grounds that the adaptation distorted her novel and consequently violated Section 57 of the
Indian Copyright Act The Copyright Act 1957 as amended governs the subject of copyright law in India. The Act is applicable from 21 January 1958. The history of copyright law in India can be traced back to its colonial era under the British Empire. The Copyright Act 19 ...
, 1957. The judgment in this case, '' Manu Bhandari v. Kala Vikas Motion Pictures Ltd'' is a landmark decision in Indian copyright law that clarified the scope of an author's moral rights under Indian copyright law. The Court held in favor of Bhandari, but she and the producers ultimately settled out of court. Her play, ''Bina Deevaron Ke Ghar'' has been staged in Gwalior, Mumbai, and Delhi, in productions in Hindi. Marathi adaptations of her works have been staged in Goa, by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and a Kannada translation of ''Mahabhoj,'' by Dr. Tippeswami and directed by B.V. Karant, was also staged. In addition, Vipin Natkarni directed and translated the story ''Aapka Bunty'' which was highly praised. It earned itself a 'best story' award from the Maharashtra government and twenty-three other awards. Basu Chatterjee's directed film ''Trishanku'' was translated into Bengali and made into a feature film. A number of films for television were created by adapting Bhandari's writing. These include: *Telefilm based on ''Akeli'' story, shown on Delhi Doordarshan Channel * Rajendra Nath adapted ''Trishanku'' into a telefilm for Delhi Doordarshan * Yusuf Khan adapted ''Nasha'' into a telefilm for Lucknow Doordarshan * ''Rani Maa ka Chabutara'' was adapted into a telefilm by Vibha Sharma for Bhopal Doordarshan * ''Asamyik Mrityu'' was adapted into a telefilm for Delhi Doordarshan by Manju Singh * ''Mahabhoj'' story was adapted into a telefilm by William Ash for BBC London


Translations

Bhandari wrote in Hindi, but her work has been frequently translated to Indian and foreign languages, including Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Manipuri, French, German, Hungarian and English. A select list of translations includes:


Plays and fiction

* ''Ek Inch Muskaan'', translated into
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
(H.S. Parvathi) * ''Aapka Bunty'' translated into Marathi (Indumati Shevde), Gujarati (Niranjan Sattavala), Tamil (Charu Ratnam),
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
(H.S. Parvathi), Bengali (Renuka Vishvaas), Odiya (Saudamini Bhuyan), English (Jairatan, Sunita Jain), Japanese (translation directed by Hashimoto) * ''Mahabhoj'' translated into Marathi (Padmakar Joshi), Bengali (Ravindranath Ghosh), Gujarati (Girish Solanki), English (Richard Williams, Ruth Vanita), French (Nicole Balbeer) * ''Mahabhoj'' (play) translated into Marathi (Arvind Deshpande - Sangeet Natak Akademi, Goa) and
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...


Compilations of stories

* Nine stories compiled under the name ''Ek Tee'', translated into Marathi (Shubha Chitnis) * Three compilations of nine stories from ''Satya'', five stories from ''Uttung'', and nine stories from ''Trishanku'' translated into Marathi (Chandrakant Bhonjal) * Ten stories translated and compiled in Bengali (Gauri ) * Ten Stories translated and compiled in Manipuri (Meghchand) * Compilation of five translated stories into English - ''The Dusk of Life'' translation (Neelam Bhandari) * Compilation of eight stories into the language of Tajikistan (Meherunissa) * ''Yahi Sach Hai'' translated into German and Japanese (Barbara Bomhoff) * ''Rani Maa Ka Chabutra'' translated into French (Annie Montaut), Spanish (Alvaro Enterria) * ''Nai Naukari'' translated into French (Kiran Chaudhary) * ''Shaayad'' translated into Hungarian (Eva Aradi) * ''Chashme'' translated into Dutch (Rob Van Dijk, Reinder Boverhuis, Irma Van Dam) * ''Trishanku'' translated into German (Rosmarie Rauter), English (Charles Dent), English (Nancy Stork, Newhouse) * ''Stri Subodhini'' translated into English (Nancy Stork-Newhouse)


See also

*
List of Indian writers This is a list of notable writers who come from India or have Indian nationality. Names are sorted according to surname. A B C D F G H I J K L M N P Q R S T U V W Y ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhandari, Mannu 1931 births 2021 deaths Hindi-language writers University of Calcutta alumni Banaras Hindu University alumni Women writers from Rajasthan Novelists from Rajasthan 20th-century Indian women writers Indian women novelists 20th-century Indian novelists Hindi screenwriters Screenwriters from Rajasthan 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Indian women screenwriters Screenwriters from Madhya Pradesh Novelists from Madhya Pradesh Women writers from Madhya Pradesh People from Mandsaur district People from Ajmer Indian intellectual property law