Shyamchi Aai ( mr, श्यामची आई; en, Shyam's Mother) is an
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
of
social activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
Pandurang Sadashiv Sane (known as ''Sane Guruji''). Its regarded as one of the greatest tributes to mother's love 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
*
* ...
literature.
Story
''Shyamchi Aai'' is an autobiography of Sane Guruji belonging to a
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
family in
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
region of rural
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
during
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. Sane Guruji (now an adult), fondly called Shyam during his childhood, is narrating his memories to a group of children in a nightly sitting.
Chapters in the book are named ''ratra'' meaning "night" in Marathi. They are named first night, second night, and so on. Every passing 5, the story takes you into the family setting in rural Konkan and its beautiful seaside landscapes with adjoining ranges of Sahyadri. This book is a representation of the love of a mother for her child.
As the title suggests the central character is Shyam's mother and the kind of enormous influence she has on Shyam's life and upbringing. It involves sticking to one's ideals even though one is neck-deep in abject poverty.
The narration is flamboyant and involves readers in the setting smoothly. As the story progresses, we come to know the deterioration of Shyam's debt-ridden family. The communication between father and son, mother and son, and siblings is exemplary. It shows that if love is present in a person's life, the person can be content; no matter how poor he is.
The book starts with Shyam's mother getting married into a wealthy family, its slow progression into debt-ridden poverty, and ends with the illness and death of his mother.
In popular culture
The story was adapted into a
film with the same title. The film was directed and produced by noted writer, poet, and educationist
Acharya Atre
Prahlad Keshav Atre () (13 August 1898 – 13 June 1969), popularly known as Āchārya Atre, was a prominent Marathi language, Marathi writer, poet, educationist, founder–editor of ''Maratha'' (a Marathi language newspaper), and above all, a n ...
himself. It won President's Medal as
Best Feature Film
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
at the
1st National Film Awards
The 1st National Film Awards, presented by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema censored in the year 1953. Ceremony took place at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 10 October 1954 and awards were gi ...
ceremony.
The story is also adapted for stage dramas in Marathi. In 2012, the play was for the first time translated to English and performed at
Kashinath Ghanekar auditorium in
Thane
Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven talukas ...
.
Translation
''Shyamchi Aai'' is available in English, translated by Aaditi Kulkarni, who is a Canadian national residing in Mississauga, Ontario. The publication ceremony of the English edition was held 22 May 2008 in Pune, India.
"Shyamchi Aai" is available in Kannada, translated by Malati Mudakavi, a resident of Dharwad, India.
Another English translation by Shanta Gokhale has been published by Penguin Random House in their Puffin Classics series. Publish date is January 18, 2021.
References
{{reflist
External links
Book in Marathi Wikisource
Marathi-language literature
Indian autobiographies
Autobiographies adapted into films