Dharamvir Bharati
Encyclopedia
Dr. Dharamvir Bharati (December 25, 1926 – September 4, 1997) was a renowned Hindi poet, author, playwright and a social thinker of India. He was the Chief-Editor of the popular Hindi weekly magazine Dharmayug.
Dr. Bharati was awarded Padma Shree for literature in 1972 by the Government of India. His novel Gunaho Ka Devta
became an evergreen classic. Dr. Bharati’s Suraj ka Satwan Ghoda is considered a unique experiment in story-telling and was made into a National Film Award- winning movie by the same name
in 1992 by Shyam Benegal
. Andha Yug
, a play set in the time immediately after the Mahabharata
war, is another classic that is enacted very often in public by various drama groups.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in Playwriting (Hindi) in 1988, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Acdemy of Music, Dance and Drama.
to Chiranji Lal and Chanda devi. The family underwent considerable financial hardships after his father died early. He had a sister, Dr. Veerbala.
He did his MA in Hindi from Allahabad University
in 1946 and won the “Chintamani Ghosh Award” for securing highest marks in Hindi.
at the Allahabad University. The 1950s were the most creative period in the life of Dr. Bharati and he wrote many novels, dramas, poems, essays, and criticism-works during this phase.
weekly magazine Dharma Yug brought out by the Times Group, and moved to Bombay. He remained the editor of Dharmayug till 1987. During this long phase the magazine became the most popular Hindi weekly of the country and reached new heights in Hindi journalism. As a field reporter, Dr. Bharati personally covered the Indo-Pak war
that resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh
.
in twentieth century Hindi literature. The protagonist is a young man named Manik Mulla who recounts these tales to his friends. The name of the work is an allusion to Hindu mythology according to which the chariot of the Sun-God Surya
is said to be drawn by seven horses. (viz. seven days in a week) This novella has been translated into Bengali by poet Malay Roy Choudhury
of Hungry generation
fame, for which he was bestowed with the Sahitya Academy Award. Shyam Benegal
's film by the same name
(1992), based on the novel won the National Film Award for Best Actor.
poetry
Kanupriya,Thanda Loha, Saat Geet Varsh and Sapana Abhi Bhi are amongst his most popular works of poetry.
(The Age of Blindness):Poetic play, Structured on events in the Mahabharata
, Andha Yug
focuses on the last day of the Mahabharata war. It is a powerful metaphorical theatrical work.Performed by Ebrahim Alkazi
,M.k. Raina, Ratan Thiyam
, Arvind Gaur
, Ram Gopal Bajaj
, Mohan Maharishi
, Bhanu Bharti
and many other Indian theatre directors.
Dr. Bharati was awarded Padma Shree for literature in 1972 by the Government of India. His novel Gunaho Ka Devta
Gunaho Ka Devta
Gunahon Ka Devta is a popular 1949 Hindi novel by Dharamvir Bharati. Over time, it gained historical importance and a cult following of readers, specially among urban Indian males whose first language is Hindi. The story is about a young student who falls in love with the daughter of his college...
became an evergreen classic. Dr. Bharati’s Suraj ka Satwan Ghoda is considered a unique experiment in story-telling and was made into a National Film Award- winning movie by the same name
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is a 1992, Indian Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal and based on a novel of the same name by Dharmavir Bharati. It won the 1993 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
in 1992 by Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur , Nishant Manthan and Bhumika he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to...
. Andha Yug
Andha Yug
Andha Yug is 1954 verse play written in Hindi, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati . It was the first important play of 20th century India...
, a play set in the time immediately after the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
war, is another classic that is enacted very often in public by various drama groups.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in Playwriting (Hindi) in 1988, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's National Acdemy of Music, Dance and Drama.
Early life
Dharamvir Bharati was born in AllahabadAllahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
to Chiranji Lal and Chanda devi. The family underwent considerable financial hardships after his father died early. He had a sister, Dr. Veerbala.
He did his MA in Hindi from Allahabad University
Allahabad University
Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...
in 1946 and won the “Chintamani Ghosh Award” for securing highest marks in Hindi.
Career
Dharamvir Bharati was the sub-editor for magazines “Abhyudaya” and Sangam” during this period. Later he completed his Ph.D. in 1954 under Dr. Dhirendra Verma on the topic of “Siddha Sahitya”, and was appointed lecturer in HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
at the Allahabad University. The 1950s were the most creative period in the life of Dr. Bharati and he wrote many novels, dramas, poems, essays, and criticism-works during this phase.
Journalism (Mumbai)
In 1960 he was appointed as chief-editor of the popular HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
weekly magazine Dharma Yug brought out by the Times Group, and moved to Bombay. He remained the editor of Dharmayug till 1987. During this long phase the magazine became the most popular Hindi weekly of the country and reached new heights in Hindi journalism. As a field reporter, Dr. Bharati personally covered the Indo-Pak war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
that resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
Personal life
Dr Bharati married in 1954 and later divorced Mrs. Kanta Bharati with whom he had a daughter Parmita. A Few years later he remarried and had a son Kinshuk Bharati and a daughter Pragya Bharati with Mrs. Pushpa Bharati. Dr. Bharati developed heart ailments and died after a brief illness in 1997.Novels
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (सूरज का सातवां घोड़ा )- (The Seventh Steed of the Sun), A short novel published in 1952, that may also be viewed as a set of connected mini-narratives, can be called one of the foremost instances of metafictionMetafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
in twentieth century Hindi literature. The protagonist is a young man named Manik Mulla who recounts these tales to his friends. The name of the work is an allusion to Hindu mythology according to which the chariot of the Sun-God Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
is said to be drawn by seven horses. (viz. seven days in a week) This novella has been translated into Bengali by poet Malay Roy Choudhury
Malay Roy Choudhury
Malay Roy Choudhury is a Bengali poet and novelist who founded the "Hungryalist Movement" in the 1960s. His literary works have been reviewed by sixty critics in HAOWA 49, a quarterly magazine which devoted its January 2001 special issue to Roy Choudhury's life and works...
of Hungry generation
Hungry generation
The Hungry Generation was a literary movement in the Bengali language launched by what is known today as the Hungryalist quartet i.e. Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roychoudhury and Debi Roy alias Haradhon Dhara, during the 1960s in Kolkata, India...
fame, for which he was bestowed with the Sahitya Academy Award. Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur , Nishant Manthan and Bhumika he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to...
's film by the same name
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is a 1992, Indian Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal and based on a novel of the same name by Dharmavir Bharati. It won the 1993 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
(1992), based on the novel won the National Film Award for Best Actor.
- Gunaho Ka DevtaGunaho Ka DevtaGunahon Ka Devta is a popular 1949 Hindi novel by Dharamvir Bharati. Over time, it gained historical importance and a cult following of readers, specially among urban Indian males whose first language is Hindi. The story is about a young student who falls in love with the daughter of his college...
(गुनाहों का देवता) (1949)
- Giyara sapno ka desh (ग्यारह सपनों का देश)
- Prarambh va Samapan (प्रारंभ व समापन)
poetry
Kanupriya,Thanda Loha, Saat Geet Varsh and Sapana Abhi Bhi are amongst his most popular works of poetry.
Play in Poetry
Andha YugAndha Yug
Andha Yug is 1954 verse play written in Hindi, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati . It was the first important play of 20th century India...
(The Age of Blindness):Poetic play, Structured on events in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Andha Yug
Andha Yug
Andha Yug is 1954 verse play written in Hindi, by renowned novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamvir Bharati . It was the first important play of 20th century India...
focuses on the last day of the Mahabharata war. It is a powerful metaphorical theatrical work.Performed by Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi
Ebrahim Alkazi is one of the most influential Indian theatre directors and Drama teachers in 20th century Indian theatre. He also remained the Director of National School of Drama, New Delhi He has also been a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and found Art Heritage Gallery in...
,M.k. Raina, Ratan Thiyam
Ratan Thiyam
Ratan Thiyam is an Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, one of leading figures of the "theatre of roots" movement in Indian theatre, which started in 1970s...
, Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur
Arvind Gaur , Indian theatre director, is known for his work in innovative, socially and politically relevant theatre. Gaur's plays are contemporary and thought-provoking, connecting intimate personal spheres of existence to larger social political issues...
, Ram Gopal Bajaj
Ram Gopal Bajaj
Ram Gopal Bajaj is a noted Indian theatre director, academician, and a Hindi film actor. He has also been a faculty member and a former director of National School of Drama, New Delhi ....
, Mohan Maharishi
Mohan Maharishi
Mohan Maharishi is an Indian theatre director, actor and a playwright. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 'Direction' in 1992.-Early life:...
, Bhanu Bharti
Bhanu Bharti
Bhanu Bharti is an eminent Indian theatre director and playwright, and the founder-director of Aaj Rangmandal theatre group. Most known for his theatre productions and choreographies with tribal and folk artists, including Pashu Gayatri by K.N...
and many other Indian theatre directors.
Story Collection
र्दों का गाव),Swarg aur Prathvhi( स्वर्ग और पृथ्वी),Chand aur Tuthe hue Log चाद और टूटे हुए लोग,Band gali Ka Aakhkri Makhaan (बंद गली का आखिरी मकान),Saas ki Kalam se (सास की कलम से),Samast Kahaniya ek Saath(समस्त कहानियाँ एकEssay
Thele par Himalayas( ठेले पर हिमालय),Apshynty stories:Unkahi(पश्यंती कहानियाँ :अनकही), The river was thirsty(नदी प्यासी थी), Neil Lake(नील झील), Human values and literature(मानव मूल्य और साहित्य), Cold iron(ठण्डा लोहा)Film on Dr. Bharati
Dr. Bharati: documentary directed by young story writer Uday Prakash for Sahitya Akademi, Delhi, 1999,Awards
- Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
by the Government of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 1972
- Rajendra Prasad Shikhar Samman
- Bharat Bharati Samman
- Maharashtra Gaurav, 1994
- Kaudiya Nyas
- Vyasa Samman
- 1984, Valley turmeric best journalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
awards
- 1988, best playwright Maharana Mewar Foundation Award
- 1989,the Sangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, Delhi
Translations
- Andha Yug:Dharamvir Bharati,Translated in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Alok Bhalla Published by Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-567213-8,ISBN 0-19-567213-5