An excellent
satire by Shri Lal Shukla, an eminent scholar of Hindi Literature who has drawn
an unparallel painting of current socio-politico-economic condition of India
with the help of this creation. The plot may be from a small village backdrop
and has all the characters from that small village only but it does represent
the condition of country in general. Although this novel dates back to
seventies but with every passing decade it becomes much more relevant. Forty
years later, this novel seems more relevant to our country in general than it
may have been at the time when it was written.
The language
used is easy Hindi and Awadhi at some places (depending upon the demand of
scene or character). This novel is full of local idioms and phrases used in
Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh. In short we can say that a colloquial Hindi
was used in the novel to make dialogues more effective and real.
The beauty of
the novel is relevance of its plot with ever pervading society and characters with
unending and unsatisfied ambitions. The ambition is to displace the existing
powerful, unlawful person from his present stature as he seems clogged with
nepotism, favouritism and corruption. These ambitious contestants of the top
players use the same unfair means to defeat him which they have been alleging
him for.
Vaid Ji being the apex man
of the village is most respectable and winner of all the power play and has
always defeated everyone in this game whomsoever has rose against him. The
respect and luxuries of life that anyone can command is through corruption,
nepotism and favouritism only. All those who try to be lawful or deny the
existence of any of the above three will have to pay a hefty price. Characters
like Langad personify the life of
person who is lawful and wants to do something through right means. He just
tries to get a copy of his land record throughout the novel without paying bribe and fails but he
constantly says to others “tum nahi
samjhoge babu, ye sidhant ki ladai hai” and in the last he has to lose the
battle.
Vaid ji on top and Langad on bottom, in the power play
and corruption game, everyone else is sandwiched
between these two. Revolt of Ruppan Babu
against his father (Vaid Ji) , acts of devoted followers (principal saab, sanichar alias mangal) of Vaid ji, the initial
disinterest of Badri pahlwan in
politics of father and then replacing him, as successor defeating the ambitions
of younger brother Ruppan are the key
actions of key characters which signifies everything is reason driven or trying
to find out a reason is foolishness.
The Mayajaal and its power
play cannot be explained in a better and entertaining manner than this
creation. A shear genius of Shukla Ji
will make you to witness all these power play, difference of opinion, fight of
beliefs, corruption and its abysmal roots.
A must read book.
1 comment:
Nice review. The novel is one of my favourite ones. I am author at www.articlesjar.com
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