Of Buddies , Books and Bachpan..

In this episode of the brilliant satire " Ek Gadhe Ki Aatmakatha " our protagonist ,in pursuit of justice for the bereaved family of Ramu Dhobi ,visits the commerce minister . He also visits the Prime Minister , Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru . The thought provoking conversation between the two is worth a listen ! Do tune in..

In the 5th part of the timeless satire 'Ek Gadhe ki Aatmakatha', the master storyteller Shri Krishan Chander, through the hero, a scholarly donkey, exposes the wily working of a typical Government setup in our country, which is ironical as these departments were created for welfare of citizens and end up achieving the opposite. The poor donkey visits scores of 'windows', 'tables', chambers and so...

Replete with elements of humour, satire, and mockery of red-tapism, the 4th part of the hard-hitting satire "Ek Gadhe ki Aatmakatha" written by Padmashri Shri Krishan Chanderji takes us to witness the struggle of our protagonist as he traipses or rather is pushed from one Government office to the other- none moved even a bit by the travails of the underprivileged. The simple language, the perfect...

Jamunapar stint of our protagonist "Gadha" leaves us with new insight as we read the third part of the classic satire "Ek Gadhe Ki Aatmakatha" written by the great Afsana nigaar Shri Krishan Chander. Through the eyes and ears of our dear hero, we witness the stark truth of the society of those times and discover to our angst that much is yet to change for the better. Do tune in...

In the 2nd part of the timeless satire "Ek Gadhe Ki Atmakatha" penned by Shri Krishan Chander, our smart but often misunderstood protagonist, after some ordeals, finally reaches New Delhi where he has some surprising and some bonebreaking experiences. Shri Krishan Chander's humourous take on orthodxy, mean spiritedness of the society voiced through the protagonist, which sadly remains almost the s...

Fresh and raring to read after a break, we resume season 7 with our 10th episode and present one of the finest satires penned by the celebrated writer Shri Krishan Chander- "Ek Gadhe Ki Aatmakatha". The very charming introductory first chapter will fill you with delight as the protagonist, our 'gadha' begins to narrate it's tale. The observational satire, the irony of setting, the simplicity of la...

Mahakavi Nirala's masterly crafted "Ram Ki Shakti Puja" concludes today with the profound message of keeping one's faith and perseverance. The beautiful language, the "alankars", the allieration and so much more make the poem truly great. Let us all awaken the Ram in us and attempt to dispel clouds of gloom and despair through sincere and positive action. Do tune in...

Don't the questions " Why good people have to suffer? Is there any justice in this world" often plague us? In today's episode which is the penultimate part of "Ram ki Shakti Puja" penned by Mahakavi Nirala, the Lord Himself in His human Avtar as Prince Ram is overcome with angst and hopelessness when all his efforts to win against Ravana fail. To know what happens next, do tune in to listen and en...

In this episode of Season 7, we read the second part of Mahaprana Nirala's -“Ram Ki Shakti Puja”. This part beautifully depicts the effect of Ram's angst on His devout sevak and friend Hanuman who is prepared to move heaven and earth(literally too!) to end Ram's agony. You will love the way Shiva appeals to Devi as well as Vibhishan's attempt to shake Ram out of His an almost desperate state of mi...

As promised, in the next episode of Season 7, we read the first part of Mahaprana Nirala's one of the great modern poetic renditions of Ram's predicament -“Ram Ki Shakti Puja”. The lines bring out the angst of Ram ,his self-doubt, his helplessness as his army struggles against the mighty army of Rakshasas under Ravan. The unique style and meter of writing, the purity of language, the '...

In the 5th episode of Season 7, we read the remaining part of the very charmingly written "Parinde" penned by Shri. Nirmal Verma , one of the pioneers of Nayi Kahani Movement. The beautiful description of the hills, masterful paraphrasing, subtle but profound messaging in his writing have made us more determined to read more of Nirmal Vermaji's writing !

In the 4th episode of Season 7, we will enjoy a very special signature piece of writing- "Parinde" penned by Shri Nirmal Verma, one of the pioneers of Nayi Kahani Movement. The story set in the hills, very sensitively deals with nostalgia, lost love and loneliness. The beautiful language, intricate details woven so charmingly into the story leave an indelible impression on our minds and...

In the 3rd episode of Season 7, to celebrate 'Teachers Day' and express our gratitude to all our wonderful teachers, we present "Waris", a charming and poignant story penned by Shri Mohan Rakesh, the doyen of "Nayi Kahani" movement and a master chronicler of urban middle class lives. The story revolves around Masterji and his two young students. Masterji's selfless...

In the next episode of season 7, we ascend further in the evolution of Hindi literature to 'satire' or 'vyang' and present 'Shrimati Gajanand Shastrini' written by one of the pillars of 'Chhayawad' and one of the greatest Hindi literateurs of all times Shri Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' - a deceptively simple story, but with powerful messages cleverly conceale...

We begin a brand new season,our 7th, with an old, old story. Let's go back to the 19th century, an era of mindful litterateurs who helped shape literature beautifully for it to be enjoyed forever by future generations. Let us read one of the earliest Hindi stories " Gyarah Varsh ka samay" written by the multifaceted doyen of Hindi literature Acharya Ramchandra Shukla" who enrich...

And with our hearts full, we conclude he grand tale of Paranpur- Parti: Parikatha. What a superlative, masterful, wonderfully-nuanced, honest depiction of rural society by Shri. Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji! And such an optimistic, poignant and positive conclusion to the entire saga of rebuilding the Parti . We will miss the people of Paranpur and Kosika Maharani for sure ! Do listen...

In the penultimate episode before conclusion of the epic story " Parti: Parikatha" penned by Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renu, we will witness coming together of Paranpur folk, united by their dreams of prosperity, by their common anguish at mindless violence in their village and thankfully, by waking upto good sense. There are heartbreaking incidents, collateral damage, glimpses of selfish ac...

Paranpur express chugs along the scenic route to the 31st stop. What a tale "Parti: Parikatha" is! Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renu is rightly regarded as the master of regional novel or the "Anchalik Upanyas". Paranpur feels like home now with all it's quirks and the characters feel so relatable. More mysteries unravel, true colours emerge as we race towards the finale. Do tune in...

"Parti: Parikatha" written by Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji never ceases to fascinate. In the 30th part of the story, we discover today the reasons for Jitendra's cautious and slightly quirky demeanour. One also feels revulsion at the vileness and treachery human beings can stoop to for their selfish motives. The part oscillates between the past and the present, which are inevitably linked by an in...

In the 29th part of 'Parti:Parikatha', written by Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji, many missing blocks are finally found- glimpse of real nature of Shivendra Mishra, the mystery surrounding Kuber Singh, a hint of betrayal by Larena Khawas and much more. Of course, the seemingly mundane rural life goes on amidst all these twists and turns... Do tune in.

Today we read togther the 28th part of 'Parti:Parikatha' written by Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji. The part is replete with nuanced revelations about human character and society and surprisingly this remains unchanged even today. Politicking is at its thickest in Paranpur, Jitendra Mishra seemingly meditative and his paramour Tajmani bolder... Do tune in.

Presenting the 27th part of the beautiful rural saga 'Parti:Parikatha' written by Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji. The part is sprinkled with jocularity and sarcasm, sweetness and cynicism, wisdom and innocence... And as always, one is compelled to pause and think, even after more than 75 years of its creation. Do tune in.

And 'Of Buddies, Books and Bachpan' completes 3 wonderful years of reading books and reliving precious childhood memories this week! And aptly, in the 26th part of "Parti:Parikatha", Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji makes the characters go through periods of deep introspection and retrospection, while helping us with new perspectives with regards to human behaviour and thought process. The episode cen...

In the 25th part of "Parti:Parikatha" Shri Phaneeshwar Nath Renuji will surprise us with yet another twist. He will take us from the "Planters Club" exposing the hypocrisy of the then ruling class, to the metamorphosis of a simple Nattiin ( entertainer)to a leader of her community and so much more. In his inimitable style, Renuji brings to life Paranpur and compels us to think. And we find plenty...

So happy to be in conversation today with Professor Vidyanand Jha, who is a Maithili poet, short story writer and literary critic. The analysis of Maithili literature and Renuji, precious nuggets about the culture of Mithila, his thoughts on the age-old struggles of natives of Kosi region, pain of sidelined Maithili language and so much more was shared by him today. And does that not apply to most...