THE INDIAN COMMENTATOR

Sassi is a Hindi translation of the novel written by Rajveer Singh Prajapati titled Destined Lives - Journey till the Start published by Leadstart Publishing Private Ltd. in the year 2013. The Hindi translation titled Sassi published in the year 2016 by Redgrab Books followed the success of the English title. After reading Sassi , the Hindi translation, it is difficult to say if it's a translation at all. One may wonder if Sassi , the Hindi novel is the source that was translated to English under the title Destined Lives - Journey till the start . The only criteria I adopt here to differentiate the source text and the target text or translated text is the chronology. Only after the publication of Destined Lives did they release Sassi . So if you find me addressing the Hindi title as a translation, the publication date is only to blame.     In Sassi , the author uses nostalgia with skill. From the cover, which looks classy to the yellow cream-coloured pag...

Anuradha Prasad's collection of six short stories under the title Rain Drops and Caterpillars evokes some first-time moments and their significances. Her characters hail from different backgrounds. Consequently, these stories have unique perspectives to share. Each of them is different from one another. If you go by the urge to locate rarity, a short story collection would certainly match the intention in the Indian literary scene. Short story collections are rare in a world ruled by novels. Rain Drops and Caterpillars inspires one to think of the weight of a short story in comparison to a novel. It feels like looking at the legendary scene of David and Goliath. The dwarf had a final victory over the giant. Rain Drops and Caterpillars includes stories about first love, love breaks, heartaches, dedication, and commitment to one's country, an inspiring story on parenting, moving on from an abusive relationship, and homosexuality. The stories are told in a languag...

Author Shilpi Moda Signodia is a trained management professional who took up writing and parenting as her vocations. Her new book Innocent Wings is a tour de force uproots some aged redundancies regarding parenting in the Indian context. The unique contextual sensibility renders the book with phenomenal relevance. In the light of the recent child-abuse cases registered in Kerala, my home state, I'd say, every parent and individual with a family must read Innocent Wings and rethink the ways in which they treat their children.              Now, friends, I get a bit greedy when it comes to books and related materials. So after perusing Innocent Wings and opening my eyes to these new possibilities in parenting and child-caring, I felt the urge to talk to the author to get some answers to questions that were welling up inside me.   The result is this short interview with the author Shilpi.        ...

     In a place called Munirka, located in the South Delhi area, several men brutally raped a young girl. Among the assailants (visible, invisible, and symbolic), the court convicted four. Those four were directly involved in the case. The Indian visual media covered this incident with all its might. The print news media also supported the cause of the young girl. They called her Nirbhaya, the one without fear. The date of the incident was on 16 December 2012.     A documentary titled India's Daughter came out in 2015. Leslee Udwin directed it. In 2018, another documentary, directed by Bidisha Adhikari, Kanchan Adhikari, and Payal Kaashyap released.     Although the visual media and print news media keenly followed the incident and its aftermath, the realm of literature stayed mostly incapable of giving expression to the horror. Love stories, one after the other, filled bookshelves of readers across India.     In...

If you are a fan of Tare Zameen Par, you'll be surprised and shocked to see how much India needs to change even in the post-Tare-Zameen-Par era. Innocent Wings is a poignant story about a mother's transformation and a five-year-old boy's bravery. The book is categorised as a work of fiction. The story of Rudra and of his mother is a narrative that borders fiction. However, the elements of reality that helps to root this story in the mind of the reader are heavy. This book can be read only with a heavy heart, especially if one has loved a child and held him/her impossibly close to heart. Innocent Wings is subtitled as "Dyslexia, Childhood, Parenting". The themes that appear in the book are much deeper and multifaceted. The story begins with the starting of Rudra's school day. A normal day for Rudra is comprised of yelling from his mother at home, and teachers at school. He is quite happy though when his little brother is born to his mother. Yet w...

The following is a wonderful story. Please do read:  For fans of Paulo Coelho, and by that I mean a wonderful group of great people who know what I mean immediately just by looking at the title of this piece, this incident might look like a scene from one of his novels.  Recently, our dear Paulo posted a picture on his social media profiles. I noticed it because the picture contained several books being held by a young person and a collection of several books in a single shot always caters my attention. I commented on his Instagram profile asking dear Paulo if he was in New Delhi, India. The location status of his Instagram page said "New Delhi". My inquiry was a result of the assumption that Paulo was in New Delhi, India. I requested him that if he was in India, please visit Kerala also. Kerala is my place so it's justified for me being a little selfish here.  Paulo has a way with his silence. He did not respond to my rather unimpressively rhetorical commen...