LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13 : 1 January 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Dhiruben Patel’s Agantuk: A Critical Appreciation

Rajesh V. Basiya Ph.D.

Dhiruben Patel was conferred the prestigious Kendriya Sahitya Academy Award for her novel Agantuk in 2002. She has been a prolific writer in Gujarati Literature. Dhiruben was born in Baroda on 29th May 1926. She has achieved an outstanding position in modern Gujararati literature. She has been given a creditable position in the history of Gujarati novel. She also served as the President of the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. She was also given the highest meritorious award for Gujarati literature Ranjitram Suwarnachandrak in 1983. She contributed in all genres of literature. She has written short stories, novels, plays, and poems.

Agantuk was published in 1996. This is an excellent novel by Dhiruben Patel. Suhasini Mulay, an award winning documentary film maker is producing and directing a tele-film called Agantuk, commissioned by the central government and is scheduled to be a bilingual (Hindi and Gujarati) mini-series based on this novel. Agantuk is the story of a person striving to gain a spiritual high. This sincerity and purity makes him a misfit in modern society and he becomes an agantuk - unknown person. The novel has been translated into English by Shri Raj Supe titled Rainbow at Noon.

Dhiruben has imagined a unique situation in this novel that is ‘What can happen if a Sanyasin (recluse) comes back after fifteen years of renunciation?’ In the prologue of this novel Dhiruben narrates, “Roshnithi Zalhalta khandman jameli mahefilman baharna andhkarmathi udine aavelun ek pakshi ek bariethi praveshi biji bariethi nikali jay etlasamayni aa vat.” (A bird coming from the darkness of the outside enters a room full of light and festivity; it enters from a window and exits from another window. This is the only spin of the story.)

This novel won the Darshak Foundation Award in 1995 and it was given the most prestigious Central Academy Award in 2002. This novel attracts all people. It is appreciated by all. It is the story of the spiritual journey of the protagonist, Ishan. He is a youngman, and has a Bachelor’s degree. After the death of his mother, Ishan goes to an Ashram in Uttarkashi and trusts him. He desired that after his death, Ishan should be made the head of the Ashram. But when Omkargiri is no more, an ashram fellow Pratapgiri plots to become the head through intrigue. Ishan is truly religious. He has no ambitions, and he leaves both the Ashram and the Sanyasa. After fifteen years he comes back home to Mumbai. His two brothers Ashutosh and Arnav are suspicious of him when they see him. They exhibit no warmth in receiving him. Their wives Reema and Shalmali do not like his coming back.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Rajesh V. Basiya, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of English
Sheth S. V. Arts and Commerce College
Mandvi-Kachchh 370465
Gujarat
India
rv_basiya@yahoo.co.in
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