Writers must snap out of the bubble that their story stands out! Instead, focus on how to tell a story!

What is a zero budget cinema? An innovative and fantastic way to visualise a short story. Create your internal journey and showcase it.

Do you know why Manav Kaul is so read or famous? People love his works. He thrives on the new-age form of caption literature. Kaul has published around eight to nine books, including a compilation of poetries. His bestseller is the book on caption literature—based on his posts written on his Instagram handle. People can relate to him because his works celebrate aloneness, and many around us feel alone.

Kaul, Divyaprakash Dubey, and Satyajit are from the popular culture of nayi wali Hindi writers.

While tools and means of communication have risen, people are communicating less. There are multiple routes or ways of expressing your feelings, thoughts and emotions, for instance, Facebook questions as soon as you log in, ‘What’s on your mind?’ But the mind only has emojis!

Our communication has turned short, making people feel lonely. Today, the generation is turning emotionally blank, and nobody is teaching them how to react. We all are living in an emotionally confused world right now. So, the more internal journey the writer takes us in, the more the writer’s works will sustain and the more it will last.

Caption literature and changing the presentation of story-telling will also change the language. Do you think that would justify the vast literature we have?

Literature is no different from language—they are interlinked, intertwined with each other. Every language has its literature and vice versa, yet, they are different.

Gujarati literature once had the “Pandit Yug” where characters would use words like mahra (માહરા), tamhara (તમહારા), aaj maharah mahra uddhaar ma (આજ મહારાજ માહરા ઉધ્ધાર મા), uge chhe surkhi bhari ravi (ઉગે છે સુરખી ભરી રવિ) —to converse.

At that time to understand what the characters spoke in the story, the readers ought to understand the play of words and the sheer richness of it used to converse in everyday life. One had to have the knowledge and skill of how to use the language to get the work done. Communication did not matter at all.

And because it was Pandit yug, pandits or sages wrote books, who wanted their readers to be pandits too! By which I mean, their readers had to become devotees of Gujarati literature and be well equipped to acquire, understand and take within them Gujarati writings of that era.

Then Mahatma Gandhi gave a diktat to creators of Gujarati literature, “Litterateurs should write in a language understood by all–the common individual walking on the street or working in your house, a vegetable vendor, your laundryman, et al.” This bar, set by Gandhiji impacted writers from Kakasaheb Kalelkar to Swami Anand. Every writer started writing in this language and this was the Gandhi Yug of Gujarati Sahitya—the time and era when literature became easy to read and understand and was available to all. Soon, Gujarati literature got writers who started writing on everyday topics.

Novels written by Saraswatichandra or Govardhan Tripathi were perhaps not relatable to a lady selling vegetables on the street sweeper, as words were heavy, sounded poetic and difficult to decipher. It sounded and felt like living in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film!

But when Pannalal Patel wrote Manvi ni Bhavai (માનવી ની ભવાઈ), Malela Jeev (મળેલા જીવ ) or when Zaverchand Meghani and Chunilal Madia wrote stories in the Gandhi yug, it reached everyone. All the stories written by Gaurishankar Joshi, AKA Dhumketu, are the most magical, as the characters are easily relatable. Slowly, literature made sense, and people realised that their everyday lives could also be a part of Gujarati literature.

માનવી ની ભવાઈ written by Pannalal Patel

Then came Ramesh Parekh, a golden chapter perhaps in Gujarati literature who gave us poetries that read ek chokri na haat ma thi rumaal pade, ane jova gaam aakhu tole pade (એક છોકરી ના હાથ મા થી રૂમાલ પડે અને જોવા ગામ આખું તોલે પડે ). Similarly, Balmukund Dave wrote in a language that was easy and very close to folk songs (lok geet). People could relate to poetries and feelings attached to words. I am not a poet and I am telling this purely based on what I have read so far. The genre is huge and my reading in that genre is limited.

Then came the 80s, the time for modern manuscripts, when the likes of Suresh Joshi, who were impressed by western literature and were happy with their terms and theories, started contributing to Gujarati literature. Western literature was their first choice, but soon modern literature made a deadly discovery. Writers decided to write, irrespective of whether or not their readers understood their works because writers wanted readers to read as much as possible. It gave rise to a different kind of competition on who will show their scholarly prowess! Who can write the difficult work of all time? It gave rise to different types of literary works, and readers became less interested, for they thought that this kind of work was perhaps not meant for them. But they never left Gujarati literature, all because of Chunilal Madia, Zaverchand Meghani, Pannalal Patel, Kanhaiyalal Munshi, Gunvantrai Acharya, and others. The new writers kept fiction writing alive.

Literature is a reflection of the times and era we live in. My first book, “Mahotu” written in 2012-13, is a collection of 14 stories, seven each, in rural and urban areas. All the stories connected with my readers instantly, for their conversations centred on current time and location. Your audience should not be confused between 1922 and 2022. I believe and assert that sahitya samaj nu ane samay nu dastavej chhe (a literature is a reflection of the time and society we live in). It is the writer’s responsibility to be aware of the language and background he or she represents.

What’s your take on the use of English words in Gujarati literature?

Currently, creative liberty is the thing, so every writer to their own! Then there is kavi karma, sarjan karma, varta karma—where every writer jumps on the bandwagon on their terms and conditions. Fine, go ahead, but here I would like to quote poet Manilal H Patel, “લેખક લખવાનું કામ કરે છે, વાચક વાંચવાનું કામ કરે છે અને ત્રીજો કામ કરે છે કાળ નો ઘંટલો. એટલુંજ કશે, જે એ સમય ની માંગ હશે (In other words, a writer writes, a reader reads only time will decide what shall stay and what shall perish.)

Does literature lose its sheen?

There is no way one can save literature. Priyakant Parikh, a writer, wrote 100 novels, but I doubt if any readers would remember even five names. There will be attempts to save such forms of literature, but then who are its readers? I believe every story has an energy that attracts readers. When you are reading, perhaps somewhere you feel it is your story, or you are living the life. At some point when readers connect to the story, those stories live the longest. Literature with several long windows and doors can have a longer shelf life.

This interview was conducted for GLF by Kinjal Shah

My husband Vikrant Pande is a translator, and he started somewhere in 2012-13, but only Marathi to English. Now he has authored two books of his own apart from his translations. My upbringing in Bihar has helped me have a good command of Hindi. I think in Hindi instead of my mother tongue Tamil. So for me, my language is Hindi.

If you know about “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom, it was adapted into Marathi as a play titled ‘Wah Guru’ (वाह गुरु), and I translated it from Marathi to Hindi as ‘Har Guruvaar’ (हर गुरुवार). That further gave me the confidence that this is something I can do. And Kane was in an Indie group together with me. So, when her book Sita’s Sister was released, I messaged her about the translation and she agreed to it. Then I did a few sample chapters and sent them to a few publishers. Rupa liked it, and soon, things picked up.

Neither had I planned anything nor have I had any formal training in translation but living across several states—Bihar, UP, Karnataka, Gujarat—gave me scope to learn the local language that is helping me now. I stayed 15 years in Karnataka, and I know Kannada very well. I am comfortable with seven languages but work with four. I understand and can reasonably speak good Kannada, Gujarati and Bengali languages.

My reading habits as a child—Tamil and Hindi literature—have also added to my language proficiency. But a lot of English translation is because of my Cambridge English training–I am an examiner. Bringing precision into language, keeping it as tight and compact as possible and using idioms in my work—are some of the many things I learned during my training, which come in handy now.

How do you handle statements, words or scenes of a book you don’t understand? Do you establish a rapport with the author?

I often send an email to the author to clear my doubts. But if it’s a factual doubt, I either read up the entire history of the characters or underline it and ask the author about it.

In translation, the original author does not have much say. Not all authors are fluent in all languages their books get translated in. It is, therefore, between the editor and the publisher to decide if the translation is worth publishing or not.

Some authors are particular. Like when I did Kaajal Oza Vaidya’s ‘Krishnayan’, I sent her a sample chapter. The first time, Bhawana Somaaya translated the book, it wasn’t up to the mark, and the books had to be pulled back from the market. For Kaajal’s book, the same devotion was required in the translation as her. The translated version was a huge hit!

I have just translated Joint CP Law and Order of Mumbai Vishwas Nangare Patil’s book ‘Kar Har Maidaan Fateh’ from Marathi into English titled ‘Win all your Battles’. It will be published by HarperCollins. He was keen to receive the entire manuscript as there were a lot of technicalities to be looked into, names and designations, to avoid legal issues as well, and more. He went through the entire manuscript and suggested changes wherever required. So, it is different with different genres of books and authors.

Joint CP Law and Order of Mumbai Vishwas Nangare Patil

How do you immerse yourself in words that were perceived differently by the author?

Last two years, the pandemic put a halt to my corporate training assignments, my work as an examiner in colleges and my travelling plans. I work six hours a day, and I work on two books at a time. Like right now, I am working on Kaajal Oza Vaidya’s “Madhyabindu” (મધ્યબિંદુ), and I am also working on a Tamil book by Sivasankari. This is the eighth book of hers that I am translating.

Two different genres, two different languages, two different authors—so, I divide my day—in the morning, I do one language, and in the afternoon, I do the second language. Many times you get saturated working on one language or genre. In this way, I can break the monotony.

Translation work is about creating what the author has written but in a different language. My creative liberties are limited–I have to work in a set framework set by the author, but my challenge is to translate words, emotions, feelings and everything in between. I am equally or perhaps more involved in the story than the author is because they are writing in a flow of thoughts, but I am writing in a different language, and I have to find the right word or phrase to justify what the author has written. I should be able to put myself in the author’s mind when translating.

I also chose the genre I am interested in because I believe one should be comfortable in the genre and language when sitting or deciding to translate. This helps me to be absorbed and involved in the work I do.

What differentiates an average translator from a good one, or there is nothing like an average translator? Your take.

It is not the translator but the product which is exceptional or mediocre. The reason could be that the genre which is not suitable for the translator. There are situations or passages in the book that do not read well, perhaps because the book is not of the genre you are comfortable with, the language is tough for you or the topic is not of interest to you. Even your frame of mind at the time of translation impacts the quality of your work. I feel that transliteration does not work and should be avoided.

It depends on how much of your mind you put to get the same feeling as felt in the original language. These are calls you have to take as a translator.

I do a lot of work for Storytel, an audio and Ebook company. While working on audiobooks I have to ensure that the sentences are short and crisp because the attention span while listening to a text is low.

What drew you to translation? How many words on an average per day do you work upon?

I do about 2,500 words per day, and it could be multiple languages or the same book. That makes it roughly about 50,000 words a month, equivalent to a book of medium-sized, per month. This is possible only if you enjoy translation.

It is a mentally challenging job and I am exhausted at the end of six hours because I am mentally saturated. Hence it is important to work on different genres of books and explore other media like audiobooks, Ebooks and subtitling projects.

Books to look out for in 2022

Another book is ‘Yudh Jeevanche’ in Marathi, and the English working title is ‘History of biological and chemical warfare’ by Girish Kuber.

Recently, I completed a 54-part series for Storytel called ‘Dev, Danaav ani Maanav’ in Marathi–a story based on the beginning of creation from the Hindu philosophical aspect, and it goes on till the beginning of Mahabharata.

I am at my table every day!

This interview was conducted for GLF by Kinjal Shah

Today, there are many contemporary words used by us but neither the language has an immediate rendering for every new word spoken around us nor does every word require translation. One needs to understand that language is fluid and very democratic; only people can decide whether it’s Gujarati or not. In the contemporary world, a writer’s language need not always have a translated version. Language is fluid and should be treated that way.

What’s your take on the use of English words in Gujarati poetries, ghazals, shayaris, et al? 

Well, I am a very small person to say anything but personally, I don’t like when English words are used in Gujarati poems, shers or ghazals. That should be purely in Gujarati. I feel it is pointless!

There are 90% chances that the use of English words in one’s poetic form of writing is because the individual is lazy. A slight push to yourself or if you work hard then you are likely to find the most relevant translation for your words. Again, while language is fluid and I stand by what I said earlier, these forms of writing have emotions that need to be penned in a particular manner.

If it’s a play, story or something else, then it will depend on the form or type of the long-form writing you do. For instance, the play I wrote “Gamti Vaat” is contemporary in every way but it is also fighting for the purity of words. I am not shunning the use of English words, but certain topics are dealt with in a certain manner, like the way I have written the play, which was an inclusive form of writing. I have tried my best to stick to the Gujarati language as much as possible.

Has the changing Gujarati language changed the way millennials or audiences, in general, perceive Gujarati literature?

Yes, definitely the way Gujarati literature is perceived by the millennials has changed. But it’s not changed through the change in the Gujarati language. Rather, I would say, it has been majorly affected by ultra-digital and ‘modern’ lifestyles lived by millennials.

The digital world demands one to be truly cosmopolitan and to achieve that the newer generation often misses romanticising their Gujarati culture and language. So the change is there, but change is not caused by the changing Gujarati literature.

Your take on Gujarati films?

Honestly, I am not a film man! But yes, I do have a question about the writers or makers of these films—why are your titles written in Roman?

For instance, any film from the south of India will have titles also written in the same language. But in Gujarati films, the title of the film is written in Roman or Guj-lish as it’s known today. I am okay with the English translation but the poster should have its titles in Gujarati ONLY!

The interview was conducted for GLF by Kinjal Shah

Nanda, baby Natasha and Pannalal at Natasha’s first birthday

It even took time for Natasha to let go of her belief in science and have faith in the Almighty. “It was during my pregnancy,” said Natasha. She continued, “Doctors advised bed rest and asked me to be prepared for the worst. My grandfather Gattu believed in Mother Mira, from Pondicherry. And because her photo was in our house, I would, as a ritual, light a diya at the foot of the frame. But this ritual turned into my life’s turning point.”

As soon as the doctors gave their verdict, Natasha thought of Gattu, and like him, she left it all on the almighty and the Divine Mother from Pondicherry. Natasha stayed calm and trusted in the Divine Mother. She was going to have the baby, and she did! “My son came after a full term, weighing 3.5 kgs, which I don’t think would have happened without me knowing Gattu’s story and his recovery (Pannalal was diagnosed with TB and repeated medications and treatments did not give me the relief. Till he visited Ashram and the Divine Mother from Pondicherry and submitted himself to his faith on the Divine Mother’s blessings),” she said.

Gattu’s relationship with Hira Maa, his mother, his unconditional love for her and Hira Maa’s sole focus of life on her children have helped Natasha strengthen her ties right from birth with her son Kabir. “Even Vali Maa, my grandmother, dedicated her life to her children,” said Natasha.

Pannalal’s family photo: (From left to right): Usha (elder daughter),
Vali baa, Arvind (elder son), Baby Yash with Arvind, Pannalal holding
Baby Natasha, Nanda (younger daughter), Bharat (younger son) and

Sarla (elder daughter-in-law)

Today Natasha lives her life as per Divine Mother’s blessings, just like Pannalal. She has surrendered to her. “I don’t use my intellectual mind anymore. It was faith and the Divine Mother who brought me to Reshma Jain who is the editor of my book, at the right time. Reshma too got attached to Gattu’s story and came on board. I am sure the book will find its course, this is how Pannalal thought and I have learned this from him,” said Natasha.

About the artwork:

The multi-faceted Priya Pereira designed the book and the artwork on its cover page. As per Natasha, it was an intuitive connection—from Pannalal Patel’s lowest point in life, when he had to pick up the broom–to penning his first article in PhoolChhab. His literary writing changed his life for good.

About the film “Uljhan”:

The 1942 film ‘Uljhan’, was based on Pannalal Patel’s book Malela Jeev. Natasha had seen the film as a teen. She has mentioned the film and her grandfather’s struggles behind the film in the book in Chapter 9, Bombay Diaries.