Krishan Chander

Krishan Chander (23 November 1914 – 8 March 1977) was an Indian Urdu and Hindi writer of short stories and novels. He also worked on English. He was a prolific writer, penning over 20 novels, 30 collections of short stories and scores of radio plays in Urdu, and later, after partition of the country, took to writing in Hindi as well. He also wrote screen-plays for Bollywood movies to supplement his meagre income as an author of satirical stories. Krishan Chander's novels (including the classic : Ek Gadhe Ki Sarguzasht, trans. Autobiography of a Donkey) have been translated into over 16 Indian languages and some foreign languages, including English.

Krishan Chander Chopra
Krishan Chander on a 2017 stamp of India
Born(1914-11-23)23 November 1914
Bharatpur, Rajputana, British India
(now in Rajasthan, India)
Died8 March 1977(1977-03-08) (aged 62)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Alma materForman Christian College
OccupationWriter
Spouse(s)Vidyawati Chopra and Salma Siddiqui

His short story "Annadata" (trans: The Giver of Grain – an obsequious appellation used by Indian peasants for their feudal land-owners), was made into the film Dharti Ke Lal (1946) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas – which led to his being offered work regularly as a screenwriter by Bollywood, including such populist hits as Mamta (1966) and Sharafat (1970). He wrote his film scripts in Urdu.[1]

Early life and education

Chander was born in Bharatpur, Rajasthan where his father worked as a doctor.[2] The family originally belonged to Wazirabad District Gujranwala, of undivided Punjab, British India. Chander spent his childhood in Poonch, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, where his father worked as the physician of Maharaja Poonch.[3] His novel Shakast (Defeat) is related to Kashmir's partition. Mitti Ke Sanam one of his most popular novel is about the childhood memories of a young boy who lived with his parents in Kashmir. His another memorable novel is "Gaddar", which is about the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. In this novel, he brilliantly picturised the sufferings of the people during that time through a selfish young man's feelings, who himself was a gaddar (betrayer). His short stories are the stories of Kashmiri villages, as well as those of displaced expatriates and rootless urban man. He used Pahari (dialect of people living in Poonch) words while writing in Urdu.

In the 1930s he studied at Forman Christian College and edited the English section of the college house magazine, and was at that time interested in English writings. As the then editor of the Urdu section of the magazine, Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi was instrumental to his career in having got published, in the year 1932, Chander's first Urdu short story, "Sadhu".[4]

Career

His literary masterpieces on the Bengal famine and the savagery and barbarism that took place at the time of the partition of India in 1947 are some of the finest specimens of modern Urdu literature, but at other times too he continued relentlessly to critique the abuse of power, poverty and the suffering of the wretched of the earth; but above all he never stopped protesting casteism, fanaticism, communal violence and terror. He was a humanist and a cosmopolitan.

Books written by Krishan Chander

He has been described as the "author of more than 100 books including novels, collections of short stories, plays, fantasies, satires, parodies, reportages, film-scripts and books for children",[5] which include:

Novels:

  1. jamun ka ped
  2. shikast
  3. Jab Khet Jagay
  4. Toofaan Ki KaliyaaN
  5. Dil Ki WaadiyaaN So GayiN
  6. Aasmaan Roushan Hai
  7. Bavan Patte
  8. Ek Gadhe Ki Sarguzasht
  9. Ek Aurat Hazaar Deewanay
  10. Ghaddar
  11. Jab Khet Jage
  12. Sarak Wapas Jaati Hai
  13. Dadar Pul Ke Neechay
  14. Barf Ke Phool
  15. Borban Club
  16. Meri Yaadon
Ke Chinaar
  1. Gadhay Ki Wapasi
  2. Chandi Ka Ghaao
  3. Ek Gadha Nefa Mein
  4. Hong Kong Ki Haseena
  5. Mitti Ke Sanam
  6. Zar GaoN Ki Raani
  7. Ek Voilon Samundar Ke Kinare
  8. Dard Ki Nahar
  9. London Ke Saat Rang
  10. Kaghaz Ki Naao
  11. Filmi Qaaida
  12. Panch Loafer
  13. Panch Loafer Ek Heroine
  14. Ganga Bahe Na Raat
  15. Dusri Barfbari Se Pahlay
  16. Gwalior Ka Hajjam
  17. Bambai Ki Sham
  18. Chanda Ki Chandni
  19. Ek Karor Ki Botal
  20. Maharani
  21. Pyar Ek Khushbu
  22. MasheenoN Ka Shahr
  23. Carnival
  24. Aayine Akelay Hain
  25. Chanbal Ki Chanbeli
  26. Uska Badan Mera Chaman
  27. Muhabbat Bhi Qayamat Bhi
  28. Sone Ka Sansaar
  29. SapnoN Ki Waadi
  30. Aadha Raasta
  31. Honolulu Ka Rajkumar
  32. SapnoN Ki Rahguzarein
  33. Footpath Ke Farishtay
  34. Aadhe Safar Ki Poori Kahani

Short Story Collection

  1. Tilism E Khayal
  2. Ekk Tawaef Ka Khat
  3. Nazaray
  4. Hawai Qilay
  5. Ghunghat Mein Gori Jalay
  6. Tootay Hue Taaray
  7. Zindagi Ke Mor Per
  8. Naghmay Ki Maut
  9. Purane Khuda
  10. Ann Daata
  11. Teeh Ghunday
  12. Hum Wahshi Hain
  13. Ajanta Se Aagay
  14. Ek Girja Ek Khandaq
  15. Samunder Door Hai
  16. Shikast Ke Baad
  17. Naye Ghulam
  18. Main Intezaar Karunga
  19. Mazaahiya Afsaanay
  20. Ek Rupiya Ek Phool
  21. Eucalyptus Ki Daali
  22. Hydrogen Bomb Ke Baad
  23. Naye Afsaanay
  24. Kaab Ka Kafan
  25. Dil Kisi Ka Dost Nahi
  26. Muskuraane Waaliyan
  27. Krishn Chander Ke Afsaanay
  28. Sapnon Ka Qaidi
  29. miss nanital
  30. DaswaaN Pul
  31. Gulshan Gulshan Dhundha Tujhko
  32. Aadhe Ghante Ka Khuda
  33. Uljhi Larki Kaalay Baal

Filmography

Death and legacy

Chander married Salma Siddiqui. He died working at his desk in Mumbai on 8 March 1977. He had just started to write a satirical essay entitled Adab baray-e-Batakh (Literature for a duck), and wrote just one line Noorani ko bachpan hi se paltoo janwaron ka shauq tha. Kabootar, bandar, rang barangi chiriyaan… (since childhood Noorani was fond of pet animals such as pigeons, monkeys, multi-coloured birds…) but before he could complete the sentence he succumbed to a massive heart attack.

A Fountain Park in [Poonch] City of J&K(India) has been renamed to Krishan Chander Park Poonch in his memory. His statue has also been erected in the middle of the garden.

Krishan Chander Chopra had married twice. His first wife was Vidyawati Chopra. They had total three children from the wedlock. Two daughters and one son.

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gollark: Here is your next ethical question. What do you do, as an ethics person who is ethical?
gollark: What is the most ethical thing to do in this situation?

References
  1. "Film World". Film World. T.M. Ramachandran. 10: 65. 1974. I feel that the Government should eradicate the age-old evil of certifying Urdu films as Hindi ones. It is a known fact that Urdu has been willingly accepted and used by the film industry. Two eminent Urdu writers Krishan Chander and Ismat Chughtai have said that "more than seventy-five per cent of films are made in Urdu." It is a pity that although Urdu is freely used in films, the producers in general mention the language of the film as "Hindi" in the application forms supplied by the Censor Board. It is a gross misrepresentation and unjust to the people who love Urdu.
  2. Ahmed, Ishtiaq (4 February 2014). "Centenary of Krishan Chander". Daily Times.
  3. Md Shahnawaz Khan Chandan (27 February 2015). "Remembrance: The Humanist Author". The Daily Star (Bangladesh).
  4. Malik Ram (1977). Zia Fatehabadi – Shakhs Aur Shair (in Urdu). Delhi: Ilmi Majlis. pp. 116–117.
  5. Advance, Volume 26 (1977), Public Relations, Punjab, p. 17
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