Kitne Chohare By Phanishwar Nath 'Renu

 

कितने चौराहे-फणीश्वर नाथ रेणु

Cover designed by deo Prakash Choudhary

Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Phanishwar Nath 'Renu' (फणीश्‍वर नाथ रेणु) (March 4, 1921 – April 11, 1977) was one of the most successful and influential writers of modern Hindi literature in the post-Premchand era. He is the author of Maila Anchal, which after Premchand's Godaan, is regarded as the most significant Hindi novel.

  

Phanishwar Nath 'Renu' is best known for promoting the voice of the contemporary rural India through the genre of 'Aanchalik Upanyas' (Regional Story), and is placed amongst the pioneering Hindi writers who brought regional voices into the mainstream Hindi literature.

  

His short story Maare Gaye Gulfam was adapted into a film Teesri Kasam (The Third Vow), by Basu Bhattacharya (produced by the poet-lyricist Shailendra) in 1966 for which he also wrote the dialogues  Later his short story Panchlight (Petromax) was made into a TV short film.

The intimacy in writing brought to the reader with use of local flavor of Hindi in contrast to Khari Boli Hindi was entirely new literary experience.

His very first novel which is also considered his masterpiece, Maila Anchal (The Soiled Linen, 1954), was a social novel that depicted the life of rural Bihar and its people, especially the backward and the deprived. He was subsequently awarded one of India's highest civilian honours, the Padma Sri in 1970.

Later during Jayaprakash Narayan Andolan, he gave up his award in solidarity. His short story Panchlight (Petromax) is beautiful in its depiction of human behavior. One can find many parallels between his and Premchand's writings.

Curiously, Katihar railway station figures in many of his writings.

He wrote descriptive prose with rapid character building. He would then go about reflecting on his characters and backgrounds from every angle. Ek Aadim Ratri Ki Mehak which is straight forward story with touchy ending, is one example his unending need for exploring pristine emotions of his characters.

Novels

     Maila Anchal

    Parti Parikatha,

    Juloos

    Deerghtapa

    Kitne Chaurahe

    Paltu Babu Road

    Kalank Mukti

Others/Reportage

    Rindjal Dhanjal

    Van Tulsi ki gandh

    Shrut Ashrut Purva

    Totapur

     Nepali Kranti Katha

    Shruth Asruth purve

    Pahli kranti katha