Critics view about Munsi Premchand
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Munshi Premchand, whose 135th birth anniversary was on July 31, aimed to take the average middle-class reader from a state of ennui and indifference to a state of enlightenment
Upanyas samrat (master novelist) — that’s how Munshi Premchand, whose 135th birth anniversary was on July 31, is known in modern Hindi literature. His patois consisted of a delicious combination of Urdu and Hindi (Urdu- mishrit-Hindi, as critics call it), expressed in a form that even an unlettered person could easily relate to. A socialist, feminist, progressive intellectual much before these terms acquired their modern definitions, Premchand believed in championing the cause of the marginalised — like peasants, widows, prostitutes — through his writing. His oeuvre —14 novels and 300 short stories — established his reputation as a genius. His reflections in the form of numerous essays provide a glimpse into the mind of the master-wordsmith.
Since his rather premature death at 56, Premchand’s work has acquired greater significance. His novels like Godan and Gaban have achieved cult status and his short stories like ‘ Iddgah’, ‘ Do Bailon ki Katha’ and ‘ Shatranj ke Khiladi’ are an essential part of curriculum in schools and colleges. Much of it has been read, admired and appreciated even by those who have only a cursory interest in Hindi literature. His works have been adapted for screen, including by Satyajit Ray. What has, perhaps, not found as much appreciation is his disquisitions, especially the ones in which he explains his art, his philosophy, his weltanschauung.
Active in the early decades of