Kirjahaku

VA PU, A NAME FAMOUS NOT ONLY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF MAHARASHTRA BUT ALSO ALL OVER THE WORLD WHEREVER MARATHI IS KNOWN. THE IMAGE WHICH APPEARS BY DEFAULT WITH THIS NAME IS THAT OF A FRESH, HANDSOME, ENERGETIC STORYTELLER REFLECTING HIS STORIES. THE STORIES, THE AUTHOR AND THE TEAM PRESENTING THE STORIES ALL HAVE BLENDED TOGETHER PERFECTLY WELL. ALL THE CHARACTERS REPRESENT THE MIDDLECLASS MENTALITY OF PEOPLE FROM MUMBAI AND PUNE. IT HAS NO TOUCH OF RURAL LIFE OR MODERNIZATION AND THE PROBLEMS OCCURRING WITH THAT. IT DOES NOT REACH DEEP DOWN ITS INTERIOR TO HANDLE THE PAINS, YET IT HAS A PECULIAR STYLE, A NATURAL FRESHNESS. IT FINDS DEPTHS AND HUMOUR IN SIMPLE SUBJECTS. IT DOES NOT AVOID PAIN, BUT IS NOT VERY FOND OF IT. IT PRESENTS THE NORMAL MIND, NORMAL SET UP, NORMAL FEELINGS. IT MAKES US LAUGH AND FRESHENS US UP. IT MAKES US FORGET ABOUT OUR DAY TO DAY LIFE AND THE MEAGER PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH IT. THIS IS THE SECRET OF HIS WRITING, OF HIS SUCCESS FOR 23 BOOKS, CONSECUTIVELY. M.V.RAJADHYAKSHA

GERMINATE LIKE THE SEED AND GROW INTO A TREE. MERGE LIKE A DROP OR A WAVE AND BECOME LIKE THE OCEAN. DROWN MERGE CEASE TO EXIST SURRENDER YOURSELF COMPLETELY INTO THE SELF; LOSE YOUR DUALITY; THEN YOU WILL BECOME THE OCEAN BECOME VAST THERE WILL BE NO MORE BOUNDARIES, NO SORROW, AND NO PAIN. YOU WILL BE NEITHER POOR NOR MEEK. YOU WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED, WEALTHY, AND LIKE A KING. ALL DIVINE INCARNATIONS ARE YOUR REFLECTIONS. YOU ARE NO LONGER 'YOU'; YOU ARE GOD

THE NAME SUGGESTS THE FOUNDATION OF THE STORIES. THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION OF ONLY 8 STORIES BASED ON SOME WHIMSICAL CHARACTERS. EVERY MAIN CHARACTER IN ALL THESE STORIES HAS ONE THING IN COMMON. IN A TRUE SENSE, THEY ARE NOT WHIMSICAL; ACTUALLY THEY HAVE SET THEIR OWN DOCTRINES AND HAVE STUCK TO THEM, NO MATTER WHATEVER HAPPENS. IN ONE OF THE STORIES, THE HERO DIES JUST BECAUSE OF HIS DOCTRINES. THE OTHER STORY IS BASED ON THE MENTALITY OF BEING LAME; IT PROVES THAT MANY A TIMES THOSE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY DISABLED ARE MORE FIRM THAN THOSE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY CAPABLE OF DOING EVERYTHING BUT HAVE A LAME AND LIMP MIND. ONE STORY IS BASED ON THE INSECURITY; HERE THE HEROINE WHO HAD REFUSED SOMEONE WHOM SHE LOVED SO MUCH COMES INTO CONTACT WITH HIM AGAIN. SHE FEELS THAT HE WILL BLACKMAIL HER BUT FAILS TO UNDERSTAND HIM, AT THE END, THOUGH VERY BEAUTIFUL, HER INSECURE MIND SHOWS ITS UGLINESS. EACH AND EVERY STORY HAS SOME SPLENDID FELLING OR OTHER TO SHARE WITH US, TO REVEAL THE VASTNESS AND THE INSULARITY OF THE MIND.

STORY TELLING A NON-STOP PROCESS; ONE CANNOT TAKE A PAUSE IN BETWEEN. THE STORY-TELLER HAS TO KEEP THE SPECTATORS BUSY THROUGHOUT. HE HAS TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE FOR THEM, SO TRULY THAT THEY SHOULD FEEL THE EXISTENCE OF THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS APPEARING OR HAPPENING IN FRONT OF THEM; AND WHILE DOING SO, THE STORY-TELLER HAS TO DIPLOMATICALLY ACT AS IF HE IS MEETING THE PEOPLE OR WITNESSING THE EXPERIENCES FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE SHOULD NEVER LOSE THE FRESHNESS IN IT. STORY-TELLING IS AN ART. IT HAS TO BE EFFECTIVE, NARRATIVE AND FLOWING. THIS ART HAS TO BE PRACTICED VERY WELL. THIS PRESENT BOOK REVEALS THE HISTORY OF THIS ART ALONG WITH EXPLANATIONS AND ANALYSIS BY THE AUTHOR HIMSELF.

OUR DAILY LIFE IS FULL OF RAYS, IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY BIG EVENT OR A SERIOUS STRUGGLE OF ANY TYPE, THAT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM. OTHERWISE, OUR ROUTINE LIFE GOES ON AS IT IS. ACTUALLY, OUR MINDS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRAUMAS OF LIFE, BUT THEN WE COME ACROSS SOMEONE WHO SEES US THROUGH IT. BUT THIS VERY MIND SET OF OURS IS NOT AT ALL PREPARED FOR THE SMALL TRAUMAS IN DAYTODAY LIFE, WHICH ACTUALLY HAVE THE UTMOST POWER OF DISASTER. THEY ATTACK SEPARATELY WHILE WE ARE ALONE AND TAKE OUT LIVELINESS FROM OUR MIND AND SOUL. WE HAVE TO SUFFER ALONE, THERE IS NO ONE TO COME ALONG WITH US. A HUMAN MIND THUS ATTACKED, GETS TERRIBLY UPSET, HIS COURAGE FAILS HIM, HE THEN PAUSES FOR SOME TIME, RESTS FOR A WHILE AND ONCE AGAIN GATHERS HIS STRENGTH WITH NEW HOPE AND DESIRE. NO ONE NOTICES HIS TIREDNESS, NO ONE DETECTS HIS RECOVERING. HIS JOURNEY CONTINUES. EVERYONE HAS TO CONTINUE HIS OR HER OWN JOURNEY, SOMETIMES FALLING AND THEN GETTING UP, WITH A NEW HOPE EVERY TIME, WITH A GLANCE AT THE PAST OVER AND OVER, THE JOURNEY HAS TO BE CONTINUED. THIS IS A GLIMPSE OF SUCH SUFFERINGS, OF THOSE WALKING AND TRUDGING, BY YOU AND OF COURSE BY ME

"IT IS VERY TRUE THAT ALL THE STORIES BY VA PU ARE BASED COMPLETELY ON THE MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE, YET THESE STORIES ARE NOT ABOUT THE ROUTINE OF THIS CLASS, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT ASPECTS, VARIOUS DIMENSIONS. THEY GIVE WAY TO THE UNCOMMON MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS AND SORROW IN THE COMMON LIFE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE. VA PU HAS THE BLESSINGS TO WRITE THE STORIES WITH A TOUCH OF HUMOUR BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HIS TRAIN NEVER DERAILS ON THE TRACKS OF FRIVOLITY. HIS WRITING REFLECTS PATIENCE, IT IS NO WHERE LOUD. IT BRINGS SMILE ON THE LIPS AND HOPES IN THE HEARTS. IT GIVES IMPORTANCE TO THE ENTERTAINING ASPECT MORE THAN PAINFUL TORTURE. IT NEVER BECOMES CHEAP. THE AUTHOR HIMSELF HAS A VERSATILE PERSONALITY; THIS SAME IS PORTRAYED THROUGH HIS STORIES AVOIDING REPETITION. THE BEST STRENGTH OF HIS STORIES IS EACH STORY TOUCHES THE SOUL SOMEWHERE COMPELING THE READER TO INTROSPECT. PROF. SADA KARHADE: (LALITJULY 1976)

WHICH COLOURS ARE REVEALED THROUGH VA PU S STORIES? THE ANSWER IS ALL THE MAIN COLOUR IS THAT OF PAIN AND ANGUISH. IT ENGULFS THE READERS COMPLETELY. THE CHARACTERS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF THIS PAIN AND ANGUISH LINGER IN OUR MINDS MAKING US ASK OURSELVES A FEW QUESTIONS, JUDGING OURSELVES. HE DOES NOT WRITE SOMETHING OUT OF THE BLUE. HIS CHARACTERS, HIS INCIDENTS, HIS WRITING EVERY THING IS BASED ON THE HAPPENINGS IN HIS SURROUNDINGS, IN YOUR SURROUNDINGS, IN MY SURROUNDINGS. YET, IT IS THE SENSITIVITY OF HIS MIND THAT CAPTURES THIS HAPPENING AND PRESENTS THEM INTO THOSE MAGNIFICENT WAYS. THESE EVENTS ARE THE SAME THAT HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES TOO, YET WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THE GRANDEUR BEHIND THEM. WE FIND ALL THESE CHARACTERS CLOSE TO US AS WE OFTEN WITNESS THE REFLECTION OF THESE INCIDENTS IN OUR CLOSE VICINITY. VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WORDS TENDERLY AND EFFECTIVELY. VA PU IS ONE OF THOSE FEW LUCKY PEOPLE. HIS MIND DETECTS THE GERMINATING POWERS OF A MINUTE SEED AND THEN WITH IMMENSE CAPACITY AND PATIENCE HE GROWS A WONDERFUL STORY FROM THE SEED. HE HAS EXCELLENT COMMAND OVER PHILOSOPHY BUT DOES NOT IRRITATE US WITH ITS HIGH DOSES. ON THE CONTRARY, HE PRESENTS IT SO ARTISTICALLY THAT WE WELCOME IT INSTEAD OF RUNNING AWAY FROM IT; FOR A MOMENT OUR MIND PAUSES, PONDERS OVER HIS DOCTRINES OF HAPPY LIFE AND GIVES US A VERY POSITIVE ATTITUDE TO LEAD THIS OTHERWISE BORING AND MONOTONOUS LIFE OF A COMMON MAN.

WHAT HAS EXCLUSIVELY BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THE PLEASURE BOX, IS NOTICEABLE, THE LETTERS WHICH ARE FULL ONLY OF PRAISES, ARE NOT PUBLISHED, THIS IS NOT A TRUNK FULL OF LETTERS WISHING WELL-BEING, THIS IS A DIALOGUE, OF COURSE, SOME LINES DO RELATE TO OPENING STATEMENTS ENQUIRING ABOUT EACH OTHER. STILL, IT HAS TO BE KEPT IN MIND THAT THIS CORRESPONDENCE THROUGH LETTER HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH A PURPOSE. IT AIMS AT KNOWING THE LIKES AND DISLIKES OF EACH OTHER. YET, WE HAVE EDITED A LOT FROM EACH OF THE LETTER SENT BY THE READERS. AT TIMES, THE READERS ARE TOO ELABORATIVE WHILE PRAISING WHICH OFTEN MAKES THE RECEIVER AWKWARD. ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS HAMPERS THE DIALOGUES. THE LETTERS WHICH HELPED TO FURTHER ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WERE SELECTED.