Vishnu Prabhakar
Encyclopedia
Vishnu Prabhakar (June 21, 1912 – April 11, 2009) was a Hindi
writer. He had several short stories, novels, plays and travelogues to his credit. Prabhakar's works have elements of patriotism, nationalism and messages of social upliftment.
He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award
in 1993, Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award
in 1995 and the Padma Bhushan
(the third highest civilian honor of India) by the Government of India
in 2004.
village of Muzaffarnagar
district in Uttar Pradesh
. His father, Durga Prasad, was a religious person who kept himself untouched by modern times. His mother, Mahadevi, was the first well-educated lady of the family who dared to reject the 'Parda Pratha' of the traditional Hindu families. Prabhakar stayed in Mirapur until the age of twelve, completing his primary education. His mother sent him to his maternal uncle in Hisar, which was in the Punjab
and now is located in the Haryana
state. There he completed his matriculation at the age of sixteen in 1929.
He wanted to pursue higher education but owing to financial situation in his family at Mirapur, he had to find a job. Through the efforts of his maternal uncle he joined the government service. It was a fourth-class job and his salary was eighteen Rupee
per month. He kept his studies going along with his work, and obtained degrees of Prabhakar and Hindi Bhushana in Hindi
, Pragya in Sanskrit
and B.A. in English.
Along with his work he pursued an interest in literature. He also joined a Natak
company in Hissar. His literary life started with the publication of his first story Diwali in the Hindi Milap in 1931. He wrote Hatya Ke Baad, his first play in 1939. Eventually he began writing as a full time career. He stayed with the family of his maternal uncle until the age of twenty seven. He married Sushila Prabhakar in 1938 who stayed as an inspiration source for his literature until her death in 1980.
After Indian Independence he worked as a drama director, from September 1955 to March 1957, in Akashvani, All India Radio
, New Delhi
. He made news when in 2005 he threatened to return his Padma Bhushan
award after he allegedly had to face misconduct at Rashtrapati Bhavan
.
Vishnu Prabhakar died at the age of 96, on the 11th April, 2009 after a brief illness in New Delhi. He was suffering from a heart problem and infection of the urinary tract. His wife, Sushila Prabhakar, had died in 1980. Prabhakar is survived by two sons and two daughters. His son Atul Prabhakar decided to donate his body to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
, New Delhi as his father's last wishes.
but later started following Sharatchandra. His works are said to be a mirror of modern Indian society.
Prabhakar's works concentrate on the problems of today's Indian society. In his drama, Tootate Parivesh, he writes about a modern family in which gaps between younger and older generation are increasing. His novel Koi To tells how corrupt politics has become in modern times.
Prabhakar was influenced by the principals of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi
. This can be seen in his writing very often. In some of his works, oppressed female characters talk like philosophers and even dacoits who usually are expected to have negative roles are full of humanitarian values. This is the reason why some critics labeled him as a Gandhian ideologist.
Prabhakar was also affected by foreign authors. He had studied Leo Tolstoy
, Thomas Hardy
, Charles Dickens
, O'Henry and O'Neill
in-depth. In an interview, he said that Tolstoy's War and Peace
had influenced him very much.
Prabhakar was very fond of traveling. He traveled for fourteen years continuously to collect material for his book - Aawara Masiha which is a biography of famous Bangla author, Sharatchandra. For this he had to visit all the places linked to Sharatchandra, even to Myanmar
(Burma). His love of travels also resulted in many travelogues.
Both Sahitya Akademi
and Padma Bhushan
awards were given for his novel Ardhanarishvara (The Androgynous God or Shiva
).
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
writer. He had several short stories, novels, plays and travelogues to his credit. Prabhakar's works have elements of patriotism, nationalism and messages of social upliftment.
He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in 1993, Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award is a literary honor in India which Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, , Ministry of Human Resource Development, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in Hindi Travel Literature...
in 1995 and the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
(the third highest civilian honor of India) by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 2004.
Life and career
Vishnu Prabhakar was born on the 21st of June 1912, in the MiranpurMiranpur
Miranpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Muzaffarnagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Miranpur is a noted for a temple of Jainism's twentieth Thirthankar Munisuvrata.-Demographics:...
village of Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar is a major city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was established in Mughal period by a Sayyid Jagirdar, Munawar Lashkar Ali, and so named in honour of his father, Muzaffar Ali Khan. It is the headquarters of the Muzaffarnagar district. It is a...
district in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. His father, Durga Prasad, was a religious person who kept himself untouched by modern times. His mother, Mahadevi, was the first well-educated lady of the family who dared to reject the 'Parda Pratha' of the traditional Hindu families. Prabhakar stayed in Mirapur until the age of twelve, completing his primary education. His mother sent him to his maternal uncle in Hisar, which was in the Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
and now is located in the Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
state. There he completed his matriculation at the age of sixteen in 1929.
He wanted to pursue higher education but owing to financial situation in his family at Mirapur, he had to find a job. Through the efforts of his maternal uncle he joined the government service. It was a fourth-class job and his salary was eighteen Rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
per month. He kept his studies going along with his work, and obtained degrees of Prabhakar and Hindi Bhushana in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Pragya in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and B.A. in English.
Along with his work he pursued an interest in literature. He also joined a Natak
Natak
Natak is a 1975 Bollywood film directed by Sohanlal Kanwar. The film stars Vijay Arora and Moushumi Chatterjee....
company in Hissar. His literary life started with the publication of his first story Diwali in the Hindi Milap in 1931. He wrote Hatya Ke Baad, his first play in 1939. Eventually he began writing as a full time career. He stayed with the family of his maternal uncle until the age of twenty seven. He married Sushila Prabhakar in 1938 who stayed as an inspiration source for his literature until her death in 1980.
After Indian Independence he worked as a drama director, from September 1955 to March 1957, in Akashvani, All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He made news when in 2005 he threatened to return his Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
award after he allegedly had to face misconduct at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan or The Official Residence of the Head of the State is the official residence of the President of India, located at Raisina hill in New Delhi, India. Until 1950 it was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India...
.
Vishnu Prabhakar died at the age of 96, on the 11th April, 2009 after a brief illness in New Delhi. He was suffering from a heart problem and infection of the urinary tract. His wife, Sushila Prabhakar, had died in 1980. Prabhakar is survived by two sons and two daughters. His son Atul Prabhakar decided to donate his body to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences is a premier medical college and teaching hospital based in New Delhi, India. The Institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ....
, New Delhi as his father's last wishes.
How he became 'Prabhakar'
He became 'Vishnu Prabhakar' from 'Vishnu'; his name was listed as 'Vishnu Dayal' in the primary school of Mirapur. In the Arya Samaj school, on being asked the 'Varna', he answered - 'Vaishya'. The teacher put down his name as 'Vishnu Gupta'. When he joined government service, the officers changed his name to 'Vishnu Dharmadutt' because there were many 'Guptas' in the office and it confused the officers. He continued writing by the pen name of 'Vishnu'. Once an editor asked, "Why do you use such a short name? Have you passed any examination?" Vishnu answered that he had passed 'Prabhakar' examination in Hindi. Thus the editor appended Prabhakar to his name making it 'Vishnu Prabhakar'.Writing Style
Although mainly a story writer, Vishnu Prabhakar has written in almost all the genres of literature including poetry. Collection of his poems titled "chalta Chala Jaonga" was published posthumously in the year 2010. He did not let himself limit to any special school of thought and it is reflected in his vast variety of works.'Aawara Masiha', biography of Sharat Chandra Chatterjee and 'Ardhnarishwar',however remain the most awarded and widely acclaimed of his works. He was initially influenced by Munshi PremchandMunshi Premchand
Munshi Premchand , was a famous writer of modern Hindi-Urdu literature. He is generally recognized in India as the foremost Hindi-Urdu writer of the early twentieth century...
but later started following Sharatchandra. His works are said to be a mirror of modern Indian society.
Prabhakar's works concentrate on the problems of today's Indian society. In his drama, Tootate Parivesh, he writes about a modern family in which gaps between younger and older generation are increasing. His novel Koi To tells how corrupt politics has become in modern times.
Prabhakar was influenced by the principals of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. This can be seen in his writing very often. In some of his works, oppressed female characters talk like philosophers and even dacoits who usually are expected to have negative roles are full of humanitarian values. This is the reason why some critics labeled him as a Gandhian ideologist.
Prabhakar was also affected by foreign authors. He had studied Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
, Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, O'Henry and O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
in-depth. In an interview, he said that Tolstoy's War and Peace
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
had influenced him very much.
Prabhakar was very fond of traveling. He traveled for fourteen years continuously to collect material for his book - Aawara Masiha which is a biography of famous Bangla author, Sharatchandra. For this he had to visit all the places linked to Sharatchandra, even to Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma). His love of travels also resulted in many travelogues.
Novels
- Dhalti Raat, 1951
- Nishikant, 1955
- Tat Ke Bandhan, 1955
- Swapnmayi, 1956
- Darpan Ka Vyakti, 1968
- Parchhai, 1968
- Koi To, 1980
- Ardhnarishwar, 1992
Story Collections
- Ek Kahani Ka Janam (एक कहानी का जन्म) (Collection of his Love Stories), 2008
- Aadi Aur Ant, 1945
- Rehman Ka Beta, 1947
- Zindagi Ke Thapede, 1952
- Sangharsh Ke Baad, 1953
- Dharti Ab Bhi Ghoom Rahi Hai, 1959
- Safar Ke Saathi, 1960
- Khandit Pooja, 1960
- Sanche Aur Kala, 1962
- Meri Tentis Kahaniya, 1967
- Meri Priya Kahaniya, 1970
- Pul Tootne Se Pehle, 1977,
- Mera Watan (मेरा वतन), 1980,
- Meri Lokpriya Kahaniya, 1981
- Khilone, 1981
- Aapki Kripa (Short Stories), 1982
- Meri Kahaniya, 1984
- Meri Kathayatra, 1984
- Ek Aur Kunti, 1985
- Zindagi Ek Rehearsal, 1986
- ;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Plays
- Naprabhat, 1951
- Samaadhi (Gaandhar Ki Bhikshuni), 1952
- Doctor, 1961
- Yuge-Yuge Kranti, 1969
- Toot-te Parivesh, 1974
- Kuhaasa Aur Kiran, 1975
- Tagar, 1977
- Bandini(बंदिनी), 1979
- Satta Ke Aar-Paar, 1981
- Ab Aur Nahin, 1981
- Shwet Kamal, 1984
- Keral Ka Krantikari, 1987
- Vishnu Prabhkar : Sampurna Natak (Part-1,2,3), 1987
Biographies - Memoirs
- Jaane Anjaane, 1961
- Kuchh Shabd : Kuchh Rekhaayen, 1965
- Aawara Masiha, 1974
- Amar Shahid Bhagat Singh, 1976
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, 1976
- Yadaun Ki Teerthyatra, 1981
- Shuchi Smita, 1982
- Mere Agraj : Mere Meet, 1983
- Samantar Rekhaayen, 1984
- Hum Inke Rini Hain, 1984
- Mere Humsafar, 1985
- Rah Chalte-Chalte, 1985
- Kaka Kalelkar, 1985
Children's Literature
- Mote Lal, 1955
- Kunti Ke Bete, 1958
- Ramu Ki Holi, 1959
- Dada Ki Kachehari, 1959
- Sharachandra, 1959
- Jab Didi Bhoot Bani, 1960
- Jeevan Parag, 1963
- Bankimchandra, 1968
- Abhinav Ekanki, 1968
- Abhinay Ekanki, 1969
- Swaraj Ki Kahani, 1971
- Hadtaal, 1972
- Jaadu Ki Gaay, 1972
- Ghamand Ka Phal, 1973
- Nutan Baal Ekanki, 1975
- Heere Ki Pehchaan, 1976
- Motiyon Ki Kheti, 1976
- Paap Ka Ghada, 1976
- Gudiya Kho Gayi, 1977
- Aise-Aise, 1978
- Tapovan Ki Kahaniyan
- Pahad Chade Gajanand Lal, 1981
- Balvarsha Zindabad, 1981
- Khoya Hua Ratan (खोया हुआ रत्न), 2008
- Pustak Keet
Miscellaneous
- Baapu Ki Batein, 1954
- Hajrat Umar, 1955
- Badrinath, 1955
- Kasturba Gandhi, 1955
- Aise Thai Sardar, 1957
- Ha-Du-Al Rashid, 1957
- Hamare Padosi, 1957
- Man Ke Jeete Jeet, 1957
- Murabbi, 1957
- Kumhar Ki Beti, 1957
- Baajiprabhu Deshpande, 1957
- Shankracharya, 1959
- Yamuna Ki Kahani, 1960
- Ravindranath Thakur, 1961
- Pehla Sukh : Nirogi Kaya, 1963
- Main Achhoot Hoon, 1968
- Ek Desh : Ek Hridaya, 1973
- Manav Adhikar
- Nagarikta Ki Aur
Others
- Plays: Prakash aur Parchhaiyan, Barah Ekanki, Ashok
- संस्मरण: हमसफ़र मिलते रहे
Awards and honours
- Sahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
, 1993 - Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan AwardMahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan AwardMahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award is a literary honor in India which Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, , Ministry of Human Resource Development, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in Hindi Travel Literature...
, 1995 - Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
, 2004
Both Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
and Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
awards were given for his novel Ardhanarishvara (The Androgynous God or Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
).
Sources
- Sandhya Singh (Editor) 2004. Sanvaad Part 2, NCERT, New Delhi