Kafka- 3

For Kafka, words were like a window. Window to allow fresh light and air into his darkened room. Window to peep into the world. Window to observe what the world is doing. Window as a solace in the chaotic world. Window to look at the complexities of the moving world. Window to stop by and think.

Reading Kafka gives you the pleasure of sitting by the window in solitude to observe the crowd outside.

Reading Kafka is like sitting by the window in twilight with a strange, serene, faint yellowish melancholy around.

Kafka- 2

Generalised statements should be avoided while talking about Kafka.

Kafka is a puzzle, which can be solved in infinite number of ways. But, probably no way leads to the ultimate solution. No way can claim that, it is the only right way. There is nothing right or wrong in Kafka. Kafka is The Truth. This Truth is the beauty of Kafka's literature.

Truth is difficult to accept. Truth is difficult to face. Truth is difficult to move forward with. Truth is sometimes horrifying. And when hypocrisy is the only thing roaming around, in the market of the world, Truth is the most neglected thing. But still, Truth remains, so remains Kafka and his literature.

Somebody may question, "Why truth is so difficult?"

It is difficult to answer, because the question per se is a Truth.
In the same way, somebody may question, "Why Kafka is so difficult?"

Barrister Aniruddha Dhopeshwarkar

One of the Bhau Padhye's masterpieces, 'Barrister Aniruddha Dhopeshwarkar' (In Marathi: बॅरिस्टर अनिरुद्ध धोपेश्वरकर) talks about the life of a barrister residing in Mumbai who leaves his failed career to do NOTHING. Bhau Padhye describes the 'lifelessness' that the protaganist of the story finds in his metropolitan life. Barrister Aniruddha Dhopeshwarkar, bored with his married life, irritated by the hypocritical attitudes of the people around, is haunted with the question- 'Why do I exist?'. Bhau Padhye, the master when it comes to describing metropolitan life, was one of the few Marathi writers who wrote about contemporary issues without running away from the reality.

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Picture: Front cover of 'Barrister Aniruddha Dhopeshwarkar', published by Popular Prakashan, Mumbai.

For an article about Bhau Padhye's literature and translations of few of his writings, visit following link-
Bhau Padhye- the unsung 'voice' of Mumbai (by Jayant Deshpande)

A paper, A pen, Words and Zero

There is a paper... There is a pen... There are words... and there is Zero who wants to write.
But, why does Zero write,
when Zero can not use the words he wants to use,
when nobody wants to read what Zero writes,
when Zero's language is used to spread hypocricy,
when Zero can not stop hypocrites from killing his language.
Why does Zero write?
Probably, he knows he is a zero,
So, he writes on the paper with the pen in the words that come to his mind.

Bhau Padhye- 1

Bhau Padhye does not deserve such a brief note. But what else can a creature like me do than to write a small blog-post about this great Marathi writer of 20th century.
Bhau Padhye captured the most possible subtle aspects of the vibrant life in Mumbai, giving every subtlety a fair chance to play its role. His fiction reflects Mumbai lamenting for its filthyness... Mumbai crying for help... Mumbai giggling in the chaos... Mumbai moving on varied layers.
Bhau Padhye's characters speak the language which they are comfortable with and not the language which will comfort the readers. His narrative style absorbs the language that conveys the meaning that he tries to convey through his characters.
Bhau Padhye's Mumbai symbolises life itself. His writings picture the reality of life giving every colour its deserving place.
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Bhau Padhye's Page on Wikipedia
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Picture: Front cover of the book 'Bhau Padhye Yaanchee Shreshth Kathaa', A collection of Bhau Padhye's stories, Edited by Dilip Purushottam Chitre, Published by Lokvaangmay Gruha, Mumbai.