HughStoate90988 at 16:49, 24 September 2024

2024-09-24T16:49:29Z

New page

{{Short description|2011 novel by M. Mukundan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Delhi Gadhakal<br>(Delhi: A Soliloquy)
| title_orig =
| translator = Fathima E. V., Nandakumar K.
| image = Delhi Gadhakal.jpg
| caption = First edition
| author = [[M. Mukundan]]
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = India
| language = Malayalam
| genre = [[Semi-autobiographical]], [[fiction]]
| publisher = [[DC Books]]
| release_date = 1 November 2011
| english_release_date = 2020
| media_type =
| pages = 496
| isbn = 978-81-264-3328-5
}}
'''''Delhi Gadhakal''''' (''Tales from Delhi'') is a [[Malayalam language]] novel by [[M. Mukundan]]. It was first published as a book by [[D. C. Books]] in November 2011. The novel portrays the various events that greatly influenced the author's life during the 40 years spent in [[New Delhi]], since 1962. The novel has as protagonist a leftist Kerala youth, named Sahadevan, who had the shock of his life when he landed in Delhi to hear the news of Chinese attack on India.<ref>[http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/printArticle.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=470970&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22 "My works never encouraged drug use, says top author"]. ''[[Gulf Times]]''. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> It was translated from Malayalam by Fathima E. V. and Nandakumar K. under the title '''''Delhi: A Soliloquy'''''.

It took three years for Mukundan to finish the novel.<ref name="Madhyamam">{{cite news|url=http://www.madhyamam.com/weekly/926|title=ഇനി ഏത് ദേശത്തെക്കുറിച്ചാണ് ഞാൻ എഴുതേണ്ടത്?|newspaper=[[Madhyamam|Madhyamam Weekly]]|date=21 November 2011|author=M. Mukundan|author-link=M. Mukundan|language=ml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224145913/http://www.madhyamam.com/weekly/926|archive-date=24 February 2015}}</ref> It was released on 1 November 2011.<ref name="Release">[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/article2591185.ece "Finished work belongs to readers: Mukundan"]. ''[[The Hindu]]''. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.</ref> The novel received much critical praise and soon went on to become one of the best-selling novels of the year. It also won several awards including the first Kamala Suraiyya Award.

==Background==
''Delhi Gadhakal'' has been penned in the backdrop of [[New Delhi]], the city to which the author's name has been associated probably even more than his hometown, [[Mayyazhi]] (Mahe). The novel was inspired by various events that greatly influenced the author's life during the 40 years spent in New Delhi, since 1962.<ref name="Express">{{cite news|url=http://shevlinsebastian.blogspot.in/2011/10/main-character-is-delhi.html?m=1|title=The main character is Delhi|date=28 October 2011|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|access-date=7 December 2011|archive-date=24 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224134855/http://shevlinsebastian.blogspot.in/2011/10/main-character-is-delhi.html?m=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Characters==
* Sahadevan - the protagonist.
* Sreedharanunni - A third-grade employee in the [[Indian Parliament|Parliament]]. It is Sreedharanunni who brings Sahadevan to Delhi.
* Devi - Sreedharanunni's wife.
* Sathyanathan - Sreedharanunni's son.
* Vidya - Sreedharanunni's daughter.
* Kunhikrishnan - A journalist working in Delhi.
* Lalita - Kunhikrishnan's wife.
* Vasavappanicker - An artist working in Delhi.
* Rosily - A Malayalee Christian woman who is forced to become a prostitute in Delhi.
* Kunhikkannan Master - A [[naxalism|naxalist]] leader in Kerala.
* Janakikutty - Kunhikkannan Master's daughter.
* Uttam Singh - Sahadevan's house owner at Amrit Puri.
* Pinki - Singh's younger daughter.
* Jaswinder - Singh's elder daughter.
* Dasappan - A barber working in Delhi.
* Gulshan Wadhwa - Sahadevan's employer.
* Om Prakash Jain - Sahadevan's house owner at [[Jangpura]].
* Ashok Chimber - Sahadevan's house owner at [[Malviya Nagar (Delhi)|Malviya Nagar]].
* Kuber Lal - Sahadevan's house owner at [[Mayur Vihar]].
* Harilal Shukla - An art lover and Vasavappanicker's mentor.
* Vanaja - Sahadevan's sister.
* Shyamala - Sahadevan's sister.
* Abdul Abdunnissar - Vanaja's lover.
* Abdul Aleem - Sahadevan's employee.
* Divakaran Potti - Sahadevan's employee.
* Seetharam - the [[dhobi]]. He is a victim of forced-[[Sterilization (medicine)|sterilisation]] during [[The Emergency (India)|the Emergency]].
* Jamaludheen - a Bangladeshi refugee.

==Release==
The novel was released by former Kerala education minister [[M. A. Baby]] on 1 November 2011, at a cultural festival organised in connection with the 13th DC International Book Fair. In the event, Baby lauded the writer for his efforts to explore and recreate the mindset of the people during the Emergency and ‘their view of Indira Gandhi's misjudgement about people's power.'<ref name="Release"/>

==Awards==
*2012: Kamala Suraiyya Award <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cityjournal.in/Newspaper/20120330/Metro/Metro_2.html |title="Kamala Suraiyya Award distribution, Azhikode remembrance today" |access-date=19 April 2012 |archive-date=4 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404201040/http://www.cityjournal.in/Newspaper/20120330/Metro/Metro_2.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=120781 "ONV and Mukundan gets Kamala Surayya award"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084930/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=120781 |date=2014-08-19 }}</ref>
*2012: VVK Award <ref>{{cite web | url=http://latestawardsinkerala.blogspot.com/2012/05/vvk-award-to-m-mukundan.html | title=VVK Award to M. Mukundan | date=9 May 2012 | publisher=Latest Awards won by Celebrities in Kerala | access-date=7 July 2018 | archive-date=8 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708103844/http://latestawardsinkerala.blogspot.com/2012/05/vvk-award-to-m-mukundan.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
*2021: [[JCB Prize for Literature]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/author-m-mukundan-wins-jcb-prize-for-literature-2021-for-his-novel-delhi-a-soliloquy/articleshow/87689524.cms | title=JCB Award to M. Mukundan | date=13 November 2021 | publisher=Times of India | access-date=13 November 2021 | archive-date=13 November 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113221440/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/author-m-mukundan-wins-jcb-prize-for-literature-2021-for-his-novel-delhi-a-soliloquy/articleshow/87689524.cms | url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|url=http://matheikal.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/delhi-ballads/|title=Delhi Ballads|publisher=Matheikal.wordpress.com|date=17 January 2012}}

{{Novels by M. Mukundan}}
{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:2011 Indian novels]]
[[Category:Malayalam novels]]
[[Category:Novels by M. Mukundan]]
[[Category:Novels set in Delhi]]
[[Category:DC Books books]]

Delhi Gadhakal - Revision history

HughStoate90988 at 16:49, 24 September 2024