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{{Short description|Indian writer}}
{{sources|date=December 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mannu Bhandari
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1931|4|3}}
| birth_place = [[Bhanpura]], [[Indore State]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2021|11|15|1931|4|3}}
| death_place = [[Gurgaon]], [[Haryana]], India
| spouse = [[Rajendra Yadav]]
| image = Manu Bhandari bharat-s-tiwari-photography-IMG 7163 December 27, 2015.jpg
| caption = Bhandari in 2015
}}

'''Mannu Bhandari''' (3 April 1931 – 15 November 2021) was an Indian author, screenplay writer, teacher, and playwright. Primarily known for her two Hindi novels, ''Aap Ka Bunty'' (''Your Bunty'') and ''Mahabhoj'' (''Feast''), Bhandari also wrote over 150 short stories, several other novels, screenplays for television and film, and adaptations for theater. She was a pioneer of the ''Nayi Kahani'' movement in Hindi literature, which focused on the aspirations of the emerging Indian middle class, and her own work is particularly notable for its depiction of the inner lives of middle class working and educated women. Her work tackles themes of family, relationships, gender equality, and caste discrimination in India.

Bhandari's writing has been extensively adapted for film and stage, including productions for [[Doordarshan]] (India's public broadcast service), the BBC, and the National School of Drama in India. Her work has been widely translated into other Indian languages from Hindi, as well as French, German and English. She has received numerous awards in India for her work, including the [[Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan]] and the [[Vyas Samman]]. She is one of the most notable writers in 21st century Hindi literature, with the ''Indian Express'' describing her as a "doyenne of the Hindi literary world," after her death.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-17|title=Mannu Bhandari turned the eye inwards, to the complex layers of man-woman relationships, nuances of family system|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/mannu-bhandari-hindi-literature-progressive-woman-writers-7626374/|access-date=2021-12-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===
Bhandari was born on 3 April 1931, in [[Bhanpura]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] and grew up largely in [[Ajmer]], [[Rajasthan]], where her father Sukhsampat Rai Bhandari, was a [[freedom fighter]], social reformer and the producer of the first English to Hindi and English to Marathi dictionaries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianmemoryproject.com/tag/sukhsampat-rai-bhandari/|title=Sukhsampat Rai Bhandari Archives}}</ref><ref>The Twentieth Century English Hindi Dictionary{{Page needed|date=August 2016}}</ref> While he was engaged in social reform as part of the [[Arya Samaj]], a Hindu reformist institution, according to Bhandari he frequently denigrated her for her dark complexion.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Kuldeep|date=2018-06-15|title=Sky of simplicity|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/sky-of-simplicity/article24161140.ece|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She was the youngest of five children (two brothers, three sisters).

=== Education and teaching career ===
Bhandari was initially educated in Ajmer, and graduated from [[Calcutta University]] in [[West Bengal]]. She went on to earn an [[Master of Arts|M.A. degree]] in Hindi language and [[Hindi literature|literature]], at [[Banaras Hindu University]]. As a student she was active politically and in 1946, she helped organize a strike after two of her colleagues were dismissed for being involved with [[Subhas Chandra Bose|Subhash Chandra Bose]]'s [[Indian National Army]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Tharu|first1=Susie J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjZYf9Xf9bcC&q=Mannu+Bhandari&pg=PA344|title=Women Writing in India: The twentieth century|last2=Lalita|first2=Ke|date=1 January 1993|publisher=Feminist Press at CUNY|isbn=9781558610293|pages=344|language=en}}</ref> Bhandari initially worked as a lecturer in Hindi in Calcutta, teaching first at Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan, a primary and secondary school, and later at Kolkata’s Rani Birla College 1961-1965. After moving to Delhi with her husband, she became a lecturer in Hindi literature at [[Miranda House, University of Delhi|Miranda House]] College, in the [[University of Delhi]].<ref name=":0" /> From 1992-1994 she chaired a honorary directorship at Ujjain’s Premchand Srijanpith, in Vikram University.

=== Family ===
Bhandari married Hindi author and editor [[Rajendra Yadav]].<ref>http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/4656/7/07_chapter%203.pdf</ref> They met in Calcutta (now [[Kolkata]]), while Bhandari was studying at [[University of Calcutta|Calcutta University]]. Bhandari and Yadav lived in [[Tollygunge]] in Kolkata until 1964, when they moved to [[Delhi]]. They lived in Delhi thereafter, and had one child, a daughter named Rachana.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Kuldeep|date=15 November 2021|title=Mannu Bhandari: A soft, self-effacing, yet firm creative voice|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/eminent-hindi-novelist-mannu-bhandari-dies-aged-90/article37505210.ece|access-date=15 November 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Bhandari and Yadav separated in the 1980s, but never divorced, remaining friends until Yadav's death in 2013.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-18|title=Mannu Bhandari’s writing resonated with a rare honesty|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mannu-bhandaris-writing-resonated-with-a-rare-honesty-7626299/|access-date=2021-12-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

=== Death ===
Bhandari died on 15 November 2021 at the age of 90 in [[Gurgaon]], India.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=15 November 2021|title=Novelist Manu Bhandari no more; tributes pour in for the writing stalwart|language=en|work=The Indian Express|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/novelist-manu-bhandari-death-works-books-tributes-hindi-literature-7623892/|access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news|title=Remembering Mannu Bhandari, a Writer of Stories Much Ahead of Her Times|work=The Wire|url=https://thewire.in/books/mannu-bhandari-obituary|access-date=2021-11-18}}</ref>

== Writing ==

=== Fiction and non-fiction ===
Bhandari's first publication was a short story titled 'Main Har Gayi' ('I Have Been Defeated') in 1957, in the Hindi ''Kahaani'' magazine.<ref name=":2" /> This story was later adapted to a highly popular and successful play and was performed all over the nation, including at the ([[Bharat Rang Mahotsav]]) (National Theatre Festival), in [[New Delhi]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}She followed it with a novel, ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' (''One Inch Smile'') in 1961, which she co-authored with her husband, the Hindi writer [[Rajendra Yadav]]. ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' was an experimental novel, narrating the story of a marriage between a man and woman, with Yadav and Bhandari writing for each character in alternate chapters. The plot was devised by Bhandari, and the title, by Yadav.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=SINGH|first=R.S.|date=1973|title=Mannu Bhandari|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24157435|journal=Indian Literature|volume=16|issue=1/2|pages=133–142|issn=0019-5804}}</ref> The book was initially serialised in a Hindi magazine, ''Gyanoday'', and was republished as a book in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kala|first=Sadhana|date=2021-11-16|title=Ek Inch Muskan|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/methink/ek-inch-muskan/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-14|website=[[The Times of India]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Bhandari had continued to write short stories for Hindi magazines during this period, and she followed the success of ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' with four collections of short stories, which were published between 1961 and 1970.<ref name=":4" />

In 1971, Bhandari published her second book, and first solo novel, titled ''Aap Ka Bunty'' (''Your Bunty''). It portrayed the collapse of a marriage through the eyes of a nine year old child, the titular Bunty, whose parents ultimately divorce and remarry other people.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Singh|first=R.S.|year=1973|title=Mannu Bhandari|journal=Indian Literature|volume=16|issue=1/2|pages=133–142|jstor=24157435}}</ref> Bhandari took up residence temporarily at the [[Miranda House|Miranda House College]] in Delhi, to complete the novel.<ref name=":4" /> The book was initially serialised in ''Dharmayug'', a Hindi magazine, and immediately attracted a wide readership, resulting in Bhandari receiving large amounts of fan letters and reader comments with each chapter's publication.<ref name=":4" /> Published to great acclaim, the novel has been described as a 'milestone and a turning point in Hindi literature',<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tiwari|first=Shubha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAc-7MEyrJgC&q=aap+ka+bunty&pg=PA88|title=Indian Fiction in English Translation|date=1 January 2005|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=9788126904501|pages=92|language=en}}</ref> and was subsequently translated widely, including into French, Bengali, and English.<ref name="indiatoday.intoday.in">{{Cite news|title=Writer Mannu Bhandari loses case against makers of the film Samay ki Dhara|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/writer-mannu-bhandari-loses-case-against-makers-of-the-film-samay-ki-dhara/1/354737.html|access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref>

In 1979, Bhandari published her third novel, ''Mahabhoj''. The novel was based on the [[List of massacres in Bihar|massacre of Dalits in Belchhi]], Bihar, in which eleven persons belonging to Dalit and Scheduled Caste communities were captured, bound, murdered, and their corpses burned, by a private militia of 'upper' caste landlords in 1977, who then feasted beside the pyre while it burned. The incident garnered widespread public attention, including personal attention from India's then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Life hasn’t changed much for residents of village where Indira arrived on elephant|url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2021/08/12/life-hasnt-changed-much-for-residents-of-village-where-indira-arrived-on-elephant.html|access-date=2021-12-14|website=The Week|language=en}}</ref> ''Mahabhoj'', meaning 'banquet' presented a fictionalised retelling of this incident, through the eyes of Bisu, a young Dalit man who was traumatized by previous massacres and attacks on marginalized Dalit communities. Bisu's attempt to investigate and hold accountable the perpetrators of these crimes results in his death, and the intimidation and massacre of his entire village, in the novel.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title='महाभोज' - सत्तातंत्र के दुश्चक्र में हाशिये का समाज|url=https://www.satyahindi.com/obituary/writer-mannu-bhandari-novel-mahabhoj-122757.html|access-date=2021-12-14|website=www.satyahindi.com|language=en}}</ref> Taking place amidst an electoral campaign, the novel was praised for its understanding of Dalit marginalization and political vulnerability.<ref name=":6" /> The novel was a commercial success, running into 31 editions as of 2021.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Kuldeep|date=15 November 2021|title=Mannu Bhandari: A soft, self-effacing, yet firm creative voice|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/eminent-hindi-novelist-mannu-bhandari-dies-aged-90/article37505210.ece|access-date=15 November 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Bhandari continued to write short stories through her career, publishing in Hindi magazines as well as in ''[[Indian Literature (journal)|Indian Literature]]'', and the ''Journal of South Asian Literature''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=BHANDARI|first=MANNU|last2=Dubey|first2=Vinod S.|date=1994|title=THE HERO, THE VILLAIN, THE CLOWN|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44295652|journal=Indian Literature|volume=37|issue=6 (164)|pages=71–81|issn=0019-5804}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bhandari|first=Mannu|last2=Dent|first2=Charles T.|date=1988|title=TRISHANKU, OR THE KING CAUGHT BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40873006|journal=Journal of South Asian Literature|volume=23|issue=1|pages=31–41|issn=0091-5637}}</ref> Bhandari published several more collections of these stories in Hindi, including ''Ek Plate Sailab'' (1962), ''Teen Nigahon Ki Ek Tasvir, Yahi Sach Hai, Trishanku and Sampoorna Kahaniyan.''<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Kuldeep|date=15 November 2021|title=Mannu Bhandari: A soft, self-effacing, yet firm creative voice|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/eminent-hindi-novelist-mannu-bhandari-dies-aged-90/article37505210.ece|access-date=15 November 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

In 2007, she published an autobiography, ''Ek Kahaani Yeh Bhi'', describing her life, political activism, writing, and marriage.

=== Film, Television, and Stage ===
Bhandari's works have been frequently adapted for production in film, television, and on stage.

In 1974, a story by Bhandari titled, Y''ehi Sach Hai'' (''This is the Truth'') was adapted into a film by [[Basu Chatterjee]], called ''[[Rajnigandha]].'' Bhandari's story was about a young woman, recording her feelings about her past and present lovers, in a diary, in an attempt to choose between them. The film adaptation remained largely faithful to Bhandari's story, with some minor changes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gupta|first=Trisha|date=1 April 2018|title=The dreamlife of angels|url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/trisha-gupta/the-dreamlife-of-angels/articleshow/63562668.cms|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-14|website=Mumbai Mirror|language=en}}</ref> Bhandari continued to collaborate with Chatterjee over the next few years, writing screenplays for a television serial titled ''[[Rajani (TV series)|Rajani]]''. ''Rajani'' was broadcast on India's public service broadcaster, [[Doordarshan]], and was an account of a housewife who engaged in social and political reform movements. An episode written by Bhandari, about the plight of taxi drivers, gained wide public attention, in particular.<ref name=":4" /> Bhandari also adapted a story by Bengali writer [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]], for a film that Chatterjee made, titled ''[[Swami (1977 film)|Swami]]'', in 1977, but disagreed publicly with Chatterjee's decision to have the heroine of the story fall at her husband's feet at the end of the film, rather than be embraced by him.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lokpally|first=Vijay|date=2014-07-31|title=Swami (1977)|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/swami-1977/article6267925.ece|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> In 1979, Chatterjee adapted another of Bhandari's stories into the film, ''[[Jeena Yahan]]'', which received critical acclaim.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-10-13|title=Jeena Yahan (1979)|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/Jeena-Yahan-1979/article16070235.ece|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Following the critical and commercial success of her novel, ''Mahabhoj'', Bhandari adapted the book for the stage. It was staged by [[Amal Allana]] for the [[National School of Drama]] in Delhi, in a production that was also commercially successful, critically acclaimed, and ran for several years.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Kuldeep|date=15 November 2021|title=Mannu Bhandari: A soft, self-effacing, yet firm creative voice|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/eminent-hindi-novelist-mannu-bhandari-dies-aged-90/article37505210.ece|access-date=15 November 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Bhandari also wrote a very successful play, titled ''Bina Deevaron Ke Ghar'' (''A House Without Walls'').<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Kuldeep|date=15 November 2021|title=Mannu Bhandari: A soft, self-effacing, yet firm creative voice|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/eminent-hindi-novelist-mannu-bhandari-dies-aged-90/article37505210.ece|access-date=15 November 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Productions of ''Mahabhoj'' have been staged in other languages as well, including Nepali,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Goel|first=Anil|date=2020-02-06|title=Of change and continuity|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/theatre/of-change-and-continuity/article30750353.ece|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

=== Critical reception ===
Bhandari's writing can be situated within the early stages of the ''Nayi Kahani'' movement, a Hindi literary movement in the 1950s and 1960s that focused on the aspirations and problems of the educated middle class in post-Independent, post-colonial India. The movement included several of Bhandari's contemporaries, such as her husband, the author [[Rajendra Yadav]], as well as authors like [[Nirmal Verma#Nayi Kahani movement|Nirmal Verma]], [[Bhisham Sahni]], [[Kamleshwar (writer)|Kamleshwar]].<ref name=":0" /> These writers reflected society in newly-independent India, as it came to terms with rapid industrialization and urbanization and wrote in a markedly realistic style, in opposition to the prevailing romantic forms of Hindi literature.<ref name=":0" /> Writers like Rajendra Yadav, [[Mohan Rakesh]] and [[Kamleshwar (writer)|Kamleshwar]] used the format of short stories, giving the movement the name of ''Nayi Kahani'' or ''New Stories''; Bhandari followed this pattern, but wrote novels as well.<ref name=":4" />

Women writers, such as Bhandari, and [[Krishna Sobti]], in particular, navigated the conflicts arising from the transition of women moving from domestic roles to participation in education and employment outside the home, often depicting the tension between tradition and modernity, the desire for economic independence, and individual autonomy. Critic and writer R.S. Singh has noted on an assessment of Bhandari's oeuvre that her "...forte is the middle-class woman seeking emancipation from social and moral conservatism in order to develop her personality on an equal footing with man's, and thus make her existence meaningfully significant."<ref name=":1" /> Writer and critic [[Mrinal Pande]] wrote that Bhandari's work depicted "...reflect the strange tensions between spent old systems that continue to dominate middle-class India and the emerging new cluster of ideas,"praising her work for having an honest approach to these conflicts.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-18|title=Mannu Bhandari’s writing resonated with a rare honesty|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mannu-bhandaris-writing-resonated-with-a-rare-honesty-7626299/|access-date=2021-12-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

Bhandari's style has been characterised by critics as marked with disregard for formal structure. This “''shilpaheenata''” (formlessness), according to writer Kuldeep Kumar, enabled Bhandari to focus on her skills in simple and direct narration.<ref name=":2" /> Her portrayal of female characters, use of irony, and symbolism have won critical acclaim.<ref name=":1" /> Her short stories frequently employed satire, especially when addressing political themes, such as the functioning of India's legal system, or wealth and poverty.<ref name=":5" />

== Awards ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2021}}

*[[Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan]] (Uttar Pradesh Hindi Institute) for ''Mahabhoj'' 1980-1981
* [[Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad]] (Indian Language Council), Kolkata, 1982
* Kala-Kunj Samman (award), New Delhi, 1982
* [[:hi:भारत की संस्कृति|Bhartiya Sanskrit Sansad Katha Samaroh]] ( Indian Sanskrit narrative function), Kolkata, 1983
* Bihar Rajya Bhasha Parishad (Bihar State Language Council), 1991
* Rajasthan [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], 2001–02
* Maharashtra Rajya Hindi [[Sahitya Akademi]] (Maharashtra State Hindi Literature Akademi), 2004
* [[Hindi Academy]], Dilli Shalaka Samman, 2006–07
* Madhya Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan (Madhya Pradesh Hindi Literature Conference), Bhavbhuti Alankaran, 2006–07
* [[K. K. Birla Foundation]] presented her with the 18th [[Vyas Samman]] for her work, ''Ek Kahani Yeh Bhi'', an autobiographical novel.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Mannu Bhandari to get Birla Vyas Samman 2008 - Times of India|work=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mannu-Bhandari-to-get-Birla-Vyas-Samman-2008/articleshow/4017252.cms|access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==

=== Fiction ===
* ''Ek Inch Muskaan'' (1962) (co-authored with [[Rajendra Yadav]]) {{ISBN|8170282446}}
* ''Aapka Bunty'' (1971) {{ISBN|978-8171194469}}
* ''Mahabhoj'' (1979) {{ISBN|9788171198399}}

=== Anthologies of short stories ===

* ''Mai Haar Gai'' (1957)
* ''Ek Plaite Sailab'' (1962) {{ISBN|978-8171197071}}
* ''Yahi Such Hai'' (1966) {{ISBN|978-8171192045}}
* ''Tin Nigahonki Ek Tasvir'' (1959) {{ISBN|978-8171197132}}
* ''Trishanku'' (1978) {{ISBN|978-8171197286}}
* ''Meri Priya Kahaniya'' (1973)
* ''Pratinidhi Kahaniya'' (1986) {{ISBN|978-8126703456}}
* ''Srestha Kahaniya'' (1979)
* ''Sampurna Kahaniya'' (2008)

=== Plays ===

* ''Bina Deevaron Ke Ghar'' (1966)
* ''Mahabhoj: Dramatisations'' (1981)
* ''Bina Divaron Ka Ghar'' (1965)
* ''Pratishodh tatha Anya Ekanki'' (1987)

=== Screenplay ===

* ''Katha-Patkatha'' (2003)

=== Autobiography ===

* ''Ek Kahaani Yeh Bhi'': (2007)

=== Children's Literature ===

* ''Aankhon Dekha Jhooth'' (Anthology of Stories)
* ''Aasmata'' (Fiction)
* ''Kala'' (Fiction)

== Translations and adaptations ==

=== Adaptations ===
Bhandari has been closely involved in several film, television, and stage adaptations of her works. However, her work has also been adapted by others for production. In 2017, a classical [[Kathak]] dance performance of her story, 'Trishanku' earned critical acclaim for her daughter, the choreographer and dancer Rachna Yadav, and for music composers, the [[Gundecha Brothers|Gundecha brothers]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Ranee|date=2017-04-07|title=Telling effect|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/telling-effect/article17864567.ece|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Her stories have been included in the Hindi curriculum for schools, set by the National Council of Educational Research and Training.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bhandari|first=Neelam|title=Mannu Bhandari (1931-2021) portrayed the desires and ambitions of middle-class women|url=https://scroll.in/article/1010741/mannu-bhandari-1931-2021-portrayed-the-desires-and-ambitions-of-middle-class-women|access-date=2021-12-14|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1986, Bhandari sold the rights to her second novel, ''Aap Ka Bunty'' and it was subsequently adapted for a film produced by Dharmendra Goyal and directed by [[Sisir Mishra]]. The film, ''Samay ki Dhara'', starred [[Shabana Azmi]], [[Shatrughan Sinha]], [[Tina Ambani|Tina Munim]] and [[Vinod Mehra]].<ref>{{Citation|last1=Sinha|first1=Shatrughan|title=Samay Ki Dhaara|date=19 December 1986|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0242838/|access-date=24 March 2017|last2=Azmi|first2=Shabana|last3=Mehra|first3=Vinod|last4=Munim|first4=Tina}}</ref> Bhandari subsequently sued the filmmakers, Kala Vikas Pictures Pvt Ltd, on the grounds that the adaptation distorted her novel and consequently violated Section 57 of the [[Indian Copyright Act]], 1957. The judgment in this case, ''[[Manu Bhandari v. Kala Vikas Motion Pictures Ltd]]'' is a landmark decision in Indian copyright law that clarified the scope of an author's moral rights under Indian copyright law. The Court held in favor of Bhandari, but she and the producers ultimately settled out of court.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1986|title=Manu Bhandari v. Kala Vikas Motion Pictures Ltd|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/331111/|url-status=live|website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref>

Her play, ''Bina Deevaron Ke Ghar'' has been staged in Gwalior, Mumbai, and Delhi, in productions in Hindi. Marathi adaptations of her works have been staged in Goa, by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and a Kannada translation of ''Mahabhoj,'' by Dr. Tippeswami and directed by B.V. Karant, was also staged.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

In addition, Vipin Natkarni directed and translated the story ''Aapka Bunty'' which was highly praised. It earned itself a 'best story' award from the Maharashtra government and twenty-three other awards.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} Basu Chatterjee's directed film ''Trishanku'' was translated into Bengali and made into a feature film.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

A number of films for television were created by adapting Bhandari's writing. These include:{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

*Telefilm based on ''Akeli'' story, shown on Delhi Doordarshan Channel
* Rajendra Nath adapted ''Trishanku'' into a telefilm for Delhi Doordarshan
* Yusuf Khan adapted ''Nasha'' into a telefilm for Lucknow Doordarshan
* ''Rani Maa ka Chabutara'' was adapted into a telefilm by Vibha Sharma for Bhopal Doordarshan
* ''Asamyik Mrityu'' was adapted into a telefilm for Delhi Doordarshan by Manju Singh
* ''Mahabhoj'' story was adapted into a telefilm by William Ash for BBC London

=== Translations ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2021}}
Bhandari wrote in Hindi, but her work has been frequently translated to Indian and foreign languages, including Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Manipuri, French, German, Hungarian and English. A select list of translations includes:

==== Plays and fiction ====

* ''Ek Inch Muskaan'', translated into [[Kannada]] (H.S. Parvathi)
* ''Aapka Bunty'' translated into Marathi (Indumati Shevde), Gujarati (Niranjan Sattavala), Tamil (Charu Ratnam), [[Kannada]] (H.S. Parvathi), Bengali (Renuka Vishvaas), Odiya (Saudamini Bhuyan), English (Jairatan, Sunita Jain), Japanese (translation directed by Hashimoto)
* ''Mahabhoj'' translated into Marathi (Padmakar Joshi), Bengali (Ravindranath Ghosh), Gujarati (Girish Solanki), English (Richard Williams, Ruth Vanita), French (Nicole Balbeer)
* ''Mahabhoj'' (play) translated into Marathi (Arvind Deshpande - Sangeet Natak Akademi, Goa) and [[Kannada]]

==== Compilations of stories ====

* Nine stories compiled under the name ''Ek Tee'', translated into Marathi (Shubha Chitnis)
* Three compilations of nine stories from ''Satya'', five stories from ''Uttung'', and nine stories from ''Trishanku'' translated into Marathi (Chandrakant Bhonjal)
* Ten stories translated and compiled in Bengali (Gauri )
* Ten Stories translated and compiled in Manipuri (Meghchand)
* Compilation of five translated stories into English - ''The Dusk of Life'' translation (Neelam Bhandari)
* Compilation of eight stories into the language of Tajikistan (Meherunissa)
* ''Yahi Sach Hai'' translated into German and Japanese (Barbara Bomhoff)
* ''Rani Maa Ka Chabutra'' translated into French (Annie Montaut), Spanish (Alvaro Enterria)
* ''Nai Naukari'' translated into French (Kiran Chaudhary)
* ''Shaayad'' translated into Hungarian (Eva Aradi)
* ''Chashme'' translated into Dutch (Rob Van Dijk, Reinder Boverhuis, Irma Van Dam)
* ''Trishanku'' translated into German (Rosmarie Rauter), English (Charles Dent), English (Nancy Stork, Newhouse)
* ''Stri Subodhini'' translated into English (Nancy Stork-Newhouse)

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{Library resources box|by=yes|lcheading= Bhandari, Mannu, 1931-}}
* {{IMDb name|0080209}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhandari, Mannu}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindi-language writers]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Banaras Hindu University alumni]]
[[Category:Women writers from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Novelists from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:Indian women novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:Hindi screenwriters]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Novelists from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Women writers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:People from Mandsaur district]]
[[Category:People from Ajmer]]

Mannu Bhandari - Revision history

->WikiCleanerBot at 01:32, 30 December 2021