Chakatya (चकाट्या) by Da. Ma. Mirasdar (द. मा. मिरासदार)

"Chakatya (चकाट्या)" a Marathi (मराठी) book by Da. Ma. Mirasdar (द. मा. मिरासदार). This edition of the book is published by Mehta Publishing House in 2014 (First edition in 1970s) and has 160 pages. This book is a collection of 13 stories.

'Shivajiche hastakshar (शिवाजीचे हस्ताक्षर)' is a story of confrontation between the history teacher of a boy and his historian father and how he suffers in the fight. 'Pralay (प्रलय)' is a story set in a village of illiterate adults and what they do after reading a news that the world will end, by flood, in eight days. 'Baba (बाबा)' is the story of a father who keeps bragging about his courage and daredevil acts to his son. But was he so? 'Photo (फोटो)' is the story of two rural bumpkins who were never photographed and wanted themselves to be photographed. 'Swabhaw (स्वभाव)' is about a lady who criticizes her neighbor for rumormongering while she does exactly the same. 'Police tapas (पोलीस तपास)' is about Police investigation or rather the lack of it in rural set up. 'Rang denyacha prakar (रंग देण्याचा प्रकार)' is a humorous story about experience of a lower middle class man of painting his house. 'Nava rasta (नवा रस्ता)' is about a proposed new road through Eknath's agricultural land. Can he save his land? 'Abhyas (अभ्यास)' is a story of how study happens or does not happen in a class of school. In 'Shaydi (शायडी)', a man comes to a village. Some think he is mad, some think he is Shaydi. Who is he and what is Shaydi? In 'Pathan (पठाण)' a young man decides to help his friend impress the girl he loves. How does it go? 'Babancha abhays (बाबांचा अभ्यास)' is the story of a father, an editor by profession, trying to supervise studies of his son. In 'Gaflat (गफलत)' there is a theft in a village and all the villagers are trying to determine how the thief entered and exited the seemingly impenetrable villa.

Of all the stories I liked Pathan (पठाण) & Gaflat (गफलत) the most.

Book cover is drawn by Shi. DA. Phadnis (शि. द. फडणीस). If I am not wrong, book covers for all the books written by Da. Ma. Mirasdar are drawn by Shi. DA. Phadnis. His caricatures have special strokes and one can recognize his pictures just by looking at them.

Most of the stories are set up in rural background. This is the speciality of Da. Ma. Mirasdar. Most of the stories are humorous with a border of harsh reality. Author has seen a story where a common man would not be able to. His power of observation is commendable.

All the stories are small with an average length of 12-13 pages, making them crisp. You do not get a chance to get bored. Modern readers who are not interested in rural backdrop may or may not like the book.

The book is good, but another book from same author that I read in recent past, titled 'Virangula (विरंगुळा)', was better.

Read if you have time.

Virangula (विरंगुळा) by Da. Ma. Mirasdar (द. मा. मिरासदार)

"Virangula (विरंगुळा)" a Marathi book by Da. Ma. Mirasdar (द. मा. मिरासदार). This book is published by Mehta Publishing House in 2013 ( First edition 1961) and has 140 pages. This book is a collection of 12 short stories.

'Virangula (विरंगुळा)' is a story of a man past his middle age who has difficulty in making the ends meet and in supporting the family and who transforms in a different person when he is called to assist for cremation of a dead person. 'Paus (पाऊस)' is the story of a contract farmer (वाटेकरी), a farmer who does not own the land, who wants a loan from local money lender and how rain changes everything. 'Tailabuddhi Devdutt: Ek anubhav (तैलबुद्धी देवदत्त: एक अनुभव)' is a story thousand year old that tells us how the most learned man can fail to understand a woman. 'Bhog (भोग)' is about a person who has no dearth of talent, efforts or willingness to work, but luck is never with him. He always suffers. 'Moklik (मोकळीक)' is the story of a very old lady who has lived a satisfied life and who is nearing death by old age. But she doesn't die. Her mind is entangled in the loved ones. 'Dhondyacha mahina (धोंड्याचा महिना)' shows us how the social equations and importance shifts balance when a village faces a very strange threat; rain of rocks. 'Adgalichi kholi (अडगळीची खोली)' asks us question if the old ones are to be considered as unnecessary presence and banished to a store room? 'Watmari (वाटमारी)' is about a dacoit who has the heart of a father. 'Eka kugramatil vijaystambha (एका कुग्रामातील विजयस्तंभ)' is a 2000 years old story of rumormongering and a Yavan attack. 'Ajari padnyacha prayog (आजारी पडण्याचा प्रयोग)' is the story of a small boy who never falls ill and wants desperately to become ill. 'Ek hota brahman (एक होता ब्राह्मण)' is about a Brahmin who doesn't let go an opportunity to earn money without doing anything. 'Gavat (गवत)' is about demand supply equation in a village for removing grass.

Allmost all the stories have a rural backdrop. Author has a knack of identifying the idiosyncrasies in the social fabric of rural India. He looks at serious issues with a hint of humor.

All the stories are delivered deftly and with authority. The stories spam various topics from life to death, from ancient India to present India, from old people to young, from despair to hope and from sorrow to joy.

I have read Mr. Mirasdar's literature and heard his Katha kathan (कथा कथन) when I was very young, but when I read it now, I liked it even more. I am looking forward to read some more of Da. Ma. Mirasdar. I would say this was one of the best collection of short stories of the ones that I read recently.

A very good book. Recommend reading.