Manohar Shyam Joshi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Manohar Shyam Joshi
Born August 9, 1933
Almora, Uttarakhand Flag of India India
Died March 30, 2006 (aged 72)
Delhi Flag of India India
Occupation writer, essayist, columist, jounalist
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (January 2008)

Manohar Shyam Joshi (1933 - 2006) (Hindi: मनोहर जोशी) was an Hindi writer, journalist, and scriptwriter, most known as the writer of Indian television's first soap opera [1], Hum Log (1982) and its early hits Buniyaad (1987) and Kakaji Kahin, a political satire [2].

Contents

[edit] Biography

Manohar Shyam Joshi was born on August 9, 1933 at Ajmer in Rajasthan [3], and belonged to a Kumaoni Brahmin family from Almora, now in the state of Uttarakhand.

[edit] Career

[edit] Television

He is often called "the Father of Indian Soap Operas" [4]being the writer of India's first Television soap opera, Hum Log. Made in 1982, when television was still a luxury item for majority of Indians, the serial dealt with the everyday struggles of the middle-class India,, making it an instant hit, especial because every Indian could identify with it [5][6]. His another popular creation was Buniyaad (1987-1988), directed by Ramesh Sippy, a serial based around the life a family displaced by the Partition of India in 1947; both went on to deeply influence an entire generation of Indians as well as the Indian television industry [7].

In the following years he wrote many more long running serials like, 'Mungeri Lal Ke Hasin Sapney','Kakaji Kahin', 'Hamrahi', 'Zameen Aasman' and 'Gatha'.

[edit] Films

He had a penchant for subtle comedy and satire alike, this allowed him to write for cinema based on a variety of subjects, like 'Hey Ram', 'Appu Raja', 'Papa Kahte Hain' and 'Brashtachar'. He was also dubbing artiste of repute, and dubbed for films like Appu Raja and Hey Ram [8].

[edit] Novels

Manohar Shyam Joshi is also known for his novels which have dealt with varied topics ranging from (Kasap), described as one of the greatest love stories in Hindi, to devastating political satire like Netaji Kahin.

He was a prominent post-modernist authors in modern Hindi literature[9], as amiably demostrated by his cult novel Kuru kuru Swaahaa and his novella Hariya Hercules ki Hairaani. He was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005 for Hindi, for his novel Kyap [10], an allegory of modern India, known for its sensitive portrayal of the Kumaoni traditions of his home-state Uttarakhand.

[edit] Journalism

He had a long stint as a journalist, both in the broadcast and the print media. He worked with All India Radio, New Delhi, in the Hindi News section and then with the Films Division of India in Mumbai, where he wrote the scripts for many documentaries. This is when he started writing his famous landmark interviews with ordinary folks, which were serialised in the Sarika magazine. It was not long before he was handpicked by Sachidananda Vatsayan Agyeya for a new Hindi news magazine 'Dinaman', being brought out by the Times of India group. Agyeya was to be the editor and Joshi the Assistant Editor. In late 70s he remained the editor of the Morning Echo weekly brought out by the Hindustan Times [1].

Later, he moved on as the editor of the leading Hindi magazine Saptahik Hindustan and the English Weekend Review . His journalistic writings have covered a wide range of topics from popular science to political intrigues . Until his death, he wrote an opinion column for Outlook Saptahik, Hindi magazine from Outlook India .

Manohar Shyam Joshi, passed away on March 30, 2006, at the age of 73 [11], in Delhi, India. He is survived by his wife and three sons. Upon his death, Prime minister, Manmohan Singh called him, "..one of the most influential writers and commentators in Hindi in recent times" [12] [13].

[edit] Literary works

  • Kasap
  • Netaji Kahin
  • Kuru Kuru Swaahaa
  • Hariya Hercules Ki Hairani, Rajkamal & Sons, 1999. ISBN 8171787754.[1]
  • Baaton-baaton mein
  • Prabhu Tum Kaise Kissago (Short Stories)
  • Mandir Ghaat ki Pauriyaan (Short Stories)
  • Us Desh Ka Yaron Kya Kahna
  • Baton Baton Mein (Interviews)
  • Kaise Kissago
  • Ek Durlabh Vyaktitva
  • Ta Ta Professor
  • Kyaap
  • Hamzad, Rajkamal & Sons, 1999. ISBN 8171787762. [2]
  • Main Kaun Hoon?

[edit] Television serials

  • Hum Log (1982)
  • Buniyaad (1987)
  • Kakaji Kahin
  • Mungeri Lal ke Haseen Sapne
  • Hamrahi
  • Zameen Aasman (1995)
  • Gatha (1997) [14].

[edit] Filmography

  • Manzil (1979) - Screenplay
  • Bhrashtachar (1989) - Screenplay
  • Papa Kahte Hain
  • Appu Raja
  • Limited Manuski (1995) - Screenplay
  • Hey Ram (2000) - Dialogue

[edit] Awards

  • MP Sahitya Parishad Samman
  • Sharad Joshi Samman
  • Shikhar Samman
  • Delhi Hindi Academy Award
  • Onida and Uptron Award for TV writing
  • 2005 Sahitya Akademi Award

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Noted litterateur Manohar Shyam Joshi.. oneindia, March 30 2006.
  2. ^ Manohar Shyam Joshi In Memoriam.
  3. ^ WRITERS AND THEIR WORKS Foundation of SAARC Writers.
  4. ^ Famous People from uttarakhand Manohar Shyam Joshi at uttarakhand.
  5. ^ Buniyaad, Hum Log writer.. Rediff Movies, March 30, 2006.
  6. ^ The Making of Humlog Rediff News, March 30, 2006.
  7. ^ Prime time.. The Tribune, December 19, 1999.
  8. ^ Manohar Shyam Joshi..india-forums, 30 March 2006.
  9. ^ Father of Indian Soap Operas Legends at 4to40.
  10. ^ Sahitya Akademi Awards Hindi 2005, Kyap (Novel).
  11. ^ March 30, 2006 Sothasia at news.bbc.co.
  12. ^ PM condoles passing away of Manohar Shyam Joshi PM Messages, 2006.
  13. ^ PM condoles Manohar Shyam Joshi's death indianews, March 31, 2006.
  14. ^ Gatha Debuts at STAR The Indian Express, August 18 1997.

[edit] External links

Languages