1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
novel
A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
by the Indian novel writer
Bhagwati Charan Verma
Bhagwati Charan Verma (30 August 1903 – 5 October 1981) was a Hindi author. He wrote many novels, his best work was '' Chitralekha'' (1934), which was made into two successful Hindi films in 1941 and 1964 respectively. He was awarded Sa ...
about the
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
of life, love, sin and virtue.
It is said to be modelled on
Anatole France
(; born ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters.''Thaïs'' but set in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. However, the author noted in the book's preface:
"The difference between ''Chitralekha'' and Anatole France's ''Thaïs'', is as much as there is in me and Anatole. In ''Chitralekha'', there is a problem, it is my own perspective of seeing the virtue and vice of human life, and it is also the music of my soul."
Synopsis
Chitralekha is a slim volume with a narrative that is woven around a love story, and reflects on various aspects of human life.
The story commences with a dialogue between the revered
hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
Ratnakar (रत्नाकर) and his disciples, Shwetaank (श्वेतांक) and Vishaldev (विशालदेव), discussing the
sin
In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
s of humanity. They conclude that humans are often victims and slaves of circumstance. Ratnakar posits that sin and
virtue
A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be morality, moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is Value (ethics), valued as an Telos, end purpos ...
are not inherent but products of our circumstances. The author, Bhagwati Charan Varma, explores the notion that sin may be in action. Still, never in thought, ''anuraag'' (attachment/passion) is in desire, and ''viraag'' (alienation/lack of passion) comes from ''tripti'' (
gratification
Gratification is the pleasurable emotional reaction of happiness in response to a fulfillment of a desire or goal. It is also identified as a response stemming from the fulfillment of social needs such as affiliation, socializing, social appr ...
). This candid and liberal perspective is a departure from the traditional Hindi literature of pre-independence India.
Chitralekha, the protagonist, embodies the life of a truly empowered woman: beautiful and resilient, driven by her own choices, generous by nature, and unwaveringly honest. She shatters the stereotypes surrounding women, presenting an accurate and humane portrayal. Chitralekha takes charge of her life, refusing to be swayed by societal norms and pressures. Her self-reflection and refusal to let her ego hinder her path to redemption lead her to triumph, as she finds both peace within passion and passion within peace.
This novel is a love story about a young general, Beejgupta (बीजगुप्त) and Chitralekha who was a beautiful dancer and a young widow. Beejgupta lives a luxurious life while serving under the
Mauryan Empire
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...
ruled by King Chandragupta Maurya (340 BCE – 298 BCE). Kumargiri (कुमारगिरि) a hermit, also falls in love with Chitralekha and becomes a victim of his circumstances. Shwetaank and Vishaldev wish to find the truth about the holy and the unholy of life, as suggested by their guru, Ratnakar, but they too become slaves of circumstances, as does Beejgupta. The other characters are Yashodhara (यशोधरा), the princess; Yashodhara's father, the aged Mritunjay (मृत्युंज्य); and Chanakya (चाणक्य), who has been woven into the novel to make it interesting.
The novel has 22 sections that demonstrate clearly the futility of being judgmental.
Translations
Adaptations
A Hindi
movie
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
, '' Chitralekha'', released in 1964 was based on this novel. It was directed by
Kidar Sharma
Kidar Nath Sharma (12 April 1910 – 29 April 1999), also known as Kedar Sharma, was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and lyricist of Hindi films. While he had great success as a director of movies including '' Neel Kamal'' (1947 ...
and starred
Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar (born Kumudlal Ganguly; 13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. He is considered to be the first Super-st ...
,
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari (born Mahjabeen Bano; 1 August 1933 – 31 March 1972) was an Indian actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Known as "The Tragedy Queen", she is regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinem ...
and
Pradeep Kumar
Pradeep Kumar (4 January 1925 – 27 October 2001) was an Indian actor who is recognized for his work in Hindi, Punjabi and English-language films. (Dinesh RahejaEver the royalRediff.com website, Published 2 June 2003, Retrieved 16 February 2 ...
in leading roles. The director has also directed another movie '' Chitralekha'' (1941), which was based on the same novel.
References
*Bhagwati Charan Verma (1994), ''Chitralekha'', New Delhi: Rajkamal Prakashan.
* {{cite book , title=The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature, Vol. 5, author=Mohan Lal, publisher=Sahitya Akademi, year= 2006, isbn=81-260-1221-8, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&dq=Chitralekha+1964+film&pg=PA4500 , ref=La