Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (1932) Winner
Ramanlal Vasantlal Desai
ラマンラール・ヴァサントラール・デサイ
Ramanlal Vasantlal Desai
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1892-05-12 （Sinor, Bombay Presidency, British India）
- Died
- 1954-09-20 age 62
- Nationality
- Indian
- Languages
- Gujarati, English
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Short story writer, Playwright, Essayist, Teacher, Civil servant (Baroda State)
- Active Years
- 1914-1954
- Affiliations
- Pragatishil Sahitya Mandal, Baroda Sahitya Sabha
- Influenced By
- Mahatma Gandhi, Marxist ideas (later influence)
- Influenced
- Akshay Desai (son)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vadodara (Baroda) College | English and Gujarati literature | — | B.A. | 1908-1914 | British India |
| Vadodara (Baroda) Postgraduate Studies | English and Gujarati literature | — | M.A. | 1914-1916 | British India |
Vadodara (Baroda) College
English and Gujarati literature
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1908-1914
Year of Graduation:
1914
Country:
British India
Early schooling in Sinor; attended Vadodara College and obtained B.A. in 1914.
Vadodara (Baroda) Postgraduate Studies
English and Gujarati literature
Degree:
M.A.
Period:
1914-1916
Year of Graduation:
1916
Country:
British India
Completed M.A. in 1916. Did not secure a professorship.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak | — | — | Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (award) | 受賞 |
| — | Hargovinddas Kantawala Prize | Divyachakshu | — | — | 受賞 |
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak
1932
Organization:
Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (award)
Result:
受賞
Hargovinddas Kantawala Prize
Work:
Divyachakshu
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Bharelo Agni
1935 Historical novelA historical novel dealing with the Indian Rebellion of 1857; regarded as one of Desai's masterpieces, portraying the turmoil of the era and personal conflicts.
Anti-colonial resistanceHistorical and personal conflict
Gramalakshmi
1933 Social novel 1233 pagesA massive four-volume work (1233 pages) addressing nearly every ill of rural society and advocating village reconstruction and social reform inspired by Gandhian ideals.
Rural reconstructionWomen's upliftmentAnti-untouchability (caste issues)Swadeshi movement
Apsara
1933 Essays / social studyA five-volume study of the lives of prostitutes, examining the realities of women marginalized by society.
Oppression of womenSocial marginalizationMorality and social structures
Kokila
1928 Social novelA social novel dealing with urban and middle-class themes. Adapted into a Hindi film of the same name in 1937.
Middle-class lifeSocial morality
Adaptations
- [Film] Kokila / Sarvottam Badami (1937)
Translations
- Hindi translation
- Marathi translation
Divyachakshu
1932 Social novel (a love triangle set against freedom struggle)Portrays the spirit of the freedom struggle through a triangular love story. Recipient of the Hargovinddas Kantawala Prize.
Independence movementLove and politics
Translations
- Hindi translation
Bibliography
- Samyukta
- Thaug (Thug)
- Jayanta
- Sirisha
- Kokila
- Divyachakshu
- Purnima
- Gramalakshmi
- Apsara
Adaptations
- Kokila (1937 Hindi film, dir. Sarvottam Badami)
- Purnima (adapted for film)
Translations of Works
- Kokila: translated into Hindi and Marathi
- Divyachakshu: translated into Hindi
- Several works translated into Hindi, Marathi and other Indian languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- RealismSocial fictionNarrative grounded in historical researchMoral/idealistic depiction influenced by Gandhian thought
- Recurring Motifs
- Rural reconstruction and communityWomen's status and oppressionSocial reform and nonviolenceConflict between individual and history
Health
-
Heart failure1954Died of heart failure in 1954. Continued literary activity until his death.
Legacy
Ramanlal Desai was an important figure in Gujarati literature and novel writing, known for large-scale works addressing social and historical themes. His writing reflects Gandhian and later Marxist influences and has impacted popular culture through adaptations and translations.
Museums
- Bust of Ramanlal Desai (Vadodara) Vadodara, Gujarat
Academic Societies
- Gujarati Sahitya Parishad
- Baroda Sahitya Sabha
In Popular Culture
- The novel Kokila was adapted into a 1937 Hindi film
- Works such as Purnima have also been adapted for film
Quotes
-
"the novelist who reflects an age" (Yugamoorti Vartakar)
Source: Vishwanath Bhatt (Gujarati critic) (1971)
Trivia
- Wrote 27 novels.
- Apsara is a five-volume study of the lives of prostitutes.
- Gramalakshmi is a large four-volume work of 1233 pages.
- Awarded the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1932.
- His son Akshay Desai was a noted sociologist.