Innocent humour...simpler times !

A mini review and discussion on the presence of humour and understated satire in SMP's work -- in simpler times !

Purane Gunah Naye Gunahgaar by Surender Mohan Pathak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This mini-novel was written in 1963, yet doesn't feel much dated today. In fact it is quite a well paced whodunit-thriller interlaced with lovely humour that fits quite organically in the story. And the humour is not of the slapstick version, so common in whodunits, but has rather suave feel to it. The principal character, Sunil, is smart, vulnerable and a really charming character, who is always ready with a quip on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. And although the murder actually happens well into the second half of the novel, you won't find a single uninteresting paragraph throughout primarily because the length of the novel itself is quite short and the pace is good.
But the real soul of the novel is the language that the characters speak : the classical Hindustani of 1960's era! What lovely words suffused with all the innocence and simplicity of a bygone era! You start suspecting that all the characters have just came back from a 'mushayra' or a 'kavi goshthi'. And add to that the innocence and charm of the 60's, which spills out of the demeanour of the characters here and engulfs you as well. How can you not fall in love with such people ?!

The only niggle that I had with the novel was that for such good buildup, the ending was a bit rushed and did not do justice. Also the speed at which some of the investigative actions were conducted in the novel ( especially for the 60's era ) require some suspension of disbelief. Apart from that a very enjoyable read, if not for anything else then at least for the nostalgia factor and as a remembrance for much simpler times!

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A mini discussion to follow-up :

विशेषकर जिस पक्ष ने मुझ पर गहरी छाप छोड़ी वो था नॉवेल का ह्यूमर जो काफी organically कहानी का हिस्सा बनता है, और ६० के दशक की simplicity ओढ़े हुए लगता है।

कहानी में कई  खिलंदड़पन से भरपूर वाक्ये होते हैं जैसे  सुनील और ब्लास्ट के चपरासी के बीच में नोकझोक , जहां चपरासी अपनी हाज़िरजवाबी से सुनील को लाजवाब कर देता है। पर गौर करने वाली बात है कि इन सभी जवाबों, सवालों और प्रसंगों में एक सरलता और मासूमियत है, जो कि अब नहीं दिखती, न दिख सकती है। ये कुछ-कुछ इब्न-ए-सफ़ी के विनोद-हमीद की चुहलबाज़ियों की भी याद दिलाते हैं, लेकिन कई मानों में जुदा भी हैं।

साथ ही कहीं कहीं तो इतने understated और matter-of-fact तरीके से व्यंग्य किया गया है, कि वो और भी ज़्यादा असरदार हो जाता है। अब यही उदाहरण देखिये ---
"ब्लास्ट के दफ्तर में धराधड़ काम हो रहा था। सारा स्टाफ बाहरी दुनिया से बेखबर मशीनों की तरह काम कर रहा था। एडिटर रिपोर्टरों से शिकायत कर रहा था कि वे अखबार के लिए सनसनीखेज खबरें नहीं लाते और रिपोर्टर झल्ला के सोच रहे थे कि क्या एडिटर को मशीन में झोंक देने की खबर सनसनीखेज हो सकती है ?"
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हास्य के साथ ही इसमे निहित irony ज़रा देखिये कि जिन साहबों को दुनिया की खबरें सबतक पहुंचानी हैं, वो ही दुनिया से बेखबर हैं !
ऐसे ही कितने ही प्रसंग, बिना वार्निंग के इस कहानी में प्रकट हुए, जिनके वजह से पढ़ने में और आनंद आया।

मुझे ऐसा लगता है कि उत्तरोत्तर, जैसे जैसे सुनील का कैरक्टर बढ़ता गया, सारी कॉमेडी रमाकांत के हिस्से ही आ गयी, और ये subtle ह्यूमर वाला हिस्सा थोड़ा खो सा गया और साथ ही सुनील के खिलंदड़पन की जगह स्मार्ट-टौक ने ले ली। खैर समय भी तो ६० के दशक वाला नहीं रहा!

The curious case of "SAFAL APRADHI"

Ruminations on a rare novel.

This is NOT a typical 'Suniliyan' novel, in fact far from it. This novel belongs to the period when Sunil didnot have much of a 'character' baggage to carry, when Ramakant was yet to develop a Punjabi twang and the novels were oh-so-crispy. Those were the days when you could take out a 10 p coin and call somebody via a booth ( as per the story ), when Sunil could behave merely as a smart yet bumbling reporter and not the know-it-all, super detective at work, when even he had to depend on a certain Mr. Chatterjee to deliver legal counsel to those in distress.

Unfolding in just about a 100 pages, the pace of the story is break-neck, with many a twist and turn, that are bound to keep one on the edge of his seat. There is hardly any irrelevant piece or prop in the whole story. Even the mention of the most trivial-seeming situations and the most innocuous of props like a tumbler, end up playing an important role eventually.

During the course of the whole novel, Sunil is himself equally mystified as the reader, about the proceedings. Curiously, there is a total absence of the overconfident demeanour, which in later novels, became a trait of his, while contemplating over the case with Prabhudayal. Nor is there any in-your-face sort of bravery or smartness. Yes, the smart-talk is there, but in its rudimentary form, which barely gets noticed (thankfully !). In short, in this particular outing, Sunil is more of a character than a serial-hero.

But the most curious and undoubtedly the most interesting part of the story is its novel ending : where you are gearing to accept the identity of the criminal, as revealed by the author and are waiting for a summary of the repercussions of this revelation on other characters. But instead, what you get are doubts and more niggling questions cropping up and you start wondering again. By the end, the perpetrator of the crime is eventually identified but not unambiguously, not without leaving you with lingering questions that are never resolved completely. Hence you are never fully confident if justice was actually delivered.

This whole twist adds a certain amount of believability to the story and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.You end the novel with a tinge of sadness regarding the limitations of the whole legal and crime-detection system.

It surely deserves firstly, a read, for the thrill and the fantastic ending and also a little more fame than what it has actually received over the years.

pic : Surender Mohan Pathak, Author

Gawaahi of GAWAAHI : my thoughts on a gem of a novel

Gawaahi by Surender Mohan Pathak
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

GAWAAHI : my thoughts

There are such fascinating characters and situations in this novel that clearly show the true abilities of the author Surender Mohan Pathak and proves that he is much more than just a pulp-writer.

Firstly, there is the deliciously complex and layered character of elder brother (Neelesh, a cop). He seems so real , his mannerism and behaviour so rooted to reality that I dare say this is the most real portrayal of a cop in a novel that I have read so far. He is not a flag bearer of bombastic heroism, neither is he a daredevil anti-hero sort of a character. He is just a plain, pragmatic man helplessly stuck in the cobwebs associated with the job of a policeman. He is corrupt, true; but no more than the cop next to him and not because he likes the perks associated with it but because its the way of the trade.
On the other hand, there is the superb character of his younger brother, who has a touch of sweet naivety and idealism. And Neelesh is is genuinely concerned for him, not because he hates his idealistic sermons but because he knows it could get him into troubles that he can never foresee himself. That's it, no more, no less.
For what they were worth, because of his links with the mob and nefarious politicians, Neelesh does get into a hell of a mess while putting his brother's life in jeopardy too. The dilemma that he faces, the almost unanswerable questions that he is forced to ponder upon, remind us of Arjuna in Mahabharata. But the characters never turn into archetypes. They remain what they are.
And one is bound to seriously start rooting for them, hoping that they could find a way out of the mess.

Although the end is a little too convenient for a novel that has such a great buid up, still it is a worthy read just for the tough moral questions that it raises through the pro(?)tagonist and for reinstating one's believe in the fact that Pathak ji is still holding the flag high for the Hindi pulp fiction genre.


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