The Engaged Observer
The Selected Writings of Shanta Gokhale
Published on 10. September 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
312 pages
978-93-88326-07-0 (ISBN)
Description
A collection of writings by an incandescent and gloriously eclectic intellectual of contemporary India.
For over four decades, Shanta Gokhale has entertained, informed and challenged us with her insightful, witty and forthright writing in both English and Marathi. With rare objectivity and consistency, Gokhale has tried to decode our unique social etiquette while subtly exposing our hypocrisies, and celebrated tradition-defying women while forcefully criticizing the patriarchal and misogynistic structures of society. Her essays on theatre not only illustrate its evolution in India, but also provide arresting portraits of theatre personalities such as Satyadev Dubey, Vijay Tendulkar and Veenapani Chawla. And her detailed yet accessible articles on Indian classical music are a delight to read.
In her short stories, she shapeshifts effortlessly from old men to teenage boys and college students. And finally, her two takes on Shakespeare show us how the Bard’s ideas continue to remain relevant and, more importantly, how little attention he paid to his women characters.
Candid, intense and often humorous, The Engaged Observer is also an invaluable record of the social, political and cultural changes that have taken place in Bombay, Mumbai and beyond.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
India
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
395 gr
ISBN-13
978-93-88326-07-0 (9789388326070)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
'Shanta Gokhale' was born in Dahanu and brought up in Mumbai. She has worked as a lecturer in English at Elphinstone College and H.R. College of Commerce, as a sub-editor with 'Femina', as a P.R. Executive with Glaxo Laboratories and as arts editor with the 'Times of India'. Gokhale has written two novels in Marathi, 'Rita Welinkar' and 'Tya Varshi'. Both won the Maharashtra State Award for the best novel of the year and have been translated by her into English. She has translated 'Smritichitre: The Memoirs of a Spirited Wife' by Lakshmibai Tilak and the novel 'Kautik on Embers' ('Dhag') by Uddhav J. Shelke. Apart from these she has also translated plays by Vijay Tendulkar, Mahesh Elkunchwar, Satish Alekar, G.P. Deshpande, Premanand Gajvi and Makarand Sathe. She has also translated from English into Marathi the play 'Mister Behram' by Gieve Patel and the novel 'Em and the Big Hoom' by Jerry Pinto. She is the author of 'Playwright at the Centre: Marathi Drama from 1843 to the Present'; and the editor of 'The Scenes We Made: An Oral History of Experimental Theatre in Mumbai, Satyadev Dubey: A Fifty-Year Journey Through Theatre' and 'The Theatre of Veenapani Chawla: Theory, Practice and Performance'. She has been a culture columnist with 'The Independent, The Sunday Times of India, Mid-Day' and 'Mumbai Mirror'.
In 2016, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her overall contribution to the performing arts.