Muslim author, Hindu translator: Duo ignites Kannada literary pride
International Booker Prize
win for
Heart Lamp
has triggered an outpouring of joy across Karnataka, with Kannadigas hailing it as a watershed moment for regional literature. The recognition comes at a time when
Kannada literature
, despite its rich legacy, has not seen a Jnanpith Award since Chandrashekhara Kambara win in 2010.
Kannda once held the record for most Jnanpiths, but it has been overtaken by Hindi.
The Booker win, therefore, is being celebrated as a long-awaited moment of global recognition.
Mushtaq's literary journey is rooted in rebellion. In the early 1980s, she penned a powerful article rebuking a fatwa issued against a Muslim woman. The only publication bold enough to carry it was Lankesh Patrike, the tabloid run by literary icon P Lankesh.
"This award has undoubtedly put the spotlight on Kannada," said Basavaraju Megalakeri, Mushtaq's colleague at Lankesh Patrike. "But one cannot overlook the symbolism; a
Muslim woman author
and a Hindu woman translator together bringing Kannada to the global stage. Whether intended or not, it is powerful."
Renowned literary critic Prof Asha Devi MS, who wrote the foreword to Heart Lamp, said the award will resonate with women writers.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Tunisia: New Small Electric Car For Seniors. Prices Might Surprise You.
Electric Cars | Search Ads
Undo
"Women writers have been congratulating one another ever since the news broke. It feels like a victory for every woman," Devi said. "The male-centric myth often claims women lack unity. That notion has been shattered by this collective celebration."
Heart Lamp draws from decades of Mushtaq's writing, transcending religious and gender identities. "Sara Aboobacker gave us context for the struggle of Muslim women.
Mushtaq took it beyond that. Her work speaks to universal human experiences, not just experiences of women or Muslim women," Devi added.
In one of Mushtaq's most evocative stories, Omme Hennagu Prabhuve, the protagonist with God to become a woman for a day to understand the dangers women face.
"This is not plea of just Muslim women, or women from one region or country," Devi said. "It's a plea rooted in shared human experience. The greatest impact of
Banu Mushtaq
is her ability to bring women characters out of boundaries set for them.
She gives them dignity and a stamp of human experience."
Though often associated with the Bandaya (rebel) school of literature, Devi argues that Mushtaq's style is more reflective than angry. "The essence of Bandaya is outrage (aakrosha), but when you're overwhelmed by outrage, truth can't be seen from all angles. Mushtaq's writing carries a tranquillity that enables a deeper, more nuanced engagement with truth."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' box office collection day 9: Pawan Kalyan starrer collects Rs 28 lakh on second Friday
Picture Credit: X Pawan Kalyan's much-hyped period action drama 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 – Swords vs Spirit' has been facing a poor reception at the box office. The movie's momentum seems to have faded after a promising start. As per early estimates by trade analyst Sacnilk, the film managed to collect only Rs 28 lakh on its ninth day, marking its lowest single-day figure so far. Box office trends The film, which hit theatres on July 24, opened to massive expectations, especially with Pawan Kalyan taking on a full-fledged period role and the makers branding it as his first pan-Indian film. While the opening weekend brought in decent numbers, the collection has steadily declined since the weekdays began. In the first week, the movie opened powerfully with Rs 34.75 crore on day 1, but sharp drops followed. Collections slumped to Rs 8 crore on the second day and fluctuated around Rs 9-10 crore through the weekend before falling further during weekdays. The total earnings for the first week stood at Rs 80.86 crore, but the second week hasn't seen much traction. The film's current India total stands at a little over Rs 81 crore, and is also facing competition from other big releases like Vijay Deverakonda 's 'Kingdom'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Pieces of Clothing Older Women should Avoid Learn More Undo About the film Directed by Jyothi Krishna and Krish Jagarlamudi, 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' is set in the Mughal era and tells the story of a fictional character which is an outlaw Veera Mallu, played by Pawan Kalyan, who takes on the oppressive regime. The film stars Nidhhi Agerwal as the female lead, while Bollywood actor Bobby Deol plays the primary antagonist, Aurangzeb. The supporting cast includes notable names like Nassar, Sunil, Dalip Tahil, Adithya, and Sachin Khedekar. The music is composed by MM Keeravaani.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Priyanka Chopra shares sassy post featuring Rekha; netizens misread one word as ‘Bachchan' - Here's what she exactly wrote
Veteran actress Rekha and Bollywood's 'Desi Girl' Priyanka Chopra are two of the most loved divas in the film industry. Over the years, the two have shown admiration for each other on several occasions. One such moment came on Saturday morning when Priyanka shared a bold and sassy tribute to Rekha on her Instagram Stories. Priyanka shares sassy post ft. Rekha Priyanka Chopra took to her Instagram Stories and reposted a striking poster featuring a painting of Rekha. The portrait showed Rekha in a full diva mode, looking fierce and glamorous in a look that reminds of her film 'Utsav'. The poster showed Rekha styled like a 'Cleopatra'-inspired queen, full of attitude and elegance. The message on the poster read, 'Better B*tch than a Bichari.'To match the vibe, the remix of the song 'Taal Se Taal', originally from the film 'Taal' starring Aishwarya Rai , Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna was added with the post Netizens confused by bold font Soon after the post went live, some social media users admitted they had misread the bold text on the image. One netizen commented, 'Why did I read Bachan?' Another wrote, 'First I read Bachchan…' One more added, 'I thought it was better a Bacchan (sic)'. Rekha and Priyanka share warm bond Priyanka and Rekha's admiration for each other is pretty well known. Earlier this year, in June, Rekha's iconic film 'Umrao Jaan' made a grand comeback to cinemas in a restored 4K version. Though Priyanka couldn't attend the re-release event, she made sure to send her love to Rekha through Instagram. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo On Sunday, June 22, she shared a video clip from the film on her Stories along with a heartfelt note: 'Sad not to be there to support my favourite movie and actors. It will be a legendary night. Congratulations Re ma'am.' On the work front, Priyanka was last seen in the film 'Heads of State', where she starred alongside Idris Elba and John Cena. Up next, PeeCee will return in the second season of the web series 'Citadel'. She is also all set to play a 19th-century Caribbean pirate in the film 'The Bluff'.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
John Krasinski announces 'A Quiet Place Part III' release date; fans express their excitement
John Krasinski is going back to his quiet place again – and the audience is all over the moon with the announcement. With the noise-sensitive aliens and the Abbott family, 'A Quiet Place Part III' is scheduled to release on July 9, 2027. 'A Quiet Place Part III' release Krasinski, who rose to fame for his role in 'The Office,' would be taking in the role of director, writer and producer for the latest instalment. However, the further details about the plot and the cast members have not been revealed yet. If one has to take a wild guess, the third part would revolve around the aliens with sharp hearing ability, and the humans who are advised not to even drop a pin for silence, according to Deadline. About the previous films of the franchise The 45-year-old actor announced the release on his Instagram handle with the release date and 'III.' The 'Quiet Place' franchise has managed to make over USD 900 million, with John directing the first two parts, and Michael Sarnoski taking over the spin-off, serving as a prequel, 'Quiet Place: Day One.' The first part, released in 2018, took over the globe, starring John Krasinski, his wife Emily Blunt , Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds, and received an Oscar nomination for Sound Editing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo The second part saw a push in the release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the circumstances created a decrease in box office sales compared to the previous film, making USD 293 million worldwide. In the previous year, 'Quiet Place: Day One' served as a prequel and gave a glimpse of the apocalyptic New York City, starring Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn. The announcement created a breeze of excitement amongst the fans, while some were disappointed with the date being two years away.
