History comes alive in the narrative as the chants of ‘Simon, Go Back’ fill the air, or when we see the call for Salt Satyagraha at Dandi reverberating in Garhpura in Bihar when everyone in the village joins the march to make salt.
The book features a long, rambling interview that references important themes such as Hindustaniyat, the Partition and its resonances, his formative days with the Progressive Writers Association, the Punjabi Sahitya Sabha, and reminiscences of working with nearly the entire pantheon of filmmakers, music directors, and actors in India over about fifty years.
Mani’s autobiography insightfully spells out traits of the politicians and authors and points out, ‘There are some writers whose subconscious is filled with politics and when they actively pursue literature, they juxtapose organization, leadership
Nadeem Khan’s translation is excellent. In times when we have serious debates on the political and subjective agency of the translator, Khan seems to be a follower of the classical school: not displaying any inclination towards transcreation and the dubious freedom it brings.
The tenderness towards the land that this farmer holds, however, is vastly different from the entitlement towards ancestral property that a corporate urban software professional aims to eke out in ‘Mom’s Home’.
Prakash observes, ‘Without a lamp at their heart, the lanterns looked innocent and helpless against the rain.’ In ‘Childbirth in Diamond Circus’, trapeze artist Dumpy and ringmaster, Shafi, cement their private family life in the communal circus with secret home-made bhajiyas.