Shashi Deshpande is an Indian novelist.
Wiki/Biography
Shashi Deshpande is a famous Indian writer. She was born on August 19, 1938 in Dharwad district of Karnataka. Shashi was awarded the coveted Padma Shri. She is also a member of Sahitya Academy. She was born to famous parents. She published a collection of short stories in 1978 and her first novel, The Dark Is Not Scary, in 1980. She was educated in Bombay and Bangalore. She received an education in law and economics. She further studied journalism at Vidya Bhawan and worked as a reporter for a popular magazine, Onlooker. Along with this was a degree in art.
family
Shashi comes from an upper-middle-class family and is married to a similar man. She remembers the intellectual environment at home created by her father, the great novelist, dramatist, and director; Sri Ranga. Her father affectionately calls her ‘nirupayogi’ and calls her ‘Jaane’.
Parents and siblings
Shashi’s father is the famous dramatist and writer Adya Rangacharya and Sharada Adya. Her father is widely known by his pen name Sriranga. She has two siblings: a brother and a sister; Usha Desai. She mentioned in her book Hear Me that her relationship with her mother was not particularly perfect. She also spoke about the impact her brother’s health issues have had on the family.
Shashi Deshpande’s father Sri Ranga
husband and children
She is married to Dr. Dhirender H. Deshpande and has 2 sons. She described her husband as being like her own father, the most supportive and nurturing person. She lost her young son Raghu in 2017. Their other son Vikram lives in the United States. Talking about her personal life issues, she mentioned the trauma of losing her son, the fact that the event was still fresh in her mind and caused her great pain and sadness.
Profession
Award-winning author Shashi Deshpande started his writing career at the age of 30. After marrying and having two children, she began writing professionally. Before then, she said she couldn’t make it as a housewife on her own, and her frustrations found expression in her writing. Many of her works are considered women’s or feminist works. She has always had strong opinions about her work, and her work has been noticed. She said she likes to use simple and understandable language in her works. The flowery language didn’t seem to impress her. She also said that not many writers could escape similar punishment, but Arundhati Roy was an exception. In 1997, Prema Karanth, the first female director, adapted her book Dark No Fear into a film. In 2017, HarperCollins purchased the film rights to Strangers Among Us , directed by Harsar Mehta. As a British writer, she faced considerable prejudice as people often had preconceived notions, such as that she was rich. Another thing she dislikes the most is that her work is categorized as being only for women, she said, and it seems strange to her that men are asking her for signed books specifically for the women in their lives. She also believes that the fact that her first book was published by a foreign publisher, which is often a factor in a book’s performance, played a huge role in its sales. Her first reader is always her husband, and her most annoying critics are those who bring personal opinions and ill will into their comments based on that.
dispute
- Deshpande was in the news for his resignation from the revered Sahitya Akademi over the murder of Professor MM Kalburgi. She described Prof. MM Kalburgi as an honest man and scholar and also a member of the General Council of Sahitya Akademi. With little accomplished in academia, she wrote her resignation letter. She was seen expressing frustration at not being able to take a unanimous stand for the professor, calling him her “0.” She expressed frustration with the government and disagreed when asked if she wanted Sahitya Akademi to become a militant organization. Deshpande further said that her only concern was to ensure freedom of expression for writers as Mr. Kalberg bore the brunt of this cause. She did not distort the facts but bluntly said that the government came to power with the help of Hindutva forces and speaking out against them would not benefit them at all and hence remained silent.
Sadly, it has become increasingly important to reiterate that differences of opinion cannot be settled with bullets. Discussion and debate are the only ways for a civilized society to solve problems. It is clear that writers are considered the guardians of society’s conscience, but they are no longer regarded as intellectual leaders; their voices no longer matter. ” noting that perhaps now is “the right time for writers to reclaim their voices.”
- She expressed her views during the Citizenship Amendment Act and how the government responded to resistance with violence.
Currently, the situation is rapidly changing and full of uncertainty. There were no whispers of conciliatory gestures. The government believes that this resistance must be met with violence and believes that if you are not with us, you are the enemy.
feminism
Deshpande believes that feminism stems from the awareness that women are treated unfairly. Her writing, she says, was prompted in large part by thinking about the identity of women in our society. She talks about women and their everyday problems. However, her work addresses unspoken issues in society such as marital rape, unfair treatment, rape culture and the shame associated with it.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 1990, she won the Sahitya Academic Award for her novel “The Long Silence”.
- Deshpande’s novel “Shadow Play” was shortlisted for the 2014 Hindu Literary Award.
- She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009.
Facts/Trivia
- She always spoke to her children in Marathi because her mother always did the same.
- Jane Austen was one of her favorite authors.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education