Mangharam Udharam Malkani

Mangharam Udharam Malkani
Born(1896-12-24)24 December 1896
Hyderabad, Sindh, British India
Died1 December 1980(1980-12-01) (aged 83)
Bombay, India
OccupationsSindhi scholar, playwright

Mangharam Udharam Malkani (24 December 1896 – 1 December 1980) was an Indian scholar, critic, writer, playwright, literary historian and professor in the Sindhi language. He was the pioneer of modern Sindhi dramas. He was recognized as the "Grand old man of Sindhi literature".[1][2][3][4]

Early life and education

Malkani was born on 24 December 1896 in Hyderabad, Sindh[5] in the landlord family of Raisahab Udharam Malkani.

He completed his education at D. J. Sindh College in Karachi and later in Bombay. He developed a strong passion for drama during his childhood. While studying at his college in Karachi, he actively participated in all the activities and programs organized by the local amateur drama club.[5]

In 1923, Malkani and K. S. Daryani established the Rabindranath Literary and Dramatic Club in Sindh.[6] Rabindranath Tagore attended its inauguration, during which certain scenes from Tagore's play Chitrangada were presented on stage. Malkani performed the leading role of the hero, and his acting was highly appreciated by Tagore.[5]

Academic career

He joined D. J. Sindh College, Karachi as lecturer of English. After the partition of India, Malkani migrated to India and worked for a long period at Jai Hind College in Bombay, serving as a Professor of English and the Head of the English Department.[7] He earned wide recognition as an expert professor of the English language. Mumbai University appointed him as a member of the Board of Studies for both the Sindhi and English languages. He also served as the president of Sindhi Sahit Mandal (Sindhi literary Society). After retirement, he settled in Kolkata.[8]

He founded Sindhi Adabi Sangat.[9]

Literary career

Translations

Malkani began his literary journey through translation work. He translated several Bengali stories into Sindhi under the titles Gungi Kunari and Banadevi. Additionally, he translated multiple Western plays into Sindhi.[5]

In 1926, he translated Knoblock's 1911 play Kismet under the same title. In 1929, he translated a play by Shakespeare under the title Dilsoju Dastanu. This was followed in 1930 by a translation of Zangwill's 1908 play The Melting Pot, which he published in Sindhi under the name Ektajo Alapu.[5]

Malkani also translated poetry into Sindhi verse. He selected and translated poems from Rabindranath Tagore's Gardener and Gitanjali, publishing them as Pritija Geet (1940) and Gitanjali (1942) respectively.[5]

He wrote more than 22 books.[10][11]

He wrote Sindhi Nasar Ji Tarikh (History of Sindhi Prose) for which he received a Sahitya Akademi Award in 1969.[8] Prof Malkani led a delegation of Sindhi writers for Asian Writers’ Conference held in 1956 in New Delhi.

Original plays and one-acts

Following his translation work, Malkani began writing original drama. His first independent Sindhi play was Khinaji Khata (1930), which won a prize. In the same year, he authored the historical play Anarkali and brought it to the stage, where it achieved significant popularity.[5]

Malkani later focused on writing one-act plays. His one-act play Paap Joki To depicted the consequences of blind love during youth and became highly celebrated. His other notable one-act plays include Panj Nanda Natak (1937), Pangati Parda (1938), Jeevan Chahchita (1957) and Sudkhabita Jya Timkani (1963).[5]

Non-fiction and history

Malkani authored several major critical, analytical, and biographical books. Adabi Usool (1950) was a high-quality, contemplative book of literary criticism; Pachhimi Yatra (1963) was based on his travel descriptions; Sindhi Nasur Ji Tarikh: 1947 Tai (1968) detailed the history of Sindhi prose literature, which won him a major literary award. In Sahityakarinju Simityu (1979), he compiled the memories and memoirs of his own life.[5]

Awards and legacy

Malkani received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his historical work Sindhi Nasur Ji Tarikh: 1947 Tai (1968). In 1972, he was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.[5]

Death

He died on 1 December 1980 in Bombay, India.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "M U Malkani". The Sindhu World. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "35th death anniversary of the pioneer of modern Sindhi dramas Mangharam Malkani today". The Sindh Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "A few Eminent Sindhi Litterateurs". Muse India. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Lal, Ananda (2004). "Malkani, Mangharam Udharam". Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001. ISBN 9780195644463. Retrieved 25 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Halarnkar, Tanaji, ed. (1999). Konkani Vishwakosh  [Konkani Encyclopaedia] (in Goan Konkani). Vol. 3. Goa: Goa University. pp. 569–570 – via Wikisource.
  6. ↑ Ajwani, L. H. (1991). History of Sindhi Literature. Vanguard Books. pp. 208–209.
  7. ↑ "Promoters & Preservers of Sindhyat". Sindhi Sangat. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  8. 1 2 Mukhtiar Ali Unar; "Ajoko Deenhin", Daily Ibrat Hyderabad, Dated: December 01, 2024.
  9. ↑ "HYDERABAD: Dissidents to boycott SAS golden jubilee". DAWN. 15 December 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "SINDHI" (PDF). Sahitya Akademi. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Mangharam Udharam Malkani 1896 -". Open Library. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
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