Manohar Shyam Joshi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1933-08-09)9 August 1933 |
| Died | 30 March 2006(2006-03-30) (aged 72) |
| Occupations | Writer, essayist, columnist, journalist |
| Spouse | Dr. Bhagwati Joshi |
| Children | Anupam Joshi Anurag Joshi Ashish Joshi |
Manohar Shyam Joshi (9 August 1933 – 30 March 2006) was a Hindi writer, journalist and scriptwriter, most well known as the writer of Indian television's first soap opera,Hum Log (1984) and his early hitsBuniyaad (1987),Kakaji Kahin, a political satire[1] and many experimental novels includingKasap andKyap, which won him theSahitya Akademi Award.
Manohar Shyam Joshi was born on 9 August 1933 atAjmer in Rajasthan,[2] the son of a noted educationist and musicologist belonging to aKumaoni family fromAlmora,Uttar Pradesh now in the state ofUttarakhand. He is the father of leading AI and cybersecurity expert ProfessorAnupam Joshi.
He died on 30 March 2006, at the age of 73,[3] in New Delhi, India. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Bhagwati Joshi, and sons,Anupam Joshi, Anurag Joshi and Ashish Joshi. Upon his death, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh called him "one of the most influential writers and commentators in Hindi in recent times".[4][5]
According toKhushwant Singh, the eminent author, editor and critic,"By the time he died in 2006, he was recognised as the first and the most innovative writer of Hindi."[6]
He is often called "the Father ofIndian Soap Operas"[7] being the writer of India's first television soap opera,Hum Log. Made in 1982, when television was still a luxury item for the majority of Indians, the serial dealt with the everyday struggles of the middle-class India, making it an instant hit, especially because every Indian could identify with it.[8][9] Another popular creation wasBuniyaad (1987–1988), directed by Ramesh Sippy, a serial based around the life a family displaced by the Partition of India in 1947; both went on to deeply influence an entire generation of Indians as well as the Indian television industry.[10]
In the following years he wrote many more long running serials likeMungeri Lal Ke Hasin Sapney,Kakaji Kahin,Humrahi,Zameen Aasman andGatha.
Manohar Shyam Joshi is also known for his novels which have dealt with topics ranging from love, inKasap, described as one of the greatest love stories in Hindi, to devastating political satire likeNetaji Kahin.
He was a prominent post-modernist authors in modern Hindi literature,[11] as amiably demonstrated by his cult novelKuru kuru Swaahaa and his novellaHariya Hercules ki Hairaani. He was awarded the prestigiousSahitya Akademi Award in 2005 for Hindi, for his novelKyap,[12] an allegory of modern India, known for its sensitive portrayal of theKumaoni traditions of his home state ofUttarakhand.
He had a penchant for romance, subtle comedy and satire alike. This allowed him to write for cinema on a variety of subjects, likeHey Ram,Appu Raja,Papa Kahte Hain andBrashtachar. He was a dubbing expert of much ability and dubbed for films likeAppu Raja andHey Ram.[citation needed]
He had a long stint as a journalist in broadcast and the print media. He worked first withAll India Radio, New Delhi, in the Hindi news section and then with theFilms Division of India in Mumbai, where he wrote the scripts for many documentaries. This is when he started writing his famous landmark interviews with ordinary folks, which were serialised in theSarika magazine. It was not long before he was handpicked bySachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan Agyeya for a new Hindi news magazineDinaman, being brought out by theTimes of India group. Agyeya was to be the editor and Joshi the assistant editor.
Later, he edited the leading Hindi magazineSaptahikHindustan, concurrently with the EnglishWeekend Review and, in late 70s, theMorning Echo weekly all brought out by theHindustan Times.
His journalistic writings have covered a wide range of topics from popular science and scintillating travelogues to astute political analyses. Until his death, he wrote an opinion column forOutlook Saptahik,Hindi magazine fromOutlook India.
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