Chitra Mudgal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1943-12-10)10 December 1943 (age 81) Madras,Madras Presidency, British India |
| Occupation | Novelist, writer |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | MA inHindi Literature |
| Alma mater | SNDT Women's University |
| Notable works | Post Box No. 203 – Nala Sopara,Aavaan |
| Notable awards | Sahitya Akademi Award Vyas Samman (2003) |
Chitra Mudgal (born 10 December 1943) is an Indian writer and one of the leading literary figures of modernHindi literature.
She is the first Indian woman to receive the covetedVyas Samman in 2003 for her novelAvaan.
In 2019 she was awarded India's highest literary award, theSahitya Akademi, for her novelPost Box No. 203, Naalasopara.
Chitra Mudgal was born inChennai on 10 December 1943.[1] She received her M.A. inHindi Literature from theSNDT Women's University. She married Awadh Narain Mudgal, former Editor of "Sarika", against her father's wish.[2]
Her novel 'Aavaan', portrayed the lives and times of the trade union movement when nearly 300,000 workers spearheaded byDatta Samant went on a year long strike of the Mumbai textile mills, which finally saw the collapse of the city's trademark industry. This work has been unanimously acknowledged by the critics as a masterpiece of literary work and stands as a classic novel in Hindi Literature.[3]
The plot of her novelAavaan was conceived following the murder of a committed trade union leader,Shankar Guha Niyogi.[2] His murder was in fact followed by the murder of another popular unionist of Bombay, Datta Samant.[4] Subsequently, another labour leader of Madhya Pradesh, from Maihar, was killed.[citation needed]
The murder of Datta Samant, who was her guide and philosopher, "shattered her" and became the bases of her novelAavaan.[2]
