Review of Language, Literature, Culture and Cinema: Essays in Honour of Professor Harish Narang Edited by Madhumita Chakraborty, Anuradha Ghosh, Mukesh Ranjan

Review of Language, Literature, Culture and Cinema: Essays in Honour of Professor Harish Narang 

Edited by Madhumita Chakraborty, Anuradha Ghosh, Mukesh Ranjan

Published by Aakar Books, Delhi, 2024

ISBN: 978-93-50028-91-9 (Hardcover)

Price: 1,695 INR

Language: English, pp. 479

The book Language, Literature, Culture and Cinema is a kaleidoscope of a wide array of critical essays offering diverse perspectives on language, marginality, diaspora, comparative literature and cinematic representation, among others. Dedicated to Prof. Harish Narang on his 81st birthday, the book contains an interview with him as well as a section on his writings, providing deep insight into his literary choices and preoccupations, particularly his love for Ngugi and Manto, his invaluable contribution to African literature studies in India, and his journey as a translator.

The book is thematically divided into nine sections:

The first section on Bhasha Literature is varied, with articles highlighting regional literary traditions. Poetry, poverty and politics abound in this section as we move through the sensibilities of Punjabi poets Pash, Dil and Shiv, to the "notion of pseudo nationalism" in Doodhnath Singh's 'Mai ka Shok Geet', which Diamond Oberoi Vahali terms as "one of the finest literary interventions in the national discourse". While treading through Mohammad Aslam's essay on Kashmiri poetry and politics and another on Premchand's timeless stories, one thing becomes clear: that the plurality of Indian linguistic traditions in more ways than one emphasizes the commonality of experiences among people of different castes, creed and community. Human suffering and fortitude are the common threads binding all of them together.

The second section, 'Constructing India from the Margins', focuses on tribals, dalits and marginalised communities. The essay by Shreya Bhattacharji and Hare Krishna Kuiry explores the nature-human connect in the rituals of tribal communities, particularly evident during the celebration of the 'Sarhul' festival. The essay holds a visual treat for its readers by including beautiful paintings and pictures to emphasize the aesthetics of tribal culture. This whole section, as the essay points out, "set pointers for entire communities to soul search and thereby dismantle their own stereotypical, hierarchical and gendered cultural constructs and societal structures."

The section 'On Reading Literature and Allied Arts' explores the relationship between literature and other art forms such as cinema, theatre, OTT platforms, etc. The essays span across a wide range of genres. Atanu Bhattacharya in 'The Choice of Language' indicates the possibility of "deterritorializing the discourse of the 'major' especially when located within a 'minor' genre", whereas the essay "Whitening Voices and Black Lives Matter" associates colonisation with linguistic imperialism and the significance of ratio-linguistics in terms of interaction between 'blacks' and 'whites'.

The fourth section on Indian diaspora is majorly focused on Canadian novelist and editor M.G. Vassanji's writings. Anjum Khan's essay deals extensively with the historical records and memories of migrants coalescing in the narratives of Vassanji. She points out that the themes of 'migration, displacement and nostalgia' are frequently addressed in his short stories and fiction. Another essay written by Vinod Kumar and Neelima Kanwar compares Vassanji's travelogues to those of Naipaul. They illustrate with examples that the travelogues of both the writers are 'replete with prejudices, religious fanaticism and fears…'

The section 'On Reading Literature in Comparative Terms' adopts a cross-cultural approach, comparing texts across languages, regions and traditions. The essay by Chandrani Biswas aptly brings out the dilemma shared by women across races and geographical boundaries, as their "multi-layered identities are often constructed for them by others rather than by themselves." Another essay by Ranu Uniyal on the poetry of Judith Wright and Kamala Das beautifully brings out the common threads in their poetry as well as in their personal lives. She draws our attention to the fact that "both the poets endorse a vision of pluralistic society with a diversity of customs and traditions, races, tribes, castes, communities, religion and languages."

The sixth section, 'Black Sensibilities in Literature and Cinema', contains essays articulating the black literary and cinematic traditions. The essays dealing with African literature and cinema examine themes of racial discrimination, struggle, oppression and identity, apart from exploring the issues of gender and empowerment. Devapriya Sanyal's essay on African novelist and filmmaker Sembene Ousmane's works is quite fascinating in this context and adds both global as well as ethical dimensions to the book's critical vision.

The section 'On Writings of Harish Narang' brings out his thematic concerns, his passion for Manto's writings and his immense contribution to the studies of African literature in English in India. The essay by Anuradha Ghosh on Prof. Narang's writings meticulously examines the range of ideas, perspectives and techniques that shape his writings. She describes his writings as a combination of "the critical, the creative and the translational axis." The essays highlight his deep concern for common people and the various burning social issues on which his stories are based.

The section 'Reflections' provides a very interesting talk of Prof. Narang on 'Creative Writing is an Ethical Question', where, without mincing words, he criticizes the literary world's obsession with Salman Rushdie and raises some very pertinent points on creative freedom, among others.

The interview of Prof. Narang taken by one of his students, Nandini Sen, is the cherry on the top as it explores various facets of his illustrious career and his journey as a writer and translator at a leisurely pace. The afterword provides a sense of closure to the book while inviting further discussions and

critical thinking.

Finally, Language, Literature, Culture and Cinema is an excellent book and adds immense value to the literary oeuvre by its extensively researched essays, critical sensibilities and inter-disciplinary perspectives.

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About the Reviewer:

Sangeeta Kotwal

Dr. Sangeeta Kotwal is a Professor and the Head of Department of English, Navyug Kanya Mahavidyalaya, University of Lucknow. She is an avid reader and researcher and has published various research papers in prestigious journals. She visited Australia for six weeks as a member of Group Study Exchange Programme sponsored by Rotary International. At present she executes various academic responsibilities at her Institution as IQAC coordinator and officiating librarian.