Swadesh Deepak

Swadesh Deepak (1942- ) (Hindi: स्वदेश दीपक, Punjabi: ਸਵਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀਪਕ) is a popular Indian playwright, novelist and short-story writer. Deepak has been active on the Hindi literary scene since the mid 1960s and is best known for "Court Martial," a pathbreaking play that he published in 1991. Deepak's most recent book is "Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha," a volume of memoirs. Deepak's work has appeared in all major literary periodicals of India, and he has more than 15 published titles to his credit. Several of his works have been staged and made into television programmes.

Deepak holds masters degrees in both Hindi and English. For twenty-six years, he taught English literature at Ambala's Gandhi Memorial College.

Writings

Swadesh Deepak found his literary expression first as a short story writer and then as a novelist and playwright. He has experimented with many forms of prose, and is well-known for his unique style.

hort stories

The first collection of stories that Deepak published in the 1973 was "Ashwarohi" (The Rider), which marks the birth of his grim, dark storytelling style on the literary scene. Over the next few years, Deepak wrote some of his most popular stories--"Aheri, Mara Hua Pakshi, Maatam, Jaihind, Kyunki Main Use Jaanta Nahin, Kisi Ek Ped Ka Naam Lo, Kyunki Hawa Padh Nahin Sakti, Tamaasha" and "Paapi Pet", to name just a few. Deepak also published two novels in Hindi, "Number 57 Squadron" and "Mayapot" (The Phantom Ship). The latter evoked mixed response from readers and critics. A collection of the finest stories of Swadesh Deepak, titled "Pratinidhi Kahaniyan" (Representative Stories) was published in the mid 1980s.

Plays

Swadesh Deepak was widely recognized as one of the finest playwrights in the country after the publication of "Court Martial". The play hits hard the roots of casteism in the Indian Army. "Court Martial" has been staged close to 2000 times in India by well-known Indian theatre directors Ranjeet Kapoor, Arvind Gaur and Usha Ganguli. It has been translated into many Indian languages and has won Deepak many an award. Deepak regards "Court Martial" as his best-known work, but not the best. His other prominent plays include "Sabse Udaas Kavita" directed by Arvind Gaur (premiered by the Asmita Theatre group), "Jalta Hua Rath" (The Chariot in Flames) and Kal Kothari (first directed by Arvind Gaur--Asmita Theatre).

Memoirs

In the early 1990s, Deepak showed severe symptoms of bipolar disorder, a condition that was diagnosed only a couple of suicide attempts and many frightful months later. He was under medication for a long time, and took many years to recover. Around 2001, he began documenting those fateful years spent "in the darkroom of his mind." These memoirs were first serialized in "Kathadesh", a leading Hindi monthly, and later published as a book, "Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha" (Rajkamal Prakashan). Deepak's memoirs triggered widespread debate--both for their innovative form, and their depiction of the way in which mental illness is perceived in India. The book won Deepak as many admirers as foes, with many putting even the suffering behind the book under the scanner.

Despite the volley of sharp-edged comments that it ensued, "Maine Maandu Nahin Dekha" is a work unlike any other published in recent times. It is special because it is a grotesque first-hand account of how this disorder destroys logic in a systematic fashion. And it is Deepak's precise, bare-bones language--almost poetical in most portions--that lends authenticity to the text.

The Loaded Gun

Deepak's works are characterized by their tragic, dark endings. His characters find death as a constant companion, and often succumb to it. Often, critics have suggested that Deepak walks alongside his characters with a loaded gun--recoiled and ready to fire. Maybe, one can trace the beginnings of Deepak's present mental ordeal to the dark stories that he was writing even in the early 1970s. Perhaps, it is no coincidence that Deepak's favourite authors are Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf, who succumbed to mental agony themselves.

The Return of the Storyteller

After a self-proclaimed abstinence from writing short stories lasting many years, Deepak returned to the form in the early 2000s. Some of his stories written during the period carry the echo of "Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha". "Bagugoshe" was a fine story that he published a few years back.

Awards and honours

Swadesh Deepak has won many awards for his powerful writings. Recently, he won the "Sur Puraskar," the highest literary award conferred by the Government of Haryana, the state of his residence. He participated in the World Hindi Conference organized in Suriname.

Deepak is one of the few playwrights to win the "Sangeet Natak Akademi Award", the most prestigious award conferred to a performing artist in India. He is, undoubtedly, the best-known writer that Haryana has produced, and one of finest in his generation.

Tragic developments

In early 2006, Deepak showed symptoms of acute depression related to Bipolar disorder. He had suffered a cardiac attack in 2004, but had shown considerable improvement ever since. On June 2 2006, Deepak left home for his routine morning walk, and went missing. All attempts to trace him have shown little results.

Books by Swadesh Deepak

These titles are arranged in chronological order.

Collections of short stories

* "Ashwarohi / अश्वारोही (1973)"
* "Maatam / मातम (1978)"
* "Tamaasha / तमाशा (1979)"
* "Pratinidhi Kahaniyan / प्रतिनिधि कहानियां (1985)"
* "Bal Bhagwaan / बाल भगवान (1986)"
* "Kisi Apriya Ghatna Ka Samachar Nahin / किसी अप्रिय घटना का समाचार नहीं (1990)"
* "Maskhare Kabhi Nahin Rote / मसखरे कभी नहीं रोते (1997)"
* "Nirvachit Kahaniyan / निर्वाचित कहानियां (2003)"

Novels

* "Number 57 Squadron / नंबर ५७ स्क्वाड्रन (1973)"
* "Mayapot / मायापोत (1985)"

Plays

* "Natak Bal Bhagwan / नाटक बाल भगवान (1989)"
* "Court Martial / कोर्ट मार्शल (1991)"
* "Jalta Hua Rath / जलता हुआ रथ (1998)"
* "Sabse Udaas Kavita / सबसे उदास कविता (1998)"
* "Kaal Kothari / काल कोठरी (1999)"

Memoirs

* "Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha / मैंने मांडू नहीं देखा (2003)"

Reviews

* "Tight pace of Swadesh Deepak's Court Martial... not to be missed." - Kavita Nagpal(Hindustan Times)
* "Arvind Gaur's hard hitting realism... his intelligent approach... strong play by Swadesh Deepak." - Aruna Ahluwalia (E. News)
* "Kudos to Court Martial... a drama that goes beyond the limits of drama." - (The Indian Express)
* "The Asmita team has created a marvelous piece of theatre out of a wonderful script... don't miss it. The time spent watching the play is well worth it." - Smita Nirula (The Pioneer)
* "Stealing the scene with revolt as the theme... Court Martial is an engrossing display of theatre for social awareness." - Sushama Chadha (The Times of India)
* "Excellent Performance by Deepak Dobrial as Captain Vikash Roy... Swadesh Deepak's brilliant script... memorable production by the Asmita team and Arvind Gaur." - Romesh Chandra (The Hindu)
* "Impressive Presentation: The much-talked about play "Court-Martial", directed by the eminent young theatre director Arvind Gaur, was successfully staged here at Gandhi Bhawan Auditorium, on the first day of Shahjehanpur Theatre Festival. Court Martial is probably the first Indian play, wherein an effort to expose the rot rampant in the Indian army has been made." -(Amar Ujala)
* "Mirror of the Society: "Court Martial" is not just a play, but more aptly the real picture of the Indian society that brings us face to face with the caste-based feudalism, despite the constitutional & legal objections of the democratic procedures…Indian Army is one such government institution, which does not permit caste-based reservations. The play presents the truth very much prevalent in the Indian society. That, a person with merit, is traumatised just because of his low-caste origins. Can we march into the 21st century with such a narrow mindset? This is an important question that seeks an answer of us. Can we answer this question in this 50th year of our independence? Perhaps not!" - (-Amit Kumar (Rastriya Sahara)
* "Court Martial", scripted by Swadesh Deepak and directed by Arvind Gaur was staged at the Sriram Centre, on the first day of the ‘Asmita Theatre Festival’ organized by Asmita Production. The play is based on the caste-based discrimination rampant in the Indian Army. The strength of the play lies in its powerful dialogues that take it forward." -(Alok Nandan)
* "Not Just a Play: ‘Court Martial’ is not just a play written by Swadesh Deepak, directed by Arvind Gaur & enacted by Asmita-artistes. It is a burning truth of the Indian Society. Sensing that Indian Army is the only government institution, which does not permit caste-based reservations, ‘Court Martial’ presents a mixture of natural and legal justice, which is not only the truth of the Indian Army, but that of the whole Indian Society. That, despite all his qualifications, an individual is traumatised because of his low-caste origins is not merely social violence, but a crime against humanity. The monotony of the long court-trial was pre-empted by the seasoned performance of the Asmita artistes. This Asmita-presentation has proved to be a soothing experience, after many years, for Swadesh Deepak who created a countrywide flutter through this play. " -(Ajit Roy (Navbharat Times))

External links

* [http://www.littlemag.com/hunger/swadesh.html Translation of a Short Story by Swadesh Deepak (from "The Little Magazine")]
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050515/spectrum/main2.htm Media Feature on Swadesh Deepak]
* [http://indiantheatre.blogspot.com/2005/09/swadesh-deepaks-play-courtmartial-1st.html Synopsis and Reviews of "Court Martial"]