Mahashweta

महाश्वेता (Mahashweta) is an original Marathi novel by Indian Sumati Kshetramade in which concerns a female protagonist named "Anupama".

Mahashweta is a Kannada novel by Indian Sudha Murthy which concerns a female protagonist named "Anupama".

This is one of Mrs. Murty’s very successful novel. This leads with the leukoderma affected girl. A black spot on white skin is appreciated but not a white spot on the black skin. Anupama, a very pretty girl, undergoes this torture and stigma in the society due to no fault of hers and struggles to overcome the situation. This novel is used for guidance in many dermatology clinics.

— www.sudhamurty.in, http://www.sudhamurty.in/gist_mahasweta.htm

Plot summary

Mahashweta is a very famous Marathi novel written by Dr. Sumati Kshetramade and deals with the issue of leukoderma. It was also adapted into a Television soap with Aishwarya Narkar playing the protagonist. Later Mrs. Sudha Murthy also wrote a novel by the same name and theme. Mrs. Murthy says she came to know about the Marathi novel only after finishing writing her Kannada novel. In Mrs. Murthy's novel the female protagonist Anupama ; who has met her match a handsome Dr. Anand, just like the story of Cinderella and gets a life dream come true. This all is shattered when she discovers that she has leukoderma which is still treated in India as a curse. The name Mahashweta is taken from the female protagonist Mahashweta in Banabhatta's play Kadambari

To all those interested to read Mahasweta by Sudha Murty, here comes a suggestion from the author herself:"Start reading the book after going through the post-script."

— Sudha Murty, http://www.sudhamurty.in/times.htm

This book has affected life of many people. One of such personal experience is mentioned by Sudha Murthy at the end of book where she is invited to an unknown marriage of a girl with leukoderma which was almost broken and then the bridegroom changed his opinion after reading her book Mahashweta.This book has been translated in many languages like English, Marathi, Hindi, Gujrati, and Oriya.^[1]

Characters

• Anupama - female protagonist
• Dr. Anand - Anupama's husband
• Sumithra - Anupama's friend
• Radhakka- Anupama's Mother-in-law
• Girija - Anupama's sister-in-law
• Shamanna - Anupama's father
• Dr. Vasant - Anupama's friend
• Dr. Satya - Dr. Vasant's colleauge also Anupama's friend

Footnotes

1. ^ http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/02/22/stories/2005022200400100.htm