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{{Short description|Marathi Writer}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=mr|otherarticle=नारायण धारप|date=October 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2020}}
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person/Wikidata
| fetchwikidata = ALL
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|08|18|1925|08|27|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| known for = [[Horror fiction]], [[weird fiction]]
| occupation = Writer
}}

'''Narayan Dharap''' (27 August 1925 – 18 August 2008) was an Indian writer, primarily of [[horror fiction]] in the [[Marathi language]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bookstruck.app |title=Narayan Dharap |url=https://web.bookstruck.in/book/show/1778 |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=bookstruck.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Narayan Dharap |url=http://www.rasik.com/cgi_bin/display_author.cgi?authorId=a96657&lang=marathi |website=rasik.com |language=mr |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302082731/https://www.rasik.com/cgi_bin/display_author.cgi?authorId=a96657&lang=marathi |url-status=dead }}</ref> He wrote more than 100 books and was the first Marathi author to bring [[H. P. Lovecraft]]'s [[Cthulhu Mythos]] to Marathi readers.<ref name=":0" /> He was also a writer of [[Science fiction in India|science fiction]] and [[Marathi theatre|drama]].

Dharap earned a B.Sc. (Chemistry) degree from [[Mumbai University]] and had lived in Africa for some time for work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=समर्थ' गेले! |url=http://maharashtratimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3386915.cms |website=[[Maharashtra Times]] }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He died in [[Pune]] on 18 August 2008 due to [[pneumonia]], having suffered from [[Respiratory disease|lung disease]] for some time.

== Work ==
The main characters which can be found often in his stories or novels are: Samartha, Appa Joshi, Krishnachandra, Pant and Jaidev. There are assorted stories as well, in which there can be individual heroes/heroines who overcome a situation, sometimes with a little external help, sometimes without it. Most of his stories feature a great battle between [[good and evil]], usually concluding with [[good]] triumphant. Dharap's stories also come from [[Marathi culture]]. The general characteristics of Dharap's books include "a victory of good over evil", "origination of the concepts in the book from Marathi culture", "keeping the story away from any kind of [[Sex in Indian entertainment|sexual references]] (which is considered an important factor in any "[[Genre fiction|popular]]" horror or [[Suspense fiction|suspense literature]])", "despite the books being of the horror genre, keeping the contents away from any kind of gore or offense against '[[Aesthetic taste|good taste]]'".{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Horror writing is still not seen with the reverence the way other types of writings are seen in [[Marathi literature]]. Narayan Dharap is loved by most Marathi readers who have some interest in the horror genre. He wrote some strikingly original stories based on [[weird fiction]] in Marathi, also he introduced fictional mythologies in Marathi horror literature for the first time.

Some of Dharap's novels and stories were inspired from contemporary American authors including [[Stephen King]], typically in the area of plot and geography. "Shapath" was a short story inspired by King's [[It (novel)|''It'']] and "[[Gramma (short story)|Gramma]]". "Gramma" was also adapted by Dharap into the short story "Aaji", published in the [[short story collection]] ''Anolkhi Disha 3'', "Aaji" along with "Bali" another short from the collection ''Padchhaya'' served as a basis for the 2018 Indian horror film ''[[Tumbbad]]''.

== Characters ==

* '''Samartha''': Samartha is one of the main characters that can be found in many of Dharap's novels. He is a powerful [[saint]]-like person, who helps people out of difficult situations involving bad [[Supernatural|supernatural powers]]. He himself is a possessor of great supernatural power, which he has earned with great efforts. He is generally assisted by '''Appa Joshi''', who is a [[Everyman|common man]] with a good heart and highly esteems Samartha.
* '''Krishnachandra''': Like Samartha, Krishnachandra too is a possessor of great supernatural powers, which he uses to help people in trouble (again with bad supernatural powers/ possessors of those powers/people helping these bad powers). However, unlike Samartha, he enjoys worldly pleasures as well. He is sometimes assisted by a character called '''Omkar'''.
* '''Pant''': Pant is another character that can be found in a couple of Dharap's stories. However, he doesn't appear in as many books as Samartha and Krishnachandra do. He is a great [[Tantra|Tantrik]], whose prayer room can appear anywhere he wants. There are some brutal forces hidden behind the statues of various animals in those rooms, which help him to fight against brutal evil in the story.
* '''Jaidev''': Jaidev is an [[occult]]ist with supernatural powers. He uses his divine abilities to help people and cure them from the attacks of evil forces. His appearance is very similar to Samartha.

== Bibliography ==
;Novels
* ''Samartha'' (1968)
* ''Kata'' (1970)
* ''Angarika'' (1976)
* ''Chaya'' (1971)
* ''Samarthanchi Sahase'' (1970)
* ''Ubhe Adave Dhage'' (1969)
* ''Krishna'' (1971)
* ''Samarthanchi Shakti'' (1972)
* ''Kajli'' (1970)
* ''Bujagavane'' (1971)

; Short story collections
*''Anolkhi Disha'' (adapted into a television series of the [[Anolkhi Disha|same name]])<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 December 2011 |title=महेश कोठारे बनले मालिका दिग्दर्शक |trans-title=Mahesh Kothare becomes serial director |url=http://www.esakal.com/esakal/20111208/5644160921067763888.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208233404/http://esakal.com/esakal/20111208/5644160921067763888.htm |archive-date=8 December 2011 |website=[[Sakal]] |language=mr}}</ref>
** ''Anolkhi Disha 1''
** ''Anolkhi Disha 2''
** ''Anolkhi Disha 3''
* ''Padchhaya''

;Short stories
* "Krishnachandra"
* "Samarthachiya Sevaka"
* "Chetakeen"
* "Dast"
* "Samarthancha Prahar"
* "Shapath" (inspired by [[Stephen King]]'s [[It (novel)|''It'']] and "[[Gramma (short story)|Gramma]]")
* "Sathe"
* "Fayakas"
* "Aaji" (from the collection ''Anolkhi Disha 3'', based on King's "Gramma" and adapted into the 2018 horror film ''[[Tumbbad]]'')
* "Bali" (from the collection ''Padchhaya'', adapted into the 2018 horror film ''Tumbbad'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://akshardhara.com/search?q=narayan+dharap&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Narayan Dharap] at Akshar Dhara

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dharap, Narayan}}
[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian horror writers]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:Weird fiction writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Adaptations of works by Stephen King]]
[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos writers]]
[[Category:Novelists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Marathi-language novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian short story writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Writers from Pune]]

Narayan Dharap - Revision history

Pnbh11: Added entry