Chunilal Shah: Difference between revisions

'''Chunilal Vardhman Shah''' (1887–1966) was a [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] novelist and journalist from [[Gujarat]], India.<ref name="EIL">{{Cite book|last=Lal|first=Mohan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&pg=PA3940&dq=chunilal+vardhman+shah+birth+date#v=onepage|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot|date=1992|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1221-3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u1joAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA136&dq=chunilal+shah+gujarati+Author#v=onepage|title=Janata|date=1959}}</ref> He was awarded the [[Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]] in 1937.

Shah was born in 1887 in [[Wadhwan]], [[Saurashtra (state)|Saurastra]], [[British India]]. After passing his [[Matriculation#India|matriculation exams]] in 1903, he worked as a school teacher before becoming a journalist in ''Sanj Vartaman''. He subsequently worked for ''Rajasthan'' and ''Jainoday'' as sub-editor and editor, respectively. In 1909, he joined ''Prajabandhu'' and continued working there till it became defunct in 1953. Through his articles in ''Prajabandhu'', he gave a new direction to [[Gujarati journalism]] by providing more serious and thought provoking editorials.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kachot|first=Dr Sanjay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9UhDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA67&dq=%E0%AA%9A%E0%AB%81%E0%AA%A8%E0%AB%80%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B2+%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%B0%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%A7%E0%AA%AE%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%A8+%E0%AA%B6%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B9#v=onepage|title=Madhyamo: Sansodhan ane Vishleshan|date=2015-01-02|publisher=RED'SHINE Publication. Inc|isbn=978-93-84190-13-2|language=gu}}</ref>   

Shah wrote book reviews under the pseudonym '''Sahityapriya''' in ''Prajabandhu''. He was awarded the [[Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]] in 1937. He was appointed as a chairman of the journalism section of [[Gujarati Sahitya Parishad]] in 1941. Along with Gujarati he had command over [[Hindi]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Urdu]], and English.<ref name="EIL"/> He was deeply involved in [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhi]]'s political activities.<ref name = "PNI">{{Cite book|last1=Lieberman|first1=Karl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQ9z_P1-lXEC&pg=PA114&dq=chunilal+shah+gujarati+Author#v=onepage|title=Politics and the Novel in India|last2=Malik|first2=Yogendra K.|date=1975|publisher=E.J. Brill|language=en}}</ref> He wrote for the Gujarati magazine ''Gujarati Panch'', started in 1901 by Mangaldas Shah.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kachot|first=Dr Sanjay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mkwjDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT92&dq=%E0%AA%9A%E0%AB%81%E0%AA%A8%E0%AB%80%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B2+%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%B0%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%A7%E0%AA%AE%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%A8+%E0%AA%B6%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B9#v=onepage|title=19 Mi Sadinu Gujarati Patrakaratva Pravaho ane Prabhav|date=2014-05-14|publisher=RED'SHINE Publication. Inc|isbn=978-93-84190-11-8|language=gu}}</ref> He was the vice president of Gujarat Sahitya Sabha from 1956 to 1964.<ref name=shastri>{{cite book |first=Keshavram Kashiram |last=Shastri |author-link=Keshavram Kashiram Shastri |title=Gujarat Na Saraswato (Who's Who in Gujarati Literature) |year=1977 |publisher=Gujarat Sahitya Sabha |location=Ahmedabad |pages=14–15 |oclc=900401455}}</ref>

Though he is popular as a novelist, he started his literary career writing [[Poetry|poems]]. His historical novels were inspired by Narayan Visanji Thakkur. ''Avantinath'' translated his poems into [[Sanskrit]]. ''Tapovan'' deals with the issue of the [[joint family]] system, ''Vishchakra'' exposes evils in the society. ''Kantakchhayo Panth'', his last major project, extended over three volumes. The novel traces political thinkers from 1857 to 1961, the entire freedom struggle, and depicts the difficulty through the word ''kantak'' (throne). Some of the characters in these novels are historical, while some are fictitious.<ref name = "PNI"/><ref name="Jhaveri1978">{{cite book|last=Jhaveri|first=Mansukhlal Maganlal|authorlink=Mansukhlal Jhaveri|title=History of Gujarati Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DA0RAAAAMAAJ|year=1978|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|location=New Delhi|page=157|oclc=639128528}}</ref>

''Jigar ane Ami'' is a romantic novel based on a true story. It was first serialised in ''Prajabandhu''.<ref>{{Cite document|last=Rozman|first=Ksenija|title=Stroj [Stroy], Mihael|date=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|series=Oxford Art Online|doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t081856}}</ref> The [[Gujarati cinema|Gujarati film]] ''Jigar ane Ami'' (1970) was based on this novel. The Hindi film actor [[Sanjeev Kumar]] and [[Kanan Kaushal]] played lead roles in the film.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Gokulsing|first1=K. Moti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djUFmlFbzFkC&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=Gujarati+Film+Jigar+ane+ami+was+based#v=onepage|title=Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas|last2=Dissanayake|first2=Wimal|date=2013-04-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-77284-9|language=en}}</ref>  

He wrote about books and authors in ''Grandh ane Grandhkar'' with [[Bachubhai Ravat]] and [[Keshavram Kashiram Shastri|K K Shastri]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VB0lAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA68&dq=chunilal+shah+gujarati+Author#v=onepage|title=The Modern Review|date=1947|publisher=Prabasi Press Private, Limited|language=en}}</ref>