'''Khandekar, Vishnu Sakharam (1898-1976)'''


Influential Marathi writer and essayist born in
Sangli, Maharashtra. Closely associated with the
progressive, secular tradition of the reformist
G.G. Agarkar. A former schoolteacher, his bestknown
novels (Ulka, 1934; Hirva Chafa, 1938;
Pandhre Dhag, 1939) are often deliberately
pedagogical, with characters presented as
social ‘types’ in situations devised as guides to
morally correct behaviour. Wrote several
original scripts, e.g. for Master Vinayak
(Jwala, 1938; Amrit and Junnarkar’s Sangam,
both 1941) some of which he later novelised
(Rikama Devhara based on Devata, 1939;
Sukhacha Shodh, 1939, etc.). His literary world
is ‘peopled on the one side by ambitious men
who have lost their humanity and, on the other,
by the poor [w]ho suffer but never lose their
humaneness; poverty is always perceived as a
social consequence of crippling ambition’
(Mordekar, Aug 1941). His stories are high
melodrama full of sacrifices bravely borne,
passionate revenge and holy sin in
extraordinarily convoluted plots (Chhaya,
1936; Mazhe Bal, 1943), exerting a strong
influence in Marathi cinema, e.g. on Raja
Paranjpe/G.D. Madgulkar. Based scripts on
C.V. Joshi’s popular political satires featuring
the bumbling duo Gundyabhau and Chimanrao: Lagna Pahave Karun (1940) and
Sarkari Pahune (1942). Scripted C.
Raghuvir’s Soneri Savli (1953), Madhav
Shinde’s Antaricha Diva (1960), Mansala
Pankh Astaat (1961) and Sunbai (1962; also
providing the lyrics together with Shanta
Shelke).

[[Writer]]