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A review by shorshewitch
Mother of 1084 by Mahasweta Devi
5.0
#BookRecommendation
"क्या इसिलिए जान दी थी उन्होंनें? यह जिंदा लाशें, यह पथरिली, चमकीली लाशें. न कोई ज़मीर, न आत्मा. क्या इसिलिए दाँव पर लगाया था अपना सबकुछ? यह कभी नहीं बाटेंगे अपना कुछ."
"घर का, परिवार का, कर्तव्य निभाना ही तो सिखाया है बचपन से. कभी कुछ और सोचा ही नहीं."
Do these lines trouble you? Do they make you uncomfortable? Does your skin crawl when you think of your identity? What does "pride" mean to you? What do you take pride in? In the class in which you were born? In the riches you were born with? In the skin you were born with? Do you think that is your achievement? What does "equality" mean to you? How far are you willing to sacrifice yourself for someone/something? Does a mother always understand her child? Knows what they are up to? If she doesn't know it or understand it, is it her 'mistake'?
"हजा़र चौरासवें की माँ" has portrayed the brutality of life through two very significant aspects - feminism and the voice of dissent/revolution.
Sujata and Dibyanath Chatterjee are upper class Bengalis living a comfortable life with their two sons - Jyoti and Brati and two daughters - Nipa and Tuli. This story is about Vrati - the 1084 in the title. This story is about a loving son - a National Scholarship winner - a young Indian boy with a very bright future - a 'sensitive', 'nurturing', 'caring' son who was often referred to by his father as 'girlish', as 'unmanly'.
When I started this little gutsy book, I never knew what 1084 even meant. So I am not going to divulge it out here either. In fact, it is very difficult for me personally to review this book without being biased as a woman.
I could not read this book in its original language, "Bangla". I had to make do with its Hindi version but I wasn't disappointed at all. The book moves to and fro between year gaps and tells us about the events unfolding/unfolded in those years. It is the story of Sujata, in search of her son and through him, in search of her self. It raises some very important questions about the world we live in. About political ideologies. About motherhood. About who decides the right and wrong. About is there anything right or wrong at all. About love and passion. About artificiality of the things we give ourselves to. I loved the book and it is going to go in my re-read pile for sure.
Once I was done with the book, I saw the movie too. Directed by Govind Nihalani, Jaya Bachchan in the character of Sujata has portrayed immense emotions only through her eyes. It has some brilliant actors like Anupam Kher, Mona Ambegaonkar, Milind Gunaji, Nandita Das, Bhakti Barve. The movie has stayed true to the book completely. The end has been extended slightly and I personally loved it. The self discovery of Sujata is one journey no one should miss.
If you have read the book, would love to know what you felt!
"क्या इसिलिए जान दी थी उन्होंनें? यह जिंदा लाशें, यह पथरिली, चमकीली लाशें. न कोई ज़मीर, न आत्मा. क्या इसिलिए दाँव पर लगाया था अपना सबकुछ? यह कभी नहीं बाटेंगे अपना कुछ."
"घर का, परिवार का, कर्तव्य निभाना ही तो सिखाया है बचपन से. कभी कुछ और सोचा ही नहीं."
Do these lines trouble you? Do they make you uncomfortable? Does your skin crawl when you think of your identity? What does "pride" mean to you? What do you take pride in? In the class in which you were born? In the riches you were born with? In the skin you were born with? Do you think that is your achievement? What does "equality" mean to you? How far are you willing to sacrifice yourself for someone/something? Does a mother always understand her child? Knows what they are up to? If she doesn't know it or understand it, is it her 'mistake'?
"हजा़र चौरासवें की माँ" has portrayed the brutality of life through two very significant aspects - feminism and the voice of dissent/revolution.
Sujata and Dibyanath Chatterjee are upper class Bengalis living a comfortable life with their two sons - Jyoti and Brati and two daughters - Nipa and Tuli. This story is about Vrati - the 1084 in the title. This story is about a loving son - a National Scholarship winner - a young Indian boy with a very bright future - a 'sensitive', 'nurturing', 'caring' son who was often referred to by his father as 'girlish', as 'unmanly'.
When I started this little gutsy book, I never knew what 1084 even meant. So I am not going to divulge it out here either. In fact, it is very difficult for me personally to review this book without being biased as a woman.
I could not read this book in its original language, "Bangla". I had to make do with its Hindi version but I wasn't disappointed at all. The book moves to and fro between year gaps and tells us about the events unfolding/unfolded in those years. It is the story of Sujata, in search of her son and through him, in search of her self. It raises some very important questions about the world we live in. About political ideologies. About motherhood. About who decides the right and wrong. About is there anything right or wrong at all. About love and passion. About artificiality of the things we give ourselves to. I loved the book and it is going to go in my re-read pile for sure.
Once I was done with the book, I saw the movie too. Directed by Govind Nihalani, Jaya Bachchan in the character of Sujata has portrayed immense emotions only through her eyes. It has some brilliant actors like Anupam Kher, Mona Ambegaonkar, Milind Gunaji, Nandita Das, Bhakti Barve. The movie has stayed true to the book completely. The end has been extended slightly and I personally loved it. The self discovery of Sujata is one journey no one should miss.
If you have read the book, would love to know what you felt!