Phoolsunghi

Babu Sahib! You must have heard of a phoolsunghi--the flower-pecker--yes? It can never be held captive in a cage. It sucks nectar from a flower and then flies on to the next.'When Dhelabai the most popular tawaif of Muzaffarpur slights Babu Haliwant Sahay a powerful zamindar from Chappra he resolves to build a cage that would trap her forever. Thus the elusive phoolsunghi is trapped within the four walls of the Red Mansion. Forgetting the past Dhelabai begins a new life of luxury comfort and respect. One day she hears the soulful voice of Mahendra Misir and loses her heart to him. Mahendra too feels for her deeply but the lovers must bear the brunt of circumstances and their own actions which repeatedly pull them apart. The first ever translation of a Bhojpuri novel into English Phoolsunghi transports readers to a forgotten world filled with mujras and mehfils court cases and counterfeit currency and the crashing waves of the River Saryu. Review 'Phoolsunghi's greatest triumph lies in bringing the pulsating soul of an artist to life. Gautam choubey's english translation succeeds in encapsulating the subtleties of the Bhojpuri worldview so endearingly expressed in the original. i hope that this translation draws the mainstream's attention towards the long-neglected language literature and culture of the Bhojpuri-speaking people of the world.' -Manoj Bajpayee two-time recipient of the national Award'Based on real life-characters who quickly acquired legendary status this lyrical novel plays out in a part of Bihar now considered remote which in its heyday was considered the very centre of pulsating life and creativity. The first full-fledged foray into Bhojpuri literature sensitively translated we have before us the prospect of the kind of pleasure derived from slowly reading and savouring a tale of love and romance joy and suffering but most of all of celebrating song and music.' -Vasudha Dalmia Professor Emerita of Hindi and Modern south-Asian studies University of California Berkley'This brilliantly lively first translation of a Bhojpuri novel dramatizes the intertwined lives of characters that never cease to fascinate and surprise us. Led deftly beyond familiar clichés and stereotypes we experience the layered richness of a fictional world in which the mundane and the magical are unforgettably blended.' -Jatindra Kumar nayak veteran literary critic and translator'it is only fitting that pandey Kapil's Bhojpuri novel should trace the careers and adventures of celebrated Bhojpuri folk poet Mahendar Misar and famous singer dhelabai. sparkingly translated by Gautam choubey it is truly a delight to read and will transport you into a thrilling world of music poetry and love against the backdrop of colonial rule the opium trade and nationalist politics.' -Francesca Orsini professor of Hindi and south Asian Literatures sOAs University of London ―Reviews About the Author Pandey Kapil (1930-2017) was a doyen of Bhojpuri literature best remembered as the long-serving visionary editor ofBhojpuri Sammelan Patrika and the founder of Akhil Bharatiya Bhojouri Sahitya Sammelan (est.1973). To promote young authors he established his own publication house Bhojpuri Sansthan (est.1970) which brought out some of the best writings in Bhojpuri.Phoolsunghi is his finest work and perhaps of Bhojpuri literature too.Gautam Choubey is an academic translator and columnist. He teaches at A.R.S.D College (University of Delhi) and writes on Gandhi popular culture and Indian literature. He has previously translated the writings of Andre Beitelle into Hindi. Presently he is working on a history of Bhojpuri literature and a monograph tentatively titled 'Using Mahatma.'