Rajkamal Chaudhary
Encyclopedia
Rajkamal Chaudhary (also spelled as Rajkamal Chaudhari) was an India
n poet
, short story writer
, novelist, critic and thinker in Hindi
, Maithili
and Bangla languages. He was known as "a bold leader of new poetry" and writer who "stands out differently" from most other experimentalists.
. He was the eldest son of Madhusudan Choudhary, a noted scholar of his time. During his early childhood, he suffered the loss of his affectionate and caring mother. This incident left a deep imprint on his mind. After doing his graduation in commerce from Marwari college,Bhagalpur,he dedicated himself to his creative pursuits.While at Calcutta(now Kolkata) he came in touch with the Hungryalists, known also as Bhukhi Peerhi, and contributed to their bulletins. He was in close contact with Patna-based Malay Roy Choudhury
, Subimal Basak
and Samir Roychoudhury
of the Bhukhi Peerhi movement.
Rajkamal's greatest contribution to Indian literature in general and Hindi literature in particular was his radically realistic insight into the myriad problems faced by common people. He closely observed the sutures and faults created in the natural flow of a commoner's life by the sickening humdrum of metropolitan ambience. And, without hiding anything under the garb of appealing euphemisms and velvetty symbols, he showed the courage to portray everything with a piercing straightforwardness. It is saddening to note that the true significance of his output has not been appreciated sensitively and sympathetically so far.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, short story writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, novelist, critic and thinker in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
and Bangla languages. He was known as "a bold leader of new poetry" and writer who "stands out differently" from most other experimentalists.
Biography
Raj Kamal was born at Mahishi village in Saharsa district of BiharBihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. He was the eldest son of Madhusudan Choudhary, a noted scholar of his time. During his early childhood, he suffered the loss of his affectionate and caring mother. This incident left a deep imprint on his mind. After doing his graduation in commerce from Marwari college,Bhagalpur,he dedicated himself to his creative pursuits.While at Calcutta(now Kolkata) he came in touch with the Hungryalists, known also as Bhukhi Peerhi, and contributed to their bulletins. He was in close contact with Patna-based Malay Roy Choudhury
Malay Roy Choudhury
Malay Roy Choudhury is a Bengali poet and novelist who founded the "Hungryalist Movement" in the 1960s. His literary works have been reviewed by sixty critics in HAOWA 49, a quarterly magazine which devoted its January 2001 special issue to Roy Choudhury's life and works...
, Subimal Basak
Subimal Basak
Subimal Basak, is an Indian fiction writer. He is a member of the Hungry generation, with Samir Roychoudhury, Falguni Roy, Shakti Chattopadhyay and the movement's creator Malay Roy Choudhury....
and Samir Roychoudhury
Samir Roychoudhury
Samir Roychowdhury , one of the founding fathers of the Hungry Generation 1961-1965 ,was born at Panihati, West Bengal, India in a family of artists, sculptors, photographers and musicians...
of the Bhukhi Peerhi movement.
Major works
Rajkamal Choudhary was undoubtedly a creative genius of multifaceted talent. In a tumultuous life that lasted for just about 38 years, he tried his hands at almost every genre, albeit unfortunately, without the measure of recognition that his outstanding talent truly merited.- Machhali Mari Hui (A Dead Fish), novel
- Nadi Bahati Thi (There Flowed a River), novel
- Mukti Prasanga (a long poem prescribed in many colleges and universities including University of Delhi)
- Kankawati
- Das Kavita
- Agni-snaan
- Paththar ke neeche dabe hue haath
- Tash ke patton ka shahar
Rajkamal's greatest contribution to Indian literature in general and Hindi literature in particular was his radically realistic insight into the myriad problems faced by common people. He closely observed the sutures and faults created in the natural flow of a commoner's life by the sickening humdrum of metropolitan ambience. And, without hiding anything under the garb of appealing euphemisms and velvetty symbols, he showed the courage to portray everything with a piercing straightforwardness. It is saddening to note that the true significance of his output has not been appreciated sensitively and sympathetically so far.