One day, one Kantha A work sari was placed on the office desk of author Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni at the University of Houston. She didn’t know who it was from or why it was there. But that same sari would eventually lead him to write his latest novel. freedom (Published by HarperCollins India). Like handspin Kantha Saree, the book weaves a dramatic tapestry of Indian history, West Bengal’s immigrants, women artisans and their imagination.
” Kantha The art of West Bengal is created by the women of the region and is very important for their livelihood, creativity and artistic development. Especially in times of difficulty, this is something they fall back on, and that is true in the novel as well,” says the author who was recently in Chennai for the book launch at The Chambers, Taj Coromandel.
On the cover of the book is a picture taken. Kantha The work also comes at a time when India is celebrating 75 years of independence. Chitra was in conversation with author and translator Nandini Krishnan.
As the conversation begins, the author’s fiery lights fill the room. “As a child born in independent India, I took freedom for granted and my mother wanted me to understand that many people gave up many things, including their lives, to achieve this freedom. ” says the author.
The novel revolves around the lives of sisters Priya, Deepa and Gemini. Set against the tumultuous years of Partition, the fierce sisters grapple with their dreams, loves and loss, as the roads ahead take unexpected turns. The book contains some biographical elements. The character of Nabakumar is based on the author’s grandfather. Known for creating strong female characters, Chitra, Me freedom, presents the audience with equally sensitive and layered male characters who color the plot. Chitra explains, “My other books are based on women but in this one the relationship between men and women becomes a problem for each other. Not because they don’t love each other but because they love each other. They become something that a woman has to choose over other things. So much of the drama stems from the difficult choices women must make regarding the men in their lives. ”
freedom It also explores the silent courage of a woman against the backdrop of India’s tumultuous history. The woman here is the one left behind. The author added that it explores “what kind of price a woman has to pay when men set out to be heroes”.
When asked what freedom means today, the author emphasized the need for a secular and peaceful environment. The talk ended with a song by Rabindranath Tagore. Go alone (If no one walks with you, you’ll have to walk alone) Hemanta Mukherjee sings the song poignantly as Chitra says, “This is a lesson the women in the story will have to learn because the title has two meanings. Women have to learn what it means to be independent and sometimes that means you have to walk alone.