Dhansukhlal Mehta

Dhansukhlal Krishnalal Mehta (October 20, 1890 – August 29, 1974) was a Gujarati writer from Gujarat, India. He is considered a pioneer of Gujarati short stories. He is known for his humorous novel , co-written with Jyotindra Dave. He received the Gujarati literary awards Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1940 and the Narmad Suvarna Chandrak in 1957.

Life Dhansukhlal Mehta was born on October 20, 1890, in the city of Wadhwan, which is on the Kathiawar peninsula (now in Surendranagar district, Gujarat). His family was native to Surat. After completing his schooling in Wadhwan, Palitana and Surat, he obtained a diploma from Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute, Mumbai. From 1914 to 1925, he worked at various places in Mumbai, before joining Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. in 1925.

Mehta died on August 29, 1974. His short stories dealt with contemporary family life. However, according to the Encyclopedia of Indian Literature, he couldn't develop the short stories as an art form. Mehta began earnestly studying humorous writers of the West and wrote humorous essays, short stories, and sketches. In 1908, his short stories appeared in Jnanasudha, a magazine edited by Ramanbhai Neelkanth.

Mehta's collections of short stories include Hu, Sarla ane Mitramandal (1920) and Asadharan Anubhav ane Biji Vato (1924). In 1936, he co-wrote Ame Badha ( We All), a humorous autobiographical novel, with Jyotindra Dave. It was highly acclaimed and is widely regarded as one of the best humorous novels in Gujarati literature. His selected humorous works were edited by Vinod Bhatt and published as Hasya Visesha: Dhansukhlal Mehta in 2017.

Awards Mehta was awarded the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1940 for contributions to Gujarati literature. He received the Narmad Suvarna Chandrak in 1957 for Garib Ni Jhunpadi.