Kusumagraj

Vishnū Vāman Shirwādkar (27 February 1912 – 10 March 1999), popularly known by his pen name, Kusumāgraj, was a Marathi poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer, who wrote of freedom, justice and emancipation of the deprived.

In a career spanning five decades starting in India's pre-independence era, he wrote 16 volumes of poems, three novels, eight volumes of short stories, seven volumes of essays, 18 plays and six one-act plays.

He was the recipient of the 1974 Sahitya Akademi Award in Marathi for Natsamrat, Padma Bhushan (1991) and the Jnanapith Award in 1987.

He also served as the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at Margao(Madgaon) in 1964.

Early life and education Kusumagraj was born into a Deshastha Brahmin family on 27 February 1912 in Pune as Gajanan Ranganath Shirwadkar. He even published some of his poetry under this name in 1930s. Upon being adopted somewhat late in life in 1930s, his name was changed to Vishnu Waman Shirwadkar. He later adopted the sobriquet 'Kusumagraj'. He pursued his primary education in Pimpalgaon and high school education in the New English School of Nashik, which is now called J.S. Rungtha High School of Nashik. He passed matriculation from Mumbai University. In 1934,Shirwadkar obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marathi and English languages, from the H. P. T. College in Nashik. He was associated with Rajaram College, Kolhapur. Noted critic Keshav Rangnath Shirwadkar (1926-2018) was his younger brother.

Career While Shirwadkar was at the H. P. T. Arts College in Nashik, his poems were published in the Ratnakar (रत्नाकर) magazine. In 1932, at the age of 20, Shirwadkar participated in a satyagraha to support the demand for allowing the entry of the untouchables in the Kalaram Temple at Nashik. However, the film failed to be a success.

He later worked as a journalist. He wrote in periodicals such as Saptahik Prabha (साप्ताहिक प्रभा), Dainik Prabhat (दैनिक प्रभात), Saarathi (सारथी), Dhanurdari (धनुर्धारी), and Navayug (नवयुग). 1942 was a turning point in the career of Kusumagraj, as the father-figure of Marathi literature, Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar, published Kusumgraj's compilation of poetry, Vishakha (विशाखा) at his own expense, and in his preface describing Kusumagraj as a poet of humanity, wrote, "His words manifest the social discontent but retain the optimistic conviction that the old world was giving way to a new one."

After 1943, he started adapting the plays by literary giants like Oscar Wilde, Moliere, Maurice Maeterlinck and Shakespeare, especially his tragedies, and which played an important role in boosting Marathi theatre of the period. This continued into the 1970s when his masterpiece Natsamrat, styled after Shakespeare's play King Lear, was first staged in 1970, with Sriram Lagoo as the lead. He also worked as a lyricist in Marathi cinema.

His work reflected the changing social milieu, from being the reflection of national uprising during Indian freedom struggle and in the post-independence era it got steeped into rising social-consciousness amongst Marathi writers, which marked the advent of modern Dalit literature.

Shirwadkar was also an active participant in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. where his home also served as the office of the Kusumāgraj Pratishthān.

Writings Collections of poems Vishākhā (1942) Himāreshā (1964) Chhandomayi (1982) Jeewanalahari (1933) Jaicha Kunja (1936) Samidhā (1947) Kana (1952) Marāthi Māti (1960) Wadāwel (1969) Rasyātrā (1969) Muktāyan (1985) Shrawan (1985) Prawāsi Pakshi (1989) Patheya (1989) Meghdoot (1956 Marāthi translation of Kālidās' Meghdoot, which is in Sanskrit) Swāgat (1962) Bālbodh Mevyātil Kusumāgraj (1989)

Edited collections of poems Kāwyawāhini Sāhityasuwarna Pimpalapān Chandanawel Rasyātrā, poems chosen by Shankar Vaidya and Poet Borkar, and with a long scholarly introduction by Vaidya

Collections of stories Phulawāli Chhote Āni Mothe Satāriche Bol Āni Iter Kathā Kāhi Wruddha, Kāhi Tarun Prem Āni Mānjar Appointment Āhe Āni Nāhi Wirāmachinhe Pratisād Ekāki Tārā Wātewaralyā Sāwalyā Shakespearechyā Shodhāt Roopareshā Kusumāgrajānchyā Bārā Kathā Jādoochi Hodi (for children)

Plays Yayāti Āni Dewayāni Weeja Mhanāli Dharateelā Natsamrāt Doorche Diwe Dusarā Peshwā Waijayanti Kounteya Rājmukut Āmche Nāw Bāburāo Widushak Ek Hoti Wāghin Ānand Mukhyamantri Chandra Jithe Ugawat Nāhi Mahant Kaikeyi Becket (translation of The Honour of God by Jean Anouilh)

One-act plays Diwāni Dāwā Dewāche Ghar Prakāshi Dāre Sangharsh Bet Nātak Basat Āhe Āni Itar Ekānkikā

Novels Waishnawa Jānhawi Kalpanechyā Teerāwar

Works in translation The Saint in the Cellar: selected poems. Tr. by S. A. Virkar. New Native Pressure, 2003. .

Visualisation of works of Kusumagraj

The translation of Meghadūta by Kusumagraj was visualised by watercolour artist Nana Joshi. These visualisations were published in the Menaka Diwali issue in 1979. Natsamrat, a play written by V.V. Shirwadkar for which he won several accolades, was also adapted on screen by director Mahesh Manjrekar with veteran actor Nana Patekar as Natsamrat (2016), after successful runs of the play's theatre adaptations.