[Reader-list] Hindi detective novels

[Ravikant]

Apologies for cross posting. A forward from Ifellow, Kamal Kumar Mishra - 
<kamal_bhu at rediffmail.com> 

Ravikant

 Commercial publishing: issues are not resolved,story has been left untold… 

As we know writing and publishing "jasusi "fiction has become a highly 
profitable business in due course of time. For the flourishing Hindi 
publishing industry, this particular genre proved to be a boon. We see many 
people trying their luck in novel writing and publishing. And some times even 
without any commitment or a sense of responsibility towards their readers. 
Dehati pustak Bhandar Chawari Bazar ,Delhi could well be taken as an example 
of such publications. Established in 1930's(Reg.1936) by Late Lala Dhum 
Mal,Dehati Pustak Bhandar happened to be one of the pioneer publications of 
Delhi as far as jasusi fictions are concerned . 

In the two novels -" Bahram Ki Khoj dilchaspjasusiupanyas"and "Tilasmi Gupt 
Khajana" written by,anekon pustakon ke rachaita (writer of many books) Hukum 
Chand , one can see the reflections of these very tendencies. We don't get to 
know the year of publication of these novels.The price of these novels is a 
rupee and a half. But the claims are not so small as this "ishtehar" (summary 
as well) also suggests: 

Riyasat vijay nagar ke mahlon rajyadhikarion dwara rache gaye ek 
 bhyanak kadyantra ka varnan aap ko is upanyas men bade hi  rochak shali men 
milega .Sath hi vikhyat Bahram ka vilayat men wahan ke prasidh daku Areseen 
Lopen se mukabla padhne se sambandh rakhta hai.Dr.Gopal aur rajkumar Romi aur 
mantri Sahapal ke kam prasansa ke yogya hain.Maharaja Vijay Chand kiMantri ki 
putri ko syahposhon ki kaid se chuda lena ek aisi ghatna hai padhne se 
sambandh rakhti hai. yogya lekhak ki lekhni prashansa ke yogya hai.Tiranga 
cover,sundar kagaj tatha chpai.Mulya 1.50.

But the threads of narrative are left unconnected and issues are not 
resolved ,as my reading suggests. For example we don't get to know ,at all, 
what was the secret that Raja wanted to hide from Romi (his son) and why? 
What was the secret of the 'safed kagaj'(Plane paper) :
                 
           Vijay Chand: yadi mujhe malum hota ki Romi mujhse itna 
                      Jaldi vida ho jayega to mai wah kagaj use dikha
                     Deta jiske liye usne bar -bar iccha prakat ki …(p.102)

                           -       -         -  

       Vijay Chand: ek kaam aap aur kijiye is safed kagaj ko 
                     aslee halat men le aayeye…jab wah  
                     aslee halat men aa jaye to mujhe de den. (p.108) 

Who was Bahram ka GURU GHANTAAL,was it Raja or Some one else?And if Raja was 
the real Bahram then the Writer never attests it:

Dr.Gopal: "…bees varsh pahle kitne daler the-sansar aap se
            kaanpta tha. Kewal un baton ko aur is bhed ko   
            main hi to janta hoon…aap aaj raja hain par kal
            tak aap kon the?…
Vijay chand ne joshile aandaaj men kaha- "doctor kya kah rahe         
hon .choop raho." (pp.105-106).


If the character of minister Sahpal helps to misguide the reader and maintain 
the suspense so does these above mentioned details. But then one can say that 
there is hardly a Systematic attempt towards explanation or a "proper" 
connection between clues and the puzzle.The language of these two fictions is 
not at all a sanskritize-Hindi it is popular hindi with a mixing of English 
words like Mister, Society, Address-card etc. we hardly find these words in 
the works of well known Benares  or Allahabad based writers or publishers of 
this genre.

In the 13th chapter of "Tilasmi Gupt khajana" by the same author n publisher a 
character called Bihari Lal starts telling story of the first novel ,I have 
just mentioned.

Is par Bihari Lal ne baat katte hue kaha: 

Bihari Lal:aap ki baat par mujhe ek novil jiska naam "Bahram ki Khoj "hai yaad 
aa gaya jiske kuch adhyay(chapters) aapko sunata hoon suniye.

                 - - -         - - -

 yahan tak sunane ke baad Bihari Lal ne iisee upanyas ka chtwaan       adhyay 
sunana prarambh kiya.

                      ---    ---
pathak gan kuch adhyayeon ka vishaya mister Bihari Lal ne
samapt kiya.shesh bhag hamare novel (upanyas) "Bahram ki Khoj" nami men 
padhiye.
      
                           Samaptam.
                                   (Tilasmi gupt khajana,pp.110-124) 


And the real story has been left untold. so in this case the novel or story 
has been reduced to an advertisement or propaganda material and mystery  is 
never resolved. The commercial writer publisher is not at all worried if 
readers feel cheated in this case.