Ranchhodbhai Dave

Ranchhodbhai Udayaram Dave (Gujarati:રણછોડભાઈ ઉદયરામ દવે) (1837-1923) was a Gujarati playwright. He is considered as father of modern Gujarati theatre in Gujarati literature.[1][2][3]

Biography

He was the president of Gujarati Sahitya Parishad in the year 1921 in Vadodara.

Works

He was not happy with the adult-comedy being performed in traditional-folk Gujarati play form called Bhavai. So he decided to come up with pure and sober Gujarati Play.

Ranchhodlal first published his play in Gujarati monthly Budhhi-Prakash in serialized manner. The name of this play was Jaykumari-Vijay, He borrowed from Sanskrit plays and also used mythological themes. He belong to Sudharak-Yug, so he also perched about social reforms in his plays. "Lalita Dukh Darsak" is a great example of his themes and his ability.

He wrote plays on social and moral issues.

His other works are Vyabichar-Khandan (written in censure of adultery), Madhyapaan-Dukhdarshak Natak (Written in censure of alcoholism).

He also wrote mythological play called Harishchandra, which was seen and lauded by Mahatma Gandhi.

He translated Rasmala, the history from 8th century to arrival of British and folk literature of Gujarat by Alexander Kinloch Forbes, in Gujarati in 1869.[4]

References

  1. Natarajan, p. 111
  2. Datta, p. 1071
  3. Mukherjee, p. 322
  4. Amaresh Datta (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 1319. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.

Bibliography

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