Press Release
-Oneindia Staff
“Kaho Kalidas!” authored by Yugal Joshi is based on the Seven Great Works of Mahakavi Kalidas
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, today launched “Kaho Kalidas!”, a novel authored by Yugal Joshi, at Samvet Auditorium in the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA). The novel is a tribute to the greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist Kalidas and his works.
Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched Yugal Joshi’s novel “Kaho Kalidas!” at IGNCA. Published by Manjul Publishing House, the book explores Mahakavi Kalidasa’s life and seven great works, introducing his poetry and drama to the younger generation.
Apart from the Union Minister, the launch was graced by Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President IGNCA; Dr. Joram Aniya, Member, NITI Aayog; Author Yugal Joshi; and several prominent authors, academicians, artists, journalists, publishers, literature enthusiasts and students.
Published by the Manjul Publishing House, “Kaho Kalidas!” celebrates the works of the great poet and his mostly unknown life.
Though his works are among the masterpieces of literature and are revered across the world, there is no unanimous version about his life and his times.
According to author Yugal Joshi, this novel is an attempt to introduce the drama and poetry of the master artiste to the young generation. The novel is an imaginative, lyrical narrative that sculpts the poet’s personality and conjures his inspirations in the luminous glow and gentle shadow of the great poet’s own works. In this tale, an attempt is made to weave the warp and weft of image-threads drawn from the felt emotions and lived experiences of the poet’s heart and mind, his attachments and detachments, as they shimmer through his wondrous creations.
Woven through five exquisite love stories, blossoming against the backdrop of Indian society and politics of the time and voiced through Kalidas’s seven timeless, heart-stirring works, this composition will sway the reader upon waves of bhava, rasa, nature, and emotional splendour. It will immerse the reader in the joy of union, attraction and passionate delight, even as it drowns her in the poignancy of separation, longing and memory.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the occasion was not merely a book launch, but an effort to give voice to the silence surrounding the life and personality of Mahakavi Kalidas. He noted that while there is no doubt about Kalidas’s stature as one of the world’s great poets, much remains unknown about his life and personality. He said that “Kaho Kalidas!” seeks to give voice and expression to that silence through the author’s creative interpretation of Kalidas and his world.
The title conveys a sense of intimacy, curiosity and dialogue, reflecting the author’s attempt to understand Kalidas’s personality through his immortal creations.
Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, dwelling on the artistic and literary value of the novel, underscored the need to introduce classical Indian literature to the younger generation through such creative works. He said that Kalidas’s literature continues to hold profound relevance for the youth, as it engages with enduring questions of human desire, relationships, society and power. While much remains unknown about the poet’s life, mind and the circumstances he faced, his works continue to offer timeless insights into human life and society.
He encouraged readers, particularly the younger generation, to read “Kaho Kalidas!” closely and discover through the novel the deeper meanings and richness of Kalidas’s literary world.
Dr Joram Aniya, Member, NITI Aayog, praised the novel as a significant work in contemporary Hindi literature and appreciated the author’s effort to bring the literary world of Kalidas alive for contemporary readers.
She said that the title “Kaho Kalidas!” is deeply meaningful, as it represents an attempt to establish an intimate dialogue with the poet. She noted that the novel does not view Kalidas merely as a distant figure of history, but seeks to understand his experiences and bring forth the human being behind his timeless works.
The book launch was hosted by the Kalanidhi Department of the IGNCA.
