Mannu Bhandari (born 3 April 1931) is an Indian author, whose work
dates up to late 1950s - early 1960s. She is most known for her two
Hindi novels, Aapka Banti and Mahabhoj. She is often credited as one
of the pioneers of the Nayi Kahaani Movement, a Hindi literary
movement initiated by authors including Nirmal Verma, Rajendra Yadav,
Bhisham Sahni, Kamleshwar, etc. Starting in the 1950s, a newly
independent India was going through societal transformations like
urbanization and industrialization. This demanded new debates, new
opinions and new points of view, provided by those part of the Nayi
Kahaani movement, including Bhandari. Narratives and stories mostly
dealt with the relationship between sexes, gender inequality and
equality as a new class of working and educated women had emerged
then.Bhandari is one of the post-Independence writers who portray
women under a new light, as independent and intellectual individuals.
Through the subject matter of her narratives, Bhandari highlights the
struggles and difficulties women have constantly encountered in the
past. Sexual, emotional, mental and economic exploitation had placed
women in an extremely weak position in Indian society. Her female
characters in her stories are portrayed as strong, independent
individuals, breaking old habits and emerging and creating an image of
a'new woman'.Bhandari was born on 3 April 1931, in Bhanpura, Madhya
Pradesh and grew up largely in Ajmer, Rajasthan, where her father
Sukhsampat Rai Bhandari, was a freedom fighter, social reformer and
the producer of the first English to Hindi and English to Marathi
dictionaries.[1][2] She was the youngest of five children (two
brothers, three sisters). She had her early education in Ajmer,
graduated from Calcutta University and then went onto obtaining an M.A
degree in Hindi language and literature, at Banaras Hindu University.
In 1946, she helped organize a strike in 1946 with the support of her
teacher Sheela Agarwal. After which two of her colleagues were
dismissed for being involved with Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian
National Army.[3] She initially worked as a lecturer in Hindi in
Calcutta, but subsequently returned to Delhi to teach Hindi literature
at Miranda House College, in the University of Delhi.[3]
dates up to late 1950s - early 1960s. She is most known for her two
Hindi novels, Aapka Banti and Mahabhoj. She is often credited as one
of the pioneers of the Nayi Kahaani Movement, a Hindi literary
movement initiated by authors including Nirmal Verma, Rajendra Yadav,
Bhisham Sahni, Kamleshwar, etc. Starting in the 1950s, a newly
independent India was going through societal transformations like
urbanization and industrialization. This demanded new debates, new
opinions and new points of view, provided by those part of the Nayi
Kahaani movement, including Bhandari. Narratives and stories mostly
dealt with the relationship between sexes, gender inequality and
equality as a new class of working and educated women had emerged
then.Bhandari is one of the post-Independence writers who portray
women under a new light, as independent and intellectual individuals.
Through the subject matter of her narratives, Bhandari highlights the
struggles and difficulties women have constantly encountered in the
past. Sexual, emotional, mental and economic exploitation had placed
women in an extremely weak position in Indian society. Her female
characters in her stories are portrayed as strong, independent
individuals, breaking old habits and emerging and creating an image of
a'new woman'.Bhandari was born on 3 April 1931, in Bhanpura, Madhya
Pradesh and grew up largely in Ajmer, Rajasthan, where her father
Sukhsampat Rai Bhandari, was a freedom fighter, social reformer and
the producer of the first English to Hindi and English to Marathi
dictionaries.[1][2] She was the youngest of five children (two
brothers, three sisters). She had her early education in Ajmer,
graduated from Calcutta University and then went onto obtaining an M.A
degree in Hindi language and literature, at Banaras Hindu University.
In 1946, she helped organize a strike in 1946 with the support of her
teacher Sheela Agarwal. After which two of her colleagues were
dismissed for being involved with Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian
National Army.[3] She initially worked as a lecturer in Hindi in
Calcutta, but subsequently returned to Delhi to teach Hindi literature
at Miranda House College, in the University of Delhi.[3]
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