TaRaSu
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TaRaSu, one of the foremost novelists in Kannada is still fondly remembered by millions of Kannadigas as their favourite author. TaRaSu an acronym, stands for T.R. Subba Rao. TaRaSu hailed from Chitradurga, a historical fort-town in Karnataka, located about 200 Kilometres to the north of its capital, Bangalore.
TaRaSu was a pre-university drop out and never completed his formal education. He was also infamously called Poli Subba, which when translated means, "Wayward Subba." He hailed from a pretty conservative Brahmin upbringing, and the things he did wasn't usually done among his community, especially in a small town like Chitradurga. He took to smoking, alcohol, and was seen visiting brothels: for research on a novel (see below) that movingly brings out the condition of prostitutes.
TaRaSu was active in the literary circles of his time, and he considered ANaKRu (A. N. Krishna Rao) as his Guru or mentor. In fact, he has written a book on ANaKRu with the same title where he pays tribute to the genius.
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[edit] Literary Themes
TaRaSu's literary career spans more than 30 years during which time he wrote copiously. His works may broadly be divided into three categories/themes:
- Social
- Historical
- Philosophical
[edit] Social
Perhaps the majority of TaRaSu's works fall under this theme. While some are generally for light reading, others do offer serious insights. The plot in these novels generally revolves around the lives of middle and lower-middle class people set against both the rural and urban landscape. Notable books merit mention here.
- Chandavalliya tota ("a farm at Chandavalli") - a tale of intra-family feud over property. It is a pretty heart-wrenching tale, which culminates in a tragedy.
- Gaali Maatu ("Speech of the Air," literally, but actually means, "rumor") - a tale of a middle-class, college-going girl whose cousin is smitten with jealousy because she's prettier than the cousin.
- Benkiya Bale ("Net of Fire") - tale of a poor school master and his wife, which culminates in their death.
His most notable social novel is entitled, Masanada Hoovu ("Flower of the Graveyard"). This novel deals with the theme of prostitution in all its aspects. It is a tale about a prostitute and the owner of a brothel and is one of his finer social novels.
[edit] Historical
Strictly speaking, TaRaSu's historical works almost exclusively deal with the history of Chitradurga, which grew out his passion for his native town. TaRaSu really shines in his historical novels and none of them fail to move you. Chitradurga has a chequered history--from being ruled mostly by the Nayakas to finally falling into the arms of Tipu Sultan and later the British.
TaRaSu's historical works revolve around the Palegara (literally, Masters)dynasty who built the formidable fortress that still stands and narrates their silent tales to those interested to listen. These works were often published part by part, and the most notable ones are:
- Kambaniya Kuilu (Saga of Sorrow/Tears)
- Rakta Raatri (Bloody Night or Night of Blood)
- Vijayotsava (Festival of Victory)
- Hosa Hagalu (New Dawn)
And his magnum opus, Durgastamana, which traces the decline and the fall of the Palegara dynasty.
[edit] Philosophical
Although his books are based on this theme, they cannot be called "philosophical" per se. TaRaSu's novels in this category are based on, or are translations of well-known stories from the Upanishads. His novels in this category include the following:
- Belaku tanda Balaka (The Boy who brought Light): Based on the well-known story of Nachiketa, who goes to Yama the Lord of Death and learns the Ultimate Knowledge of the Brahman.
- 4*4=1: This is based on the popular Upanishadic story of Satyakama (or Jaabaali) who shows the world that caste or birth or creed is no barrier to attaining the state of Brahman.
TaRaSu disappoints in these novels; the lack of depth and/or perception is evident when one reads these works. In Belaku tanda Balaka for example, the focus seems more on building up the case for the father-son confrontation rather than on how Nachiketa attained the Supreme Knowledge. The original Kathopanishad deals almost entirely in this latter subject.
[edit] General Estimate
TaRaSu wrote voluminously; he catered to a range of audiences, which certainly had an impact on the quality of his works. He was never really seriously taken by critics but he had his bright spots.
One outstanding feature especially in his historical writings is his impeccable research. TaRaSu has succeeded in recreating the 18th and 19th Century Chitradurga in his books. It is nearly photographic.
However, his social novels--while some focussed on important issues like prostitution--which were published almost a la assembly-line manner, don't really shine. The same themes of family feud, dishonour, marital discord, lost-and-found, and so on are hammered using different stories. But then, most of these when translated on the celluloid became runaway hits.
TaRaSu scores in readability. His books and the characters therein almost talk to you. But his overwhelming use of similes and metaphors jars the modern reader who is accustomed to reading to-the-point writing styles.
In all, while TaRaSu's books are not pursued in depth by readers of serious literature, they offer a good springboard for serious reading.
