Bahinabai chya kavita (1880-1951)

Bahinabai Chaudhari
Her poems extremely simple and are of few words, very rhythmic, reflects real day-to-day village life and are composed in the form of “Owees”.
Bahinabai was illiterate, but she used to sing while doing daily chores in the field, her son Sopandev re-wrote and published them.

Madhushala (1935)

Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Madhushala is the collection of poems by Shri. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's, it is mystic, sufi, philosophical in nature and the same time very realistic to life. To read Madhushala is just shear joy ride.
It compares relates and translate metaphysical meaning of life with the help of metaphor like madhushala or bar, madhubala/saki, madhu/hala/wine, pinewala…
Life is relative

Gitanjali (Song Offerings)1910

Rabindranath Tagore

To read Gitanjali is an amazing experience to witness the dreams and vision of Tagore…

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit…
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Vavtal

Vyankatesh Madgulkar
Novel is based on anti-Brahmin riots in Pune and some parts of Maharashtra after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, very powerful account of mass mentality and social frustration.

Ek hota Carver

Veena Gavankar
It is an inspirational autobiography of George Washington Carver American scientist, botanist, educator and inventor, who brought green revolution.

Bangarwadi (1954)

Vyankatesh Madgulkar
True picture of Indian village schooling, still looks very much realistic to me…
Story about the experiences of a young schoolteacher in a village of shepherds…

Tughlaq (Hindi)

Girish Karnad
It is autobiographical story of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, sultan of Delhi. Drama highlights his quest for developing the excellence governance, his political moves and thoughts and how society misunderstood and some time took its advantage for own benefit. How he wrongly treated as “Pagal raja” in the history books.
Learning: Whatever good idea or thought one has to improve system; can not be implemented in the system unless they want it…and it bit dicey…

Prema Tuza rang kasa? (1961)

Vasant Kanetkar
It talks about the shades of love, it’s nature and emotional observations in humorous way…

Surya Pahilela Manus

Makrand Sathe
It is biography of philosopher Socrates, in the bit abstract form.
Theme is very powerful, where writer want to show the confusion of Greek society and how Socrates tell them the path of wisdom sacrificing his own life.

Natsamrat

V.V.Shirwadkar
It is story about old actor Natsamrat, reacting to humiliating old age experiences, but his reactions are in the form of different roles he played earlier… Dialogues are in the form of monologs, and written very lyrical form
To see Sriram Lagu performing as Nasamrat is mesmerizing experience!

Ghashiram Kotwal (1972)

Vijay Tendulkar
It’s a political satire, at the backdrop of historical Peshwa time from Puna, in the tamasha musical format.

Ti Fulrani

P.L.Deshpande
It’s an interesting story (translation of George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts) of a professor of phonetics (Nice examples, how people differed from one area to other) and he makes a bet with his friend that he can change poor flower selling girl as a refined society lady by teaching her how to behave and speak with an upper class, but some thing one never can change…

Apurwai (1960)

Humorous account of Pul on his travelogues….

Sundar Mi Honar (1958)

P.L.Deshpande
This is multidimensional play, unlike humorous writing by Pul, this is bit serious in nature; it was academic study book for my 10th CBSE course. It is the story of hope and liberation; from the mental to some extend physical world conflict. Sanjay who is poet enters in the life of family and changes them for ever (Thoda sa rumani ho jaye story).. Especially the girl, which is not able to walk… helps her to earn confidence which enables her to start walking and thinking again…

Batatyachi Chal (1940, Marathi)

P.L.Deshpande
Wonderful and humorous book about middle class Marathi locality living in “Chal”
Book is full of day-to-day practical events and how they create humor; characters are defined with very close observation and detailed out so nicely that one can start visualizing them as if they are alive…

Mi Jinklo me harlo

Vijay Tendulkar
There is subtle difference between win and lost, when one wins, when he performed outstanding on the basis of his own value system or beliefs, may not be appreciated by society around, similarly looses his soul but look like win by society apriciation… its bit dilemma condition portrayed very effectively and convincingly by Vijay Tendulkar

Sakharam Binder (1972)

Vijay Tendulkar
It is story of politically right but internally fraud person, and how he gets in trap of his own thinking. One also can analyze the story as fight between “right” and “wrong” personalities, and in the deciding moments in life how right gets an extra edge… abstract but very melodramatically presented…

Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (Silence! The Court is in Session) (1967)

Vijay Tendulkar
The play is political and social satire on middle-class society's hypocrisy

Ramalkhuna (1975)

Kajalmaya (1972)

RaktaChandan (1966)

Hirave Rave (1960)

Pinglawel (1977, Marathi)

G.A.Kulkarni
G.A.Kulkarni is one of the most fascinating writers of India, concepts are very abstract in nature like Kafka, but his writings are hard hitting. I always felt difficult to appreciate abstract paintings, and I feel that after reading GA I am able to understand them better. He is basically short story writer, but stories are metaphysical nature, very abstract, something like deep psychological account of characters.
Some of my favorite stories are: Swami, Vishushak, Bhet, Orphius

Pan Lakshat kon Gheto (1880, Marathi)

H.N.Apte
This is the book to understand, social realism of Marathi people in last century, quite disturbing and thought provoking. I think this book help to understand the reforms into the society, how it takes place, and what need to be done…

Shyamchi Aai (Marathi)

Sane Guruji
Shyamchi aai is autobiographical book of Sane Guruji, stories about his childhood. Highly recommended for parents to develop value system in the there kid, it is also the tribute to love of mother.