Bharatendu Harishchandra

Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850 – 1885) lived only for 34 years but he was such a great writer that he is known as father of modern Hindi literature as well as Hindi theatre. His pen name was “Rasa”. The title “Bharatendu” was conferred on him at a public meeting by scholars of Kashi in 1880 for his role in the development of Hindi Literature. Government of India confers the Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards since 1983 to promote original writings in Hindi mass communication.

Writing Style

The works of Bharatendu Harishchandra represent the agonies of the people, poverty, dependency, inhuman exploitation, the unrest of the middle class and the urge for the progress of the country. He made contributions in journalism, drama, and poetry. He edited the magazines Kavi Vachan Sudha in 1868,In 1873 Harishchandra Magazine , Harishchandra Patrika and Bal Vodhini.

Major works

His most famous dramas include Bharat Durdasha (1875), Neel Devi (1881) and Andher Nagari (1881). Andher Nagari is a popular political satire.