Writing is a controversial profession because a writer's personal opinions will always have a section of dissenters who will create a storm because of their disagreement with the writer.At times, it is the writer itself who kicks off a storm with controversial takes, mostly, on matters beyond literature. India is home to a number of prolific writers who have taken the nation to new heights on the world literature scene. Apart from writing fantastic literary pieces, they also have a number of controversies to their credit. Here are some of the controversial writers that India has had a tryst with.
Khushwant Singh
Also called 'the dirty old man', Khushwant Singh is one man who never minces words on any issue. His writings had the ability to raise controversies and deflate egos. He is 96 but he still doesn't shy away from making bold statements. From calling past Indian Prime Ministers donkeys to calling leading Editors of the country ill-read, Singh has been unabashed in his courting of controversy.
Khushwant Singh
Also called 'the dirty old man', Khushwant Singh is one man who never minces words on any issue. His writings had the ability to raise controversies and deflate egos. He is 96 but he still doesn't shy away from making bold statements. From calling past Indian Prime Ministers donkeys to calling leading Editors of the country ill-read, Singh has been unabashed in his courting of controversy.
Arundhati Roy
The author of the much celebrated 'The God of Small Things', Arundhati Roy has been one of the most passionate and vocal advocate for people who don't have a voice. From blatantly condemning India's stand on Kashmir to more recently criticizing Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade, Roy has stood firm on her view irrespective of the scathing criticism she has been subjected to time and again.
The author of the much celebrated 'The God of Small Things', Arundhati Roy has been one of the most passionate and vocal advocate for people who don't have a voice. From blatantly condemning India's stand on Kashmir to more recently criticizing Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade, Roy has stood firm on her view irrespective of the scathing criticism she has been subjected to time and again.
Salman Rushdie
No other work by any writer must have evoked the kind of response that Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' did. He took the Islamic world by storm and a fatwa against him was called by the spiritual leader of Iran. He had reportedly angered Indira Gandhi with his portrayal of her in 'Midnight's Children' while the book 'Shame' saw Benazir Bhutto named 'The Virgin Ironpants'. Speaking his mind is something that comes to Rushdie instinctively and this has been the cause of widespread criticism around the world.
No other work by any writer must have evoked the kind of response that Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' did. He took the Islamic world by storm and a fatwa against him was called by the spiritual leader of Iran. He had reportedly angered Indira Gandhi with his portrayal of her in 'Midnight's Children' while the book 'Shame' saw Benazir Bhutto named 'The Virgin Ironpants'. Speaking his mind is something that comes to Rushdie instinctively and this has been the cause of widespread criticism around the world.
Shobhaa De
Controversy and Shobhaa De go hand in hand. Once called the 'princess of porn', Shobhaa De was one of the top best-selling authors in India. Through her blogs, she constantly takes potshots at Indian celebrities, stripping them of their hypocrisies. While most of them create a lot of controversies, some of them see retaliation from the stars under fire. most recently, one of her writings resulted in a a backlash from starlet Sonam Kapoor who called her a 'sixty something porn writer'.
Controversy and Shobhaa De go hand in hand. Once called the 'princess of porn', Shobhaa De was one of the top best-selling authors in India. Through her blogs, she constantly takes potshots at Indian celebrities, stripping them of their hypocrisies. While most of them create a lot of controversies, some of them see retaliation from the stars under fire. most recently, one of her writings resulted in a a backlash from starlet Sonam Kapoor who called her a 'sixty something porn writer'.
Chetan Bhagat
Chetan Bhagat might not be as celebrated a writer as the ones on this list but his knack for falling into controversy cannot be ignored. Considered to be a youth icon by many, Bhagat, known as Salman Khan of literature, has often come under fire for writing novels that are too commercially inclined. His personal columns as well as his tweets have the capability for cooking up quite a storm. Be it his tweet on Father's day likening women to a vending machine, or taking on Narayana Murthy for his comment on the quality of IIT students, Chetan has always been much too quick to be politically correct
Chetan Bhagat might not be as celebrated a writer as the ones on this list but his knack for falling into controversy cannot be ignored. Considered to be a youth icon by many, Bhagat, known as Salman Khan of literature, has often come under fire for writing novels that are too commercially inclined. His personal columns as well as his tweets have the capability for cooking up quite a storm. Be it his tweet on Father's day likening women to a vending machine, or taking on Narayana Murthy for his comment on the quality of IIT students, Chetan has always been much too quick to be politically correct
Taslima Nasreen
Though not an Indian citizen, Taslima Nasreen has been a dominant voice in India's literary scene ever since she sought refuge in the country post her exile. Talking about controversy, very few know of the kind of controversial existence that Nasreen has. Her questioning of various Islamic laws in the novel 'Lajja' led to an upheaval in her life. Despite being banished from her home country, Nasreen still stands true to her beliefs and is currently one of the most fierce feminists in the country
..........................
Though not an Indian citizen, Taslima Nasreen has been a dominant voice in India's literary scene ever since she sought refuge in the country post her exile. Talking about controversy, very few know of the kind of controversial existence that Nasreen has. Her questioning of various Islamic laws in the novel 'Lajja' led to an upheaval in her life. Despite being banished from her home country, Nasreen still stands true to her beliefs and is currently one of the most fierce feminists in the country
..........................
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment