जब ‘कृष्णकली’ लिख रही थी तब लेखनी को विशेष परिश्रम नहीं करना पड़ा, सब कुछ स्वयं ही सहज बनता चला गया था। जहाँ कलम हाथ में लेती, उस विस्तृत मोहक व्यक्तित्व को, स्मृति बड़े अधिकारपूर्ण लाड़-दुलार से खींच, सम्मुख लाकर खड़ा कर देती, जिसके विचित्र जीवन के रॉ-मैटीरियल से मैंने वह भव्य प्रतिमा गढ़ी थी। ओरछा की मुनीर के ही ठसकेदार व्यक्तित्व को सामान्य उलट-पुलटकर मैंने पन्ना की काया गढ़ी थी। जब लिख रही थी तो बार-बार उनके मांसल मधुर कंठ की गूँज कानों में गूँज उठती। वही विस्तृत मधुर गूँज, उनके नवीन व्यक्तित्व के साथ, ‘कृष्णकली’ में उतर आई। —
शिवानी.
I heard the whole of Krishnakali by Shivani all of 49 chapters. It is very engaging as narrators voice is very beautiful and her style is very versatile. If a single person has narrated the entire book then it is fantastic, salute! It seemed the whole story is running before our eyes. What to say of Shivanji’s Krishnakali, beautiful, vivacious, intelligent and innocent protagonist. Krishnakali’s beauty mesmerised everyone around her who had dusky complexion and beautifully expressive eyes. I read this book years ago while in school and marvelled: Can a dusky looking girl be so beautiful?
Krishnakali is the representative of the times when girls didn’t speak their mind. They were in – doctrined about everything right from religious beliefs to education to marriage …everything. Krishnakali was above all this, she spoke of her mind, she never let her dusky complexion come in the way of her professional rise. Her curvaceous life, like her thought process, are simply mesmerising. She was attached and detached at the same time in all her relations.
Took her own decisions, never hidden her lineage from people who mattered. She was emotional and practical. The story revolved around her character and each and every character so beautifully etched. What to say of Shivaniji’s writing style, such fine detailing of people, life in Almora, Nainital, Allahabad, Calcutta and Delhi. Even cities have come to life. No wonder, she has been my favourite author and comes from my home town Lucknow.
It can be called Shivani’s revolutionary novel depicting the times when Indians considered only fair complexioned girls as beautiful. Particularly in the marriage market, where fair complexion ruled the roost. If you told some only that your daughter is Saanvli – they will sympathise with you and bring rishte of only Cat C and Cat D boys. As Cat A and Cat B-boys were not open for dusky complexion girls. Moreso, proposal of professional, meritorious dusky complexioned girl would envelop those boys in some strange inferiority complex. They will come up with rata rataya: Hamare khaandaan mein bahuen naukri nahin karti hain...and many such excuses.
No amount of merits mattered to them. With due apologies to all but I am talking here of the community I belonged to which hails from Central UP. Sorry about my strong views on the subject, thankfully times have changed, girls are viewed in a better perspective. They have the upper hand in every matter which matters, more so marriage. Appreciated and selected on their merits and not just complexion, which was the norm in our times. I always felt that marriage is only for fair complexion girls, so I better forget about it and concentrate on my studies and career. Eventually, that paid in the long run!
Coming this from Shivani, making her protagonist exceptional, beautiful and intelligent and most sought after must have inculcated confidence in girls of those times. Can any country be more racist than this? More on this sometime later…
A very unique experience of listening to any book, till now I have been reading books. Earlier I used to walk with the book the house, and everybody knew what I was reading. This time I was walking with Mobile with my headphones over. Completely engrossed in the book and nobody knew what I was listening…so happy completed just now. Pratilipi Hindi I can listen to more of some of my favourite Hindi fiction.
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