Diddi: Hamari Maa Shivani

by Ira Pande

Memoir of Shivani by her daughter Ira Pandey. Originally published in English in 2005.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

238 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Ira Pande is a well-known editor who has worked with Seminar, Biblio, Dorling Kindersley and Roli Books. She is currently chief editor, IIC Publications. She is the author of Diddi: My Mother’s Voice and has recently translated Shivani’s Apradhini: Women without Men.

Reviews

[Harshit Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely unheard and unseen face of Shivani, with the stories written by her telling the true story of her life in some parts. Wonderful combination of memories and stories. Must read if you have read Shivani's books and wonder how she wrote what she wrote.

[Aranya Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters were real and not caricatures, which was a refreshing change. All the stories were also stand alone, but somehow weaved together to present a rich history of the family. I really enjoyed this book for all its moments and gray areas. A perfect December read.

[Aradhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to 'rate' a memoir of someone, that too written by their kids, is difficult. It reminds me of the time when I read 'Em and the Big Hoom'. How do you assign a number to something so personal?

दिद्दी यानी शिवानी जी की लेखनी से मेरा परिचय 'चौदह फेरे' उपन्यास से हुआ था। बाद में पता चला ये उनकी सबसे लोकप्रिय रचनाओं में से है। मेरी माँ कहती हैं इस उपन्यास को मैंने कम से कम ३० बार तो पढ़ा ही होगा। उस समय मैं Goodreads use नहीं करती थी, वरना exact number भी पता ही होता।

Being a fan of Shivani the writer, I had mixed feelings about reading Shivani the person, or rather, Gaura the person. Knowing more about your favorite write is delightful, but also scary. You find out they were real, they were human, they were not perfect. Same thing happened with this book. किताब की शुरुआत में ही लेखिका इरा पाण्डे ने बताया है कि यह किताब उन्होंने बहुत जल्दी में लिखी, ताकि उनकी कैंसर-पीड़ित सास जाने से पहले इसे पढ़ पाएँ। विचारों का उतार चढ़ाव जिस तरह chronological न होकर non-linear होता है, उसी तरह यह किताब हमें दिद्दी के जीवन यात्रा पर टेढ़े-मेढ़े रास्तों से इधर उधर ले जाती रहती है। कभी लंबी सी सड़क पार कर हम अचानक पहले मोड़ पे वापिस आ जाते हैं, तो कभी छोटी छोटी गलियों से गुजरते हुए, रास्ते में पड़ने वाले घरों में भी हो आते हैं।

शिवानी का व्यक्तित्व जितना सोचा था, उससे भी ज़्यादा भव्य है। और इसकी भव्यता को उनके बेटी इरा पांडे ने बहुत ही बेहतरीन तरीके से दिखाया है। जिस honesty और सरलता के साथ उन्होंने अपने बचपन का वर्णन किया है, कभी कभी लगता है काश हम भी वहाँ होते, जयंती की library देखने के लिए, उनकी कहानियाँ सुनने के लिए, दिद्दी के साथ बतियाने के लिए, और उनकी कहानियों में एक पात्र बनकर सदा के लिए अमर हो जाने के लिए।

अगर आप शिवानी के प्रशंसक हैं, तो ये किताब आपको पढ़नी ही चाहिए।

P.S. The paper quality is shockingly bad. I cannot understand why, and how Penguin is publishing a book with such low-quality paper. And it's not as if they aimed to publish it cheaply to offer a lower price to customers, because the price is not cheap either. The paper is dark and incredibly thin, to the point where you can see the ink marks of the content from the next page. It's so disappointing that I initially thought I had received a pirated copy and had it replaced. However, the new copy, which is from another seller, is exactly the same.

[Nandini Arora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shivani ji's life is no less interesting as her super addictive ( despite glaring politically incorrect opinions she had on caste, beauty, patriarchy and many other things, that is gleaned from her writings itself) than her stories and novels.
It's also a peek into the life of an independent minded woman who played many roles simultaneously and had a lot of conviction.

[Manjeet · Rating 5 out of 5]

शिवानी जी की कहानियाँ, उनके पात्र अब नए तरीके से सामने आते हैं । एक लेखिका या लेखक निजी जीवन में कैसे होते है , इसकी झलक इस किताब में है । कितना विशाल जीवन शिवानी जी और उनके परिवार ने जिया है ....अनगिनत लोगो के जीवन को किस हद तक छुआ इसे पढ़ने के बाद समझ आता है ।

[Mahi Pant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biography of one of my favorite hindi authors. I have loved Shivani's work. She helps me understand the rural and semi urban diaspora of Indian household, small town living, affluent living and I am particularly interested in the layers of complexities that appear in her women characters as the class in which they are bought up and then get married to changes. The changes that it brings in her relationships. The value complexes, traps, and struggles of her women protagonist who almost never forsake their inherent believe in themselves. This quality of strength that she portrays in women through her stories is what makes Shivani a very special writer.

Ira Pande, Shivani's daughter tells her story in a very interesting way. She has translated some of Shivani's short stories and during her telling Shivani's stories have places Shivani's stories in a way to break the monotony. She also let the readers make their own connections. What events had what effect to make her tell a certain story is an assumption that she let's the reader make. It strikes you that Shivani was a sensitive and reflective person who wrote perhaps to balance her sensibilities. Something I found interesting is Ira Pande's account of how some of Shivani's characters mirror and reflect some real-life people in her life their eccentricities and quirks. Fantastic read specially for people who want to understand Shivani's life and work.

[Jyoti Joshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about one of the most revered Women Writers in Hindi- Shivani ( Gaura Pant). To get an insight to her life through the eyes of her daughter is a true gem. It was a delight to read about the Real life characters and stories behind the stories Shivani wrote. A book to treasure, if you like Shivani.

[Vatsala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting literary tribute to the great literary legend Shivani ji (Gaura Pant) by her daughter.