I, The Salt Doll: A Memoir

by Vandana Mishra, Jerry Pinto (Translator)

Sushila Lotlikar was barely in her teens when tragedy forced her to give up her education and join Parshwanath Altekar’s Little Theatre in Mumbai in 1940. But the young Konkani girl soon became a hit on the Gujarati stage and went on to storm the Marwadi stage. And then, at the age of twenty-one, she retired. Taking her mother’s advice—‘The world of cinema and theatre is like a coal shop, your hands are going to get black’—she married actor-writer Pandit Jaydeo Mishra and ‘moulted’ into Vandana Mishra. But in a singular twist of fate she was to return to the stage twenty-two years later and begin another glorious innings as a character actor.

I, the Salt Doll is the story of an exceptional woman—talented, resilient and possessed of a tremendous zest for life. Equally, it is an engaging chronicle of an entire era—of life in India over half a century, beginning in the early 1930s. It is also a compelling portrait of Mumbai—seen from within; from the stage, from the heart of the old city, from the new suburbs—and in its own quiet way, a plea for the pluralism and diversity that made it a great metropolis.

Vandana Mishra lived through some ‘interesting times’, and her singular voice in this narrative laced with songs and sayings will ring in your ears long after you have put the book down.

Genres: India, Memoir, Nonfiction

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2016

Reviews

[Padmaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I extremely loved so again the review will be divided in two parts. This is post no. 1
This is me as a Marathi mulgi admiring the beauty of my Marathi culture which is the essence of this book. The second post will be my review about the book.
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I instantly fell in love with this book. Filled to the brim with the rich culture of Maharashtra and an ode to the Mumbai of the past.
People led such simple lives back then. The simple Maharashtrian way of life was so relatable!! The idioms and proverbs, the songs, the mentions of jhimma-fugadi, food mentions like Pithla bhat, thalipeeth, piyush and Diwali faral like karanjis, chaklis and chiwda were just lovable. Simple games like सागरगोटे (sagargote) was so warm to read about. The folk songs added to the beauty.
The fun of listening to the community radio, was something even I was new to. Nowadays we have Prime music, Spotify, Gaana, Wynk and what not music apps at our disposal, made me wonder is that a good change or not?
I would honestly give up anything to go and live in the Mumbai and Maharashtra which I'll never get to see, only read about.
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People who love arts, music and culture will love this book. It has many mentions of eminent Marathi personalities like Kumar Gandharva, Hirabai Badodekar and Kesarbai Kerkar. The community festivals and simple celebrations of festivals should make a comeback instead of commercializing every festival with 'Mitra Mandals' 🙄
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This book is a fitting tribute to Mumbai, a testimonial of the time gone by, when everything is changing so much. Mumbai embraces everyone, that is the only thing in common with the Mumbai of today and the past. Happy to know that this element hasn't changed. I am glad I read this book at such a right time when my home state is plagued with narrow politics where certain 'Senas' behave as if they own the Marathi language and our Marathi minds.
That's a completely different issue, let me not wander. This comes highly recommended from me. You'll get a beautiful sneak peek into our beautiful Marathi culture. Now I am going to hunt for the Marathi copy.

[Deepthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Prachiti Talathi Gandhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

वंदना मिश्र यांचे 'मी मिठाची बाहुली' हे पुस्तक माझ्या एका मैत्रिणीने सांगितल्यामुळे वाचले.  वंदना मिश्र म्हणजेच  पूर्वाश्रमीच्या सुशीलाबाई लोटलीकर मराठी, गुजराथी आणि मारवाडी रंगभूमीवरचे १९४० च्या सुमारास एक नावाजलेले व्यक्तिमत्व.
खरं तर त्यांच्याबद्दल अजून काही सांगण्यापूर्वी त्यांच्या कौटुंबिक पार्श्वभूमी जाणून घेवू. सुशीलाबाईंचा जन्म १९२७ ला झाला. त्यांच्या आई लक्ष्मीबाई लोटलीकर यांचे लग्न १९१८ ला झाले होते. हे सांगायचे कारण  म्हणजे वाचकांना थोडा काळाचा अंदाज यावा. सुशीलाबाईना  दोन मोठी भावंडे होती.  त्यांचे वडिलांचा मृत्यू त्या अडीच वर्षांच्या असताना न्युमोनियाने अचानक झाला. आई मुलांना घेवून मुंबईतून रत्नागिरीमधील आडिवरे गावी त्यांच्या सासरी गेली पण थोड्याच काळात त्यांना कळून चुकले कि त्यांना एका विधवेसारखे जगावे  लागेल. त्यांच्या आईला हे काही पटले नाही. त्या मुलांना घेवून परत मुंबईत आल्या. १९३० साली एका विधवेने तीन मुलांसह नोकरी करून मुंबई राहणे हा एक धाडसी आणि थोडासा बंडखोरी विचार होता.  त्यांनी पुढे नर्सिंगचे शिक्षण घेवून हॉस्पिटलमध्ये नोकरी करायाला सुरुवात केली. तिथून त्यांच्या घराची आर्थिक परीस्थिती बदलू लागली.

शाळेत असताना सुशीलाबाईनी गाणे शिकण्यास सुरवात केली. त्याकाळी मराठी  ब्राम्हण घरातील मुलीने संगीत शिकावे असे वातावरण नव्हते.  पुढे त्यांचा प्रवेश मराठी रंगभूमीवर झाला. काही काळाने आईच्या अपघातामुळे त्यांनी व्यावसायिक रंगभूमीवर झाला. त्यांनी मराठी सोबत गुजराथी, मारवाडी नाटकेसुद्धा तितक्याच लीलया केली.

१९४० च्या सुमारास वयाच्या  १५ १६ व्या वर्षी घराच्या परिस्थितीमुळे शिक्षण सोडून रंगभूमीवर पाउल ठेवणे हा धाडसाचा निर्णय त्यांनी घेतला होता. वयाच्या २० व्या वर्षी त्यांचे लग्न हिंदी लेखक जयदेव मिश्र यांच्याशी झाले. त्याकाळी एक तर नाटक सिनेमा मध्ये काम करणाऱ्या मुलीला लग्न साठी मुलगा मिळणे कठीण अश्या परिस्थितीत  समोरून चालत आलेले स्थळ आंतरजातीय असले तरी सारासार विचार करून त्यांच्या आईने त्यांना लग्न करायचा सल्ला दिला. लग्नानंतर त्यांनी रंगभूमीला विश्राम दिला आणि घर, संसार आणि मुले यात रममाण झाल्या.  लग्नानंतर २२ वर्षांनी परत व्यावसायिक रंगभूमीवर त्यांचे पुनरागमन झाले. सध्या वंदना मिश्र (वय ८८) बोरीवली येथे त्यांचा पत्रकार मुलगा अंबरीश मिश्र सोबत राहतात. 

सदर पुस्तक एका विस्मृतीत गेलेल्या व्यक्तीची ओळख आपल्याला करून देते. त्याकाळी अनेक धाडसाचे निर्णय त्यांनी आणि त्यांच्या कुटुंबीयांनी कसे सहजतेने घेतले हे दाखवते. तसेच ज्यांनी जुनी स्वातंत्र्य मिळण्यापूर्वाची किंवा नुकतेच स्वातंत्र्य मिळाल्या नंतरची मुंबई बघितली आहे त्यांच्यासाठी हि एक जुन्या काळातील सफर आहे. पुस्तक वाचताना लेखक आपल्याशी मनमोकळ्या गप्पा मारत असल्याची जाणीव होते. या पुस्तकाचे इंग्रजीमध्ये भाषांतर जेरी पिंटो यांनी 'I, the salt doll'. या नावाने केले आहे.  

[Utkarsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Would it be so impossible for us to slow down?"

This book is a memoir written by Vandana Mishra, an actress of small theatres unknown to many of us. She grew up in Mumbai in an era when it wasn't even called the city of dreams. While reading this book, it felt as if I am reliving the times when Mumbai was still under development and the days before independence. I never thought that this book would give me immense satisfaction after completing it. It described her struggles as an actress when being an actress wasn't even acceptable in our society. Maybe no one would have expected that an actress would write such a beautiful memoir, and thus, this book brings me to the conclusion that perhaps we are from a generation when "love" and "humanity" have faded away with time. People move on as if they hadn't experienced the sorrow of someone around them. Where are we really heading if all of us are going to die? Why are we chasing the dreams restlessly if we don't have time to spend with our loved ones? Maybe the old days when the city was underdeveloped, and even three hundred rupees per month was enough to feed ourselves were good to die after living a satisfactory death. Still, no doubt there are many things which have become better, but at the same time, we can't ignore the fact that we even lost many things. As the saying goes, nothing comes for free, and thus, we are running out of time, while the city is looking at those pretty eyes hoping for us to wait and look at it because the restless human beings around us will soon change it.

_ Utkarsha Kalambe
Dt. 20 August 2021 @19:41 hrs IST

[Shene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many Indian languages and local cultures have their own version of the salt doll story and it is widely believed that the parable sums up the ephemeral nature of life and the vastness of Time. The story goes something like this: A salt doll spends time frolicking on the shore, building sand castles or collecting shells. Enamoured as she is of the deep, calm sea which surrounds her, one day the salt doll decides to enter the blue waters for a good bath. And never returns.

I picked up this book to read because of Jerry Pinto, the beautiful cover and the introduction written above. I knew this was a memoir but expected a life story rather than a narration of food she ate and Mumbai. There are enough books on Mumbai for me to read them if I was enamoured by the city or wanted to know more. This is a cosmetic telling of a person's life without ever getting into the nitty gritty details of a life. Plus I bristled uncomfortably when she changes her FIRST name post her marriage at 20, she gets married at 20 because her mother tried to get her married twice or three times but the match was declined because she was an actress and that was frowned upon (she never gets into this as well), gives up theater that she obviously enjoys because her husband does not want to work and never once gets into how did that make her feel.

I feel cheated, I mean why write a memoir when you don't want to get into the details. Even Jerry Pinto cannot save this book.

[Ambiso Tawsik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful piece

This is a solid memoir...not of the wrtier but of an entire city. The charm of this book is that it is not interested in the cause (such as the day of independence and the bombings) but the effect (how the change in the political scenario changed the everyday aspect of a normal family). This is a story not of the "greats" but of those who have contributed so much to the city of Mumbai but often missed. I would recommend anyone and everyone to take a read.

[foolscap · Rating 1 out of 5]

A string of anecdotes is very charming, but its charm will have to rise from language. It is particularly hard to point why Jerry Pinto's translation in this case fails because I wanted to like the book. It had everything I generally liked -- a woman, her story, and her salary. It was supposed to a breezy, soothing read. Barely 90 pages in, I had to call it a poorly edited book that could have witnessed a different celebration. An essay by Pinto, perhaps, on Mishra's life?

[Nidhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been ages since I cried after reading a book. Maybe because it's been ages since I've read a book written with so much honesty, earnestness and innocence. This book is special because it is equally a memoir of my city, Mumbai where I was born and grew up. Vandana Mishra, aka, Sushila Lotlikar's life and words ooze the simplicity and strength of a city, Bombay, that was and can be. "I lived as I thought it best. You will no doubt form your own opinion. Try not to judge me too harshly... Justice should be tempered with mercy. Try to bear that in mind"; Vandana ji ends her memoir. It moved me to tears, the humanity in those words, pure and raw. It's rare to find that nowadays except in our grandparents. The whole memoir took me back to the time when my grandmothers, Thaati and Ammama, brought stories to life for my sister and me. We grew up on those stories, our worldview of right and wrong was shaped by the truth their life held- simple yet deep. They were our philosophers. Their philosophy stands revived with Vandana Aaji's lifestory. I see my grandmothers in her. We also see a city growing, changing with her life. Her experiences of having lived through historic events (that we've only read about in our history/civics books in school)- Bombay Docks Explosions, Gandhi's assanisation, Independence - seem so personal now. It humanizes history.
This is a memoir rare- adamantly optimistic that energizes you to move on in life, to work and make a difference in your own way.

And Jerry Pinto, you magician, blessed soul! Take a bow. This is how a translation is done! A translation is a test of surrender, a test of an author's humility and ego. Jerry lets Vandana Aaji's voice use his knowledge of English as a vessel. He is invisible. You forget the original story is written in Marathi. The way Jerry has translated this is divine- spiritual surrender at its pinnacle. I join Vandana Aaji in thanking you for "capturing the mood of the Marathi book with rare sensitivity" and if I do happen to meet you in Bombay I hope to also present you with "a plate of besan laddoos" so heartwarmingly promised by Vanadana Aaji in her note at the end of the book.

[Aadyaa Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the loveliest memoirs I've read. An incredibly charming narrative and a captivating oral history of 40's Bombay. The Salt Doll herself really would've been an enchanting person to meet and get to know.

[Samiksha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave an insight to Old Mumbai and the life of Mumbaikars

[Piku Sonali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bestie and I continue our Mumbai trip with this wonderful memoir of a theatre actress that explores Mumbai of the 1940s. A beautiful, simple tale of a fantastic woman who details the city in all its simplicity and glory. The book is full of wonderful memories of yesteryear Mumbai, has lot of info on old actors of the Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati film and theater industry. It is a book that will leave you with a warm and happy feeling. I read the original version in marathi but the English translation is equally endearing.