मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ

by Krishan Chander

This ebook is from Rajpal and Sons, a 103 year-old publishing house headquartered in Delhi. Rajpal and Sons publishes books in English and Hindi languages, in non-fiction, fiction, classic and contemporary literature, and children categories.

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2014

About the author

हिंदी : कृश्न चन्दर
Urdu Profile:کرشن چندر
Krishan Chander was an Urdu and Hindi writer of short stories and novels. He also worked on English.

He was a prolific writer, penning over 20 novels, 30 collections of short stories and scores of radio plays in Urdu, and later, after partition of the country, took to writing in Hindi as well.

He also wrote screen-plays for Bollywood movies to supplement his meagre income as an author of satirical stories. Krishan Chander's novels (including the classic : Ek Gadhe Ki Sarguzasht, trans. Autobiography of a Donkey) have been translated into over 16 Indian languages and some foreign languages, including English.

His short story "Annadata" (trans: The Giver of Grain – an obsequious appellation used by Indian peasants for their feudal land-owners), was made into the film Dharti Ke Lal (1946) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas – which led to his being offered work regularly as a screenwriter by Bollywood, including such populist hits as Mamta (1966) and Sharafat (1970). He wrote his film scripts in Urdu

Reviews

[Amrendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of 9 short stories. -
झेलम में नाव पर
दो फर्लांग लंबी सड़क
शहजादा
भक्तराम
कालू भंगी
पूँछ की क्लियोपेट्रा
महालक्ष्मी का पुल
पांच रुपए की आजादी
गुलदुम
Overall a good collection with stories reflecting human values and leftist thinking of the author. Since the author was from Kashmir, some of these stories are also set against that backdrop. Others like दो फर्लांग लंबी सड़क, महालक्ष्मी का पुल, पांच रुपए की आजादी, भक्तराम and कालू भंगी are a biting critique of society.

[Akash · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most striking aspects of Krishan Chander’s writing is his ability to portray the emotional lives of everyday people. His stories often center around characters who are poor, marginalized, or otherwise invisible to mainstream society. Yet, Chander treats them with empathy and depth, showing that their experiences — whether of love, loss, hope, or despair — are just as valid and meaningful as anyone else's. He challenges the reader to look beyond social status and see the human being underneath. In doing so, Chander subtly critiques a society that tends to dismiss or dehumanize those who do not hold power, wealth, or prestige.

My favourite stories from the collection are- Shehzada, Bhaktram, Kalu Bhangi, Mahalakshmi ka Pul.

[Sundeep Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories

I found Krishan chander a great story teller. Much underrated. If you have not read chander, you have missed a slice of life that was so unique to chander.

[Achal Khaneja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories with heart , soul and conscience. Little snippets that force you to look deep into yourself and found wanting.