We are familiar with how power, patriarchy and
possession redefine themselves every day to stay relevant. But sometimes,
society becomes intimidating and forces people to adhere to them or to face the
consequences of negating their existence. The consequence may come in the form
of isolation, cornering and accusations. Mahua Sen’s debut work of translation The Dead Fish written by Rajkamal Choudhary in Hindi, speaks about the buoyant
nature of power, gender fluidity, vulnerability and the necessity of freedom
from anything that holds us back. The story equally dilutes the story with
metaphors, images and a constant underplay. What goes beneath the layers of these
images Choudhary builds is chaotic, dark yet tempting. The writer builds the
story on the mind by keeping the body as its pedestal as both of them have to
be in unison to create a balance.
The novel has an eros but it isn’t loud. It is
a hum that’s constant but continuous. The characters are flawed and, at the
same time, humane. The story has a body of its own, which makes it complex in
its telling such that if readers want to get attuned to it, they must attend it
with sincerity. It is a chaotic novel since the timeframe of the story keeps on
changing from past to present without putting a pause beforehand. It is a form
of telling which many storytellers have followed in their works of art to give
them a potion of life. Art is an emulation of life. What we experience turns
into our work of art. The telling of this novel identifies with life and how it
urges us to seek our own identity. It mirrors how most people’s behaviour and
languages changes with power. But, at the same time, Choudhary also keeps in
mind that, in times of discomfort, power does not help. But those who arrive
with love prepare comfort for us, but it can grow only with our acceptance.
Kalyani, in this novel, is written as a
glamorous, power-abiding libertine. She has necessities and a desire to be on
the top of the system, which she wants to fulfil by any means possible. But she
is not a parasite. She has her own way to give back whatever she takes. But she
can be unkind and cruel, which most people are and it is a flaw and a weapon.
Cruelty acts as a sword for women who have to stand beside womanizers. Their
unkindness should not be glorified but cannot be annulled either since it is a defence
mechanism against power. Her physical demeanour is not like Nirmal, but her
tease and words are. The translator keeps that tease alive in her craft since
everything that Nirmal does or approaches is a creation of Kalyani’s effect on
his male chauvinism. Even his altered behaviour is significantly associated
with his association and dissociation with Kalyani. We find this trait in Nellie
LaRoy, played by Margot Robbie, in the film Babylon, who hunts down
parties to figure out a place the glamour she possesses is noticed. Similarly,
in the novel, Kalyani moves from one party to another, to be the centre of
attention because amidst patriarchs she must use her own ways, without getting oppressed
by the idea, to get her work done.
Rajkamal Choudhary gives us a backstory to Nirmal to allow us to process his hunger for power, arrogant attitude and being a contrasting figure before those he falls in love with. His past sets a tone which is bitter and hence, sweetens the actions of his present time. In the Anandi Gandhi directed film Ship of Theseus, we can relate to Maitreya, played by Neeraj Kabi, because his decision of becoming a Jain monk stemmed from the exhaustion, he felt by living around money, hateful humans and unanswered questions. His choices may not align with ours, but his philosophy cannot be discarded without putting any thought. Similarly, Nirmal’s past is full of horrifying incidents and the choices he makes after earning money and gaining power can be justified. Some may say that what he does is devilish, but the devil has always been questioning whatever is moral, godly and blindly holy. Through Nirmal Padmavat’s actions and behaviour, the writer is not searching for justifications. Rather, he is putting questions in our mind and wants us to answer them as well.
The philosophy of the novel mirrors our
complex reality where we trying to accept ideas which many are hesitant to
address. But the society around us creates a cage around us to restrict our
attempts towards humane development. Nirmal Padmavat is effectively wild, but
even in his careless attitude of what others think about him, he is reminded
that as a member of the society he has to follow certain customs. The
capitalism that Nirmal follows is not hardcore and quite conventional. It is
the consequence of the wounds on his masculine ego. Choudhary does not address
the wounded Nirmal directly. He follows the arc of several other characters to
address his complex masculinity. Normally, hurt is often coined as a driving
force for people to grow, which itself is patriarchal and suppresses an
individual’s development automatically. Choudhary keeps the story open-ended to
make the readers process the idea. For a wider audience, the translator
maintains the telling by putting Choudhary’s idea in a string without stitching
its ends completely.
The story of Nirmal with Kalyani does not form
the core of this text since both these characters form a medium for the writer
to criticize capitalism, industrial oppression, a dreadful fear of modernity,
patriarchal hullaballoo, and faith on monoamory or monogamy. Nirmal’s obsession
for Kalyani is not directly related to gender. It is also related to the
comfort that he found once in her presence. The latter’s libertine nature does
not take Nirmal away from her story. Her experience around him has been both
satisfying and discontenting. Yet, in the novel, Nirmal Padmavat is written as
a seeker of companion, credibility and unequivocal validation. Both these
flawed characters are drawn towards two extremities, and the writer leaves
their shadows to spread for their world in-between. Choudhary does not refrain
from highlighting the fact that even with love, people have certain
expectations and get cornered when they are not met. In the novel, when Kalyani
finds out the reason of Nirmal’s vulnerability, she leaves him without putting
any effort in healing his heavy heart. Nirmal, like most men, choose to adhere
to his demeanour and puts every effort to traumatize other people who Kalyani
is associated with. The possessive nature of both these characters have been
written with metaphors, but these images project the reality of control.
The novel’s take on queer relationship is
different and not cheesy. Shirin (Nirmal’s wife) and Priya (Kalyani’s daughter)
cross each other’s lives as a source to identify what they truly are. In
physics, an electrical circuit’s model can be identified by the switch’s
position, but its effectiveness is inferred by the battery. Similarly, the
psychological proximity of Shirin and Priya is written in a complex manner, but
if read with an objective lens, has certain boosters which nudge them to
identify their true identity. The translator does not vent out the chaos since
it is essential in a relationship, which has not been normalized by the society
and has a beaming effect on people. Choudhary’s writing of queer relationship
tries to have a modern structure but with the eros, he incarnates the
traditional perception which is not needed, but is commendable since other than
Ismat Chugtai, rarely has any Hindi or Urdu writer tried to explore the
dynamics of queer relation.
Mahua Sen’s translation is sharp, tight and
visceral. It has a flow that reads like an original work but, at the same time,
the constant travel from past to present takes the reader away from even the
passionate portions. These situations read good in regional languages since we
speak them in our daily life and have its innate flow solidified in our minds.
Even then, the translator does good work in keeping the images without
maligning what they try to say. Rajkamal Choudhary’s Machhali Mari Hui,
has been hailed as a masterpiece but controversial work of literature. An
English translation of this novel was much needed since we still are not
familiar with queer relationships on a very basic and regional level. The
stories which come in our forefront are adhered with certain looks, lifestyle
and class making them a stereotype. The Dead Fish brings us characters that
are modern, belong to the upper class, but has a tone that is Indian and deals
with issues which are not unfamiliar to us. A dark, erotic and questioning
novel that does not dwell on the surface. It gets deep within our flesh, but
can only crawl if we allow it to do so. A complex book that will have its own
audience, but those who get to join its characters would enjoy something refreshing.
Translator: Mahua Sen
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Source: Review Copy from the Publisher
Author Photo Source: Wikipedia
