Kabuliwala (short story)
| Kabuliwala | |
|---|---|
| by Rabindranath Tagore | |
| Country | British Raj |
| Language | Bengali |
| Published in | Sadhana |
| Publication date | 1892 |
Kabuliwala is a Bengali short story written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1892,[1][2] during Tagore's "Sadhana" period (named for one of Tagore's magazines) from 1891 to 1895. The story is about a fruit seller, a Pashtun from Kabul, Afghanistan, who visits Calcutta (present day Kolkata), India each year to sell dry fruits. While living in India, he develops a filial affection for a five-year-old girl, Mini, from a middle-class aristocratic family, who reminds him of his own beloved daughter back home in Afghanistan.
Theme
The main theme of this story is that humans, no matter what their nationality or background, are all the same, as symbolised by filial affection—the deep love that fathers have for their children.[3] In the story are encountered three examples of filial affection—the narrator and his daughter Mini; the Kabuliwala "Rahmat" and his own daughter in Afghanistan; and the Rahmat "Kabuliwala" and Mini. In this story Rahmat comes to India every year to sell dry-fruits and to meet this girl named Mini. He encountered a physical confrontation with a person while collecting debts and that's what led him to end up in jail. After several years, he was pardoned and was released from jail—he returned to meet Mini at her house, she had grown up and could not recognize him due to circumstances.[clarification needed][4][5]
Adaptations
The story has adapted a number of times as listed below:
- Kabuliwala, a 1957 Bengali movie
- Kabuliwala, a 1961 Hindi movie
- Kabuliwala, a 2006 Bengali movie
- Kabuliwala – as a part of television series Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
- Bioscopewala, a 2018 Hindi movie
See also
References
- ^ Radice, William (tr.), 1991.Selected Short Stories. pp. 295-302.
- ^ Tagore, Rabindranath (2010). Chattopadhyay, Ratan Kumar (ed.). Selections from Galpaguchchha (3 volumes). Orient Blackswan.
- ^ Pothukuchi, Madhavi (10 August 2019). "Kabuliwala is the heart-rending childhood tale of innocence, love & fate". The Print. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Norris, Rachael (26 June 2020). "Places to Go Kabuliwala by Rabindranath Tagore". thereader.org. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Quayum, Mohammad Abdul (2 May 2009). "Kabuliwala". thereader.org. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
External links
- Onward English Reader – 7 (new Edition), by Strevens P, ISBN 9788125005858
- Short Stories from Rabindranath Tagore, by Rabindranath Tagore, translation Pratima Bowes, 1999, East-West Publications (U.K.) Limited, ISBN 9780856921445
- Downloadable Kabuliwala in English
- The 'Kabuliwala' Afghans of Kolkata, published by BBC
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