GULABI TALKIES - SHORT STORY BY VAIDEHI (TRANSLATED FROM THE KANNADA BY TEJASWINI NIRANJANA)

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BOOK NAME: GULABI TALKIES

AUTHOR NAME:  VAIDEHI (TRANSLATED FROM THE KANNADA BY TEJASWINI NIRANJANA)




For the first time, I am sharing a review of a short story that’s only 14 pages long, which isn’t the entire book. Vaidehi is a prominent name in the world of Kannada literature. I was torn between multiple authors for the Kannada translation readathon because most blurbs were intriguing. But I wanted to read something by a woman author from Karnataka for a change. And so, began my hunt for Vaidehi’s books. Shockingly, her books weren’t available for sale on most prominent sites. But I didn’t want to give up because the title ‘Gulabi Talkies’ would never leave my mind. I somehow managed to borrow the story and read it the same day. 


To say that I was mind-blown by a 14-page short story would be an understatement. It was phenomenal and left me craving for more. In the short story, the author explores the lives of women in a simple town subdued by men in the 1980s. They merely exist, give birth, and listen to their men’s commands because they were told that was their duty. But how the tables turn upon the arrival of a new cinema theatre in town named Gulabi Talkies, founded by Chandrappa, who named it after his dead mother who had absconded from the town long ago, is told so brilliantly. 


Lillibai, a midwife turned theatre ticket inspector, is an outstanding portrayal of morally grey women who hold power and peace within themselves. Though greedy for money, she serves as a factor of influence for the women in the village who learn about their rights and raise their voices against patriarchy. This was a great story overall, and I am meaning to watch the adaptation as well. Ever since I finished this story, I have been reading her poems and looking out for her other works as well. I wish her books would become available for readers so we don’t miss out on some great writing. 



This is a part of BlogchatterA2Z2026 challenge 

#penbooksandscalpel


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