Bhisham Sahni
A commemorative postage stamp on Bhisham Sahni, an Indian Hindi writer, playwright and actor, famous for his novel and television screenplay Tamas, made over the Partition of India [a part of the series ‘Eminent Writers‘] :
Issued by India
Issued on May 31, 2017
Issued for : To commemorate the spirit and role of Literature in the society, the Department of Posts is bringing out 5 stamps, and one Miniature Sheet on 5 authors.
Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Brahm Prakash
Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition
Colour : Multi Colour
Denomination : 1000 Paise
Stamps Printed : 301590
Miniature Sheet Printed : 0.1 million
Printing Process : Wet Offset
Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad
Name : Bhisham Sahni
Born on 8 Aug, 1915 at Rawalpindi, British India [now Punjab, Pakistan]
Died on 11 Jul, 2003 at Delhi, India
About :
- Literature is one of the major contributory factors in the nation building. It acts a cultural binding force and works as an evocative medium to boost up the moral of the people in the times of crises. Literature is the vehicle through which people’s culture is transmitted. Department of Posts is bringing stamps on five such authors who have contributed significantly in this arena.
- Another author on which the stamp is being brought out is Bhisham Sahni. Bhisham Sahni was one of the most prolific writers of Hindi literature. He was born on 8 August 1915 in Rawalpindi. His immense popularity was a reward for his literary merits – his sharp wit, his gentle irony, his all-pervasive humour, his penetrating insight into character, his mastery as raconteur, and his profound grasp of the yearnings of the human heart. With his high-spirits and passion for life of the common people, he travelled through villages and towns of Punjab with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) theatre group in 1948; then began to teach to earn a living; and then lived in the USSR for seven years as a Hindi translator. This sprawling reservoir of experience collected in the hustle-bustle of various occupations ultimately filtered down into his stories and novels. The ‘simplicity’ of his work comes from hard layers of experience.
- He is known as a progressive writer, influenced by Marxism, and yet he does not seem to be engrossed with political themes. He explores the human condition with kindness and understanding.
- Bhisham Sahni’s last published book, was an autobiography with the title Aaj Ke Ateet (The Pasts of the Present). He was associated with several literary and cultural organizations. He was General Secretary of the All India Progressive Writers Association (1975-85) and Acting General Secretary of the Afro-Asian Writers Association and was also associated with the editing of their journal Lotus.
- He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for literature in 1998 for his contribution in Literature. He passed away on 11 July 2003.
- Text : Based on the material available on internet.
