"Lumps of clay! All of you...lumps of clay!"

Mohan Rakesh was one of the pioneers of the Nai Kahani ("New Story") literary movement of Hindi literature in the 1950s. He wrote the first modern Hindi play, Ashadh Ka Ek Din (One Day in Aashad) (1958), which won a competition organized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. He made significant contributions to the novel, the short story, travelogue, criticism, memoir, and drama.

Rakesh was first married in 1950 in an arranged marriage which ended in divorce in 1957. His second marriage in 1960 too ended soon. However, in his third marriage to Anita Aulakh in 1963, he had found love. At the time of the marriage Anita was 21 year old. After his death, she continued to live in Delhi and, now in her seventies, lives in East of Kailash neighbourhood. Her autobiographical work, Satrein Aur Satrein, was first serialized in the Hindi magazine Sarika, and later published in 2002.


Literary work

  • Novels (Upanyas)
  • Andhere Band Kamre (1961)
  • Na Aanewala Kal (1968)
  • Antaraal (1972)
  • Bakalama Khuda (1974)

Plays (Natak-Ekanki)

  • Aadhe Adhure / आधे अधूरे (1969) ISBN 978-81-8361-325-5
  • Lahron Ke Rajhans / लहरों के राजहंस (1963) ISBN 978-81-267-1595-4
  • Ashadh Ka Ek Din / आषाढ़ का एक दिन (One Day in Ashadha, 1958) ISBN 9788170284093
  • Mohan Rakesh ke Sampurn Natak, 1993, Rajpal. ISBN 81-7028-152-0.

Posthumously published

  • Pairon Tale Ki Zameen (1973)
  • Ande Ke Chilke, anya ekanki tatha beej natak (1973)
  • Rata Bitane Taka Tatha Anya Dhvani Nataka, 1974, Radhakrishna Prakashan. ISBN 81-7119-332-3. (Radio plays)

Translation

  • Mrichchkatikam, (Sanskrit play)
  • Shakuntalam (Sanskrit play)

Story anthologies (Kahani Sangrah)

  • 10 Pratinidhi Kahaniyan (Mohan Rakesh)
  • Rat ki Bahon Mein
  • Mohan Rakesh ki meri prem Kahaniyan


Two of his literary works were adapted by the filmmaker Mani Kaul. The first film was Uski Roti made in 1969 based on the short story of the same name. For this film, Mohan Rakesh wrote the dialogs. The second film was Ashadh Ka Ek Din made in 1971, based on a play by Mohan Rakesh. Both these films are considered landmark films of the Indian Parallel cinema.Mitti ke Rang, a series of short stories on Doordarshan during 1990s were based on short stories of Mohan Rakesh.