Uttam Bandu Tupe Explained

Uttam Tupe (28 December 1932  - 26 April 2020) was a writer and poet from Pune, India.^[1] He wrote several hundred short stories and 16 novels.^[2] One of his books was made into a successful play, and another into a feature film. Tupe also wrote about the social ills of the caste system and issues with Devadasi.^{[3] [4]}

Early life

Tupe wrote a series of novels with a Devadasi theme that were released into the Marathi literary scene in the 1980s.^[3] Tupe began writing in the rustic dialect of his native Satara district. He crafted a short story on the evils of the dowry system. It was immediately published, and a few months later, Tupe got Rs 501 as a cash prize from the Marathi Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad.^[5]

Works

• Katyavaraci pota – Mehata Pablisinga Hausa; 3. avrtti edition (2001)
• Jhulava (झुलवा)
• Katyavaraci pota – 2001
• Kalasi – 1988
• Andana – 1986
• Jhavala – Publisher: Mehata Pablisinga Hausa; Prathamavrtti edition (1991)
• Zulwa – 1986, 2005^{[6] [7]}
• Zulwa – The book Zulwa was adapted into a play by Chetan Datar for Marathi theatre. The play was an adaptation of the novel by Uttam Bandu Tupe who spent two years in a colony of jogtis to research the novel.

Reception

Other authors have called Tupe a "noted subservient writer".^[4] Naik goes on to say that Tupe as well as Sri Patange, Texas Gaekawad, and Namedeo Kamble^[8] all "are harmful in the sense that they depict life artificially and deliberately and mislead life."^[4]

Social cause

In all his works Tupe was concerned with the crushing burden poor villagers carry. Zulva, the most popular novel, deals with the plight of devadasis. Other themes include: Villagers superstitions,^[9] dowry murders, and the problems of unemployed youth and migrants.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Dalit Literature – First Foundation . firstfoundation.in . 27 May 2015.
2. Book: Michael, S.M. . Untouchable, Dalits in Modern India . Lynne Rienner . 1999 . 978-1-55587-697-5 . 27 May 2015. p.166.
3. http://www.the-criterion.com/V5/n3/Nilekha.pdf The Discourse of Devadasi Subject in Literary Vernacular: Contextualizing Resistance in Uttam Bandu Tupe’s Zulwa
4. Book: Naik, C.D. . Thoughts and Philosophy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar . Sarup & Sons . 2003 . 978-81-7625-418-2 . 27 May 2015.
5. Web site: ગુજરાતી સાહિત્ય પરિષદ, અ‍મદાવાદ – Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, Ahmedabad . Gujarati Sahitya Parishad . gujaratisahityaparishad.com . 27 May 2015.
6. Book: Bandu, T.U. . Zulva . Majestrick, Mumbai . 1986 . de . 27 May 2015.
7. Reading Devadasi Practice through Popular Marathi Literature, by Anagha Tambe Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 44, No. 17 (25 April – 1 May 2009), pp. 85–92, Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
8. Web site: Membership List With Details . Babasaheb Ambedkar National Association of Engineers . banaengp.com.
9. Ph.D. in history . A socio legal historical study of the reservation policy of the Mahar and Mang communities 1950 to 2008 . Jadhav . Tushar Tukaram . October 2014 . Nehru Institute at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth University . Historical background and review of literature . 10603/27131 . 30.