10 Best Non-English Indian Authors

chillibreeze writer — Archana Rao-D’Cruz

Buy and Download English Language in India from the Chillibreeze eStore

Literary taste being a highly personal affair, it would be difficult to compile a list of 10 best authors under any circumstance. Add to this, Indian literary tradition dating back at least 3000 years and more than 100 documented languages in India and you have a glimmer of the impossible task that lies ahead. Nevertheless -armed with hope, recklessness, translations and information in the public domain, I have made a valiant attempt at doing just that.

Kalidas: (370-450AD) It would be appropriate to begin the list with the most famous Sanskrit writer, Sanskrit being the language which has nourished and influenced all the modern languages of the Indian subcontinent. Widely translated into several Indian and European languages, Kalidas’ writings continue to enthrall readers, 1500 years after they were written. His vivid portrayals and beautiful wordplays can be observed in his immortal plays (Shakuntala, Malavika-Agnimitra, Urvashi-Puraravas) and poems (Meghdoot, Kumarasambhava, Raghuvansham). Little wonder that his impact on Sanskrit literature is often compared with that of Shakespeare on English.

Premchand: (1880-1936) With a repertoire of over 300 short stories, fourteen novels and innumerable plays, it is little wonder that Munshi Premchand earned the sobriquet of “Upanyas Samrat” (emperor of plays). His writings have been widely used in school textbooks and adapted for movies and television. Premchand’s impact on Indian cultural scene transcends that of any other 20th century Urdu-Hindi writer. Premchand was a great humanist and in his inimitable style he wrote simple, lucid stories of the common man who bore all the travails of destiny with fortitude and dignity. His best known works are “Shatranj ke Khiladi”, “Kafan”, “Idgah”, “Poos ki Raat”, “Bade Bhaisaheb” and “Panch Parmeshwar”.

Ismat Chugtai: (1915- 1991) A feisty feminist and a passionate writer, Ismat Chugtai is considered one of the four pillars of modern Urdu literature. Her path-breaking ideas and uncompromising prose, found her at the centre of numerous controversies, in life and thereafter. Her short story “Lihaf”, which touched upon the theme of female sexuality led to court cases, social boycott and ban on her writing. But the social pressure neither bent her will nor softened the sting in her writing. Her writings have stood the test of time and continue to inspire millions of readers worldwide.

Rabindranath Tagore: (1861- 1941)As the creator of the Indian National Anthem and as the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, Rabindranath Tagore has a special place in the Pantheon of Indian Greats. But over and above these achievements, he was a polymath who shaped the cultural landscape of his region. From early beginning as a poet(at the age of 8), the prolific writer went on to establish his reputation with a vast body of work that included poems, short stories, novels, dramas, essays, travel diaries and two autobiographies. His best-known works are “Gitanjali”, “Gora” and “Ghare-Baire”.

Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay: (1876 – 1938) Few writers have been as popular in their lifetime and beyond as Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, his cause célèbre being the novel “Devdas”. His literary output which was always received with warmth and eagerness has been widely translated and at least 50 films in various Indian languages have been based on his works. His writings inhabited the rural Bengali landscape and often challenged the prevalent social superstition and oppression. He was particularly sensitive to the cause of women and in very many of his books (eg. Devdas, Parineeta, Srikanto), the plot is driven by strong women characters rather than the indecisive male protagonist.

Amrita Pritam: (1919-2005) she is considered the most important female voice in Punjabi. She remained rooted to her soil – her deep, sensitive writing best illustrated in the epic “I ask Waris Shah today”. The haunting poem which detailed the brutality of partition immortalized her and won her loyal fans on both sides of the border. Amrita Pritam was awarded Bhartiya Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi award, along with the Padma Vibhushan.

Vijay Tendulkar: (1928- 2008) Best known for his Marathi plays “Sakharam Binder” and “Ghashiram Kotwal”, Vijay Tendulkar was also a movie and television writer, essayist, journalist and social commentator. His writings focused on harsh social and political realities, often providing a painful jolt to the social structure of the times. Always authentic and often radical, his plays revitalized the Marathi theatre. He also added value to new age cinema with screenplays for movies like “Nishant”, “akrosh” and “Ardh Satya”. For his contribution to Indian literature he was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Padma Bhushan.

Subramanya Bharathi (1882-1921): A zealous social reformer and freedom fighter, his writings gave new life to Tamil literature, leaving an inedible mark as a writer of Tamil nationalism and Indian Freedom Movement. Although fluent in many languages (English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali), he referred to Tamil as his “Mother”. His love for Tamil was expressed in a poem, the words of which continue to resonate across the landscape of Tamil Nadu even today. A prolific writer of prose and poetry, his soul-stirring writings reflected his deep personal commitment to humanity, freedom and reform.

Vaikom Mohammed Basheer: ( 1908-1994) A Padma Shri winner and author of 34 books in Malayalam (novels, short stories and plays), V.M. Basheer is widely recognized for his open and simple writing style, which combined with sharp observations and vivid characterizations resulted in powerful literature that inspired an entire generation. His life experiences, his association with the freedom movement and his extensive travels- all these provided inspiration for his writing. Love, humanity and poverty were the recurring themes in his books. His famous works in Malayalam include “The Love Letter”, “My Granddad had an elephant”, “Pathuma’s Goat”’ “Walls”, “The Blue Glow”’ “The Birthday” and “Fools’s Paradise”.

U.R. Ananthamurthy (1932- ) A popular contemporary Kannada writer, he is regarded as one of the most important authors in India today. He is the recipient of Jnanpith Award as well as Padma Bhushan. A committed social reformer and an important representative of “Navya” movement in Kannada literature, several of his short stories and novels have been made into movies.
In making this list, I have tried to include writers whose writings have not only had significant impact during their time but have also withstood the test of time and are still popular and relevant today. While there may be some debate about authors excluded from this list, there can be none about those included in this list. They continue to inspire, enlighten and exhilarate millions of readers even today.

Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in November, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

More on Chillibreeze.com

Other popular articles on Chillibreeze

Best Companies to Work for in India
Ten Grammatical Errors Often Missed
Five Must Have Qualities of an Editor
Top 10 Communication Skills Needed In India
Training that Can Enhance the Employability of Indian Professionals

Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...

—About our writer:

Archana Rao-D’Cruz is a post graduate in Life Sciences and Biochemistry from the Mumbai University. She has had several years of corporate experience wherein she was exposed to various forms of documentation and business writing skills. She discovered her passion for creative writing when she switched to being an educator and has written plenty of articles (fiction and non-fiction) as a freelancer. She is currently mentoring children to help them discover the joy of reading and creative writing.

>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:

More resources for Writers on Chillibreeze.com

Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:

Assessment of your writing, editing and proofreading skills

Writing courses

Expert Feedback on your article

An opportunity to promote yourself on our website

Top websites for Indian writers

Tips and resources for Indian freelancers

Book Publishing services

And more………………..

Explore our writers’ section using the links on our left-hand side menu.