Translation of Tagore’s Hasya Kautuk released

The book brings out the nostalgia of Bengal,which serves as the backdrop for all the plays. The plays were originally published in journals Balak and Bharati,and were written in compliance with the charade form popular in Europe at the time. The plays assess life as episodes marked by joys and sorrows and peppered with humour,throwing readers into hilarious situations that provoke laughter and inspire insight.

At the book launch,Kaul,a UGC-certified instructor-translator-interpreter in Russian,said: “The book aims to remove the drabness and monotony that marks our existence. Not only does it reveal the humorous trait of Rabindranath Tagore,it also motivates us to change our outlook towards situations that life brings to us.”

“It educates people about Tagore’s lighter side. The main message underlined is,to look at life like a stage where each one plays his own role. Wit helps us have healthy adjustments towards situations and combat helplessness and frustration. I owe this book to my mother from whom I have learnt to use wit to combat with situations in life,” Kaul added.

Releasing the book,Somnath Chatterjee,former Lok Sabha Speaker and an ardent Tagore fan,said,“Tagore was a versatile and prolific writer,who composed works for toddlers and at the same time produced masterpieces like Geetanjali. The author of this translation has managed to retain the essence of the original work and the discerning reader will be able to notice it. It has not only the literal translation but also the basic aspect of humour.” “I hope this work will be read widely and help reduce tensions in politics,and bring substantive change in the attitude towards life and politics,” Chatterjee added.