Hrudaya Netri

By Malathi Chendur
Translated into English by Parvathy B

The novel explores Malathi Chendur’s preoccupation with the ideological impulsions of the freedom struggle of India. Following the life of Gopalam, it presents a fictional record of the national movement in Andhra, a story which straddles four generations and reflects on the modern Indian History with reference to the Telugu people, starting from the freedom struggle to the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi, also invoking the Gandhian regime, the Emergency and the aftermath of the struggle for Independence. Many historical figures appear in the course of the novel which advocates for a more just social order. It received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992.

About the Author
Malathi Chendur was a prolific Telugu short-story writer, novelist and columnist. She started her career as a novelist in 1949 and went on to write 26 novels in Telugu language. She also translated more than 300 novels from other languages into Telugu. She wrote a weekly column, ‘Pramadaavanam’, in the Andhra Prabha newspaper, which appeared continuously for 47 years, setting a Guinness World Record for the longest-running column. She has been a recipient of Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Akademi Award (1987), Madras Telugu Akademi Award (1988) and Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Hrudaya Netri (1992).