Pundalik Naik

• Name — Pundalik Naik • Birth Name — Pundalik Narayan Naik • Born — 21 April 1952 • Birthplace — Volvoi, Portuguese Goa • Occupation — * Writer • playwright • Language — Konkani • Movement — Konkani language agitation • Spouse — Hema Naik • Awards — Sahitya Akademi Award

Naik was born on 21 April 1952, in Volvoi, Goa, to Narayan and Lakshmi. Raised in a rural agricultural family, he closely observed and experienced agrarian life from his childhood, which significantly shaped the thematic focus and minute observations found in his later literary career. He completed his secondary school education up to the S.S.C. level at the Government High School in Savoi-Verem. Following this, he pursued higher education up to Inter Arts at the Dhempe College of Arts and Science in Panaji.

Naik began his professional career as a school teacher, a role he maintained for six years, from 1972 to 1978. In 1979, he was appointed as a sub-editor at the Panaji center of Akashvani (All India Radio). He was later promoted to the position of assistant editor for scripts within the organization. He resigned from his job at Akashvani in 1984 to dedicate himself fully to his creative pursuits. Naik possessed a strong inclination toward literature from his childhood, and his formal work in Konkani literary production began in 1972. He established himself as an all-round writer, contributing to poetry, short stories, novellas, novels, plays, and one-act plays. His writings often depict the struggles, suffering, injustices, and aspirations of the weaker sections of society, while capturing the progressive transitions and social barriers within Goan life. While he excelled across genres, his contributions to Konkani theater and drama are considered particularly valuable. He experimented with stage production techniques and directed several Konkani plays. Beyond playwriting, Naik edited Rutu, a Konkani poetry periodical, for many years. His creative writing also extended to broadcasting and audio-visual media, including scriptwriting for both Marathi and Konkani telefilms.

• Illustration — Pundalik Naik in his youth Naik played a prominent and valuable role in the historic public movement to secure official status for the Konkani language in Goa. He functioned as the convener of Konkani Porjecho Avaz, the primary organization that led the language agitation. He served as the President of Goa Konkani Akademi (Goa Academy of Letters for Konkani) of the Government of Goa since 2002.

• Illustration — Konkani litterateur from Goa, Pundalik Narayan Naik, at a function at the Institute Menezes Braganza In all, Naik has 32 plays, and collections of short stories, novels, novellas, translations and books of children's rhyme to his credit. He is considered a pioneer in the realm of Konkani drama. Some of his plays are as follows: • Name of play — Year — Theme • Ransundari — 1974 — Verse play written for children • Chhappan Thigali Yashwantrao — 1980 — Tragedy of a loader at a bus stand • Suring — 1982 — Plight of labourers building roads • Demand — 1986 — Realistic portrayal of illiterate folk seeking justice at courts • Dayz — Dowry • Shabai Shabai Bahujan Samaj — 1986 — Scathing socio politico satire Some have complained that "his works are pretty difficult to bring into English and other languages". There is also an essay (translated into English by Vidya Pai) explaining how Naik's Acchev happened. This essay (in Konkani) was originally published in the special issue of the Konkani literary magazine Jaag released to celebrate 150 years of the Konkani novel in early 2012. During a five-day theatre festival on the plays of Pundalik Naik, called Natyarang Pancham, held in 2011, the plays staged were Shabay Shabay Bhaujan Samaj, Kaansulo, Suring, Chaityanak Math Naa and Shree Vichitrachi Jatra. Naik took to writing plays in 1977. The Shubham Naik Trust and the Directorate of Art and Culture had organised a festival of selected Konkani plays of Pundalik Naik at five regional centers including Masordem—Sattari, Mandrem—Pernem, Sanguem, Chaudi—Canacona and Shiroda—Ponda. Naik has also written plays for radio and television, and has edited films. Some more of his works include: • Poetry: Ga Ami Rakhne • Story collections: Pishantar, Muthay, and Arghuk • Novellas: Bambar, Vasantotsav, and Dayaj • Novels: Acchev • Plays: Khan Khan Mati, Raktakhev, Rakhan, Suring, Suryasanvat, Demand, Muktatai, Shabay Shabay Bhaujan Samaj, Pimpal Petla, Shree * Vichitrachi Jatra, Dayaj, and Chaitanyak Math Na • One-act play collections: Gavdhani Gavkar, Chaurang, and Digant • Radio play collections: Akashmanch • Children's literature: Ransundari (musical play), Aalshyank Vag Khatlo (short play), and Manu (novella) • Short plays: Chhapann Thigali Yashwant • Edited volumes: Venchik Konkani Ekanki • Translations: Kazi Nazrul Islam and Nanalal

• Upheaval (Achhev), tr. by Vidya Pai. Oxford University Press, 2002..

Naik's literature has been adapted extensively across different media and languages throughout India: • His play Shree Vichitrachi Jatra was translated and produced in the Tamil language. • The plays Pimpal Petla and Shree Vichitrachi Jatra were adapted into Marathi and staged on the theater scene. • Drama adaptations of his scripts Marnakato, Shree Vichitrachi Jatra, and Panj were translated into multiple Indian languages and broadcast nationwide across various radio stations. • The Panaji station of Doordarshan broadcast television adaptations of his works, presenting Ransundari as a children's play, Jait as a telefilm, and Marnakato as a teleplay.

He is married to Hema Naik, also a Konkani writer.