Shrilal Shukla

His writings expose the negative aspects of life in rural and urban India in a satirical manner. His best known work Raag Darbari has been translated into English and 15 Indian languages. A television serial based on this continued for several months on the national network in the 1980s. It is a little-known fact that he also wrote a detective novel entitled Aadmi Ka Zahar which was serialised in the weekly magazine 'Hindustan'.

• Name — Shrilal Shukla • Born — 31 December 1925 • Notable Works — Raag Darbari, Makaan, Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj, Pehla Padaav • Died — 28 October 2011 • Place of death — Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh • Occupation — Writer

• 1925 – Born in village Atrauli in Mohanlalganj, Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh • 1947 – Graduated from Allahabad University • 1949 – Entry into the Civil Service • 1957 – First novel Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj published • 1958 – First collection of satire Angad Ka Paanv published • 1970 – Awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Raag Darbari (for 1969) • 1978 – Awarded the Madhya Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Parishad Award for Makaan • 1979–80 – Served as Director of the Bhartendu Natya Academy, Uttar Pradesh • 1981 – Represented India at the International Writers' Meet in Belgrade • 1982–86 – Member of the Advisory Board of the Sahitya Akademi • 1983 – Retirement from the Indian Administrative Service • 1987–90 – Awarded the Emeritus Fellowship by the ICCR, Government of India • 1988 – Given the Sahitya Bhushan Award by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthaan • 1991 – Awarded the Goyal Sahitya Puraskaar by Kurukshetra University • 1994 – Awarded the Lohia Sammaan by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthaan • 1996 – Awarded the Sharad Joshi Sammaan by the Madhya Pradesh Government • 1997 – Awarded the Maithili Sharan Gupta Sammaan by the Madhya Pradesh Government • 1999 – Awarded the Vyas Samman by the Birla Foundation • 2005 – Awarded the Yash Bharati Samman by the Uttar Pradesh Government • 2008 – Awarded the Padma Bhushan by the president of India • 2009 – Awarded the Jnanpith Award.

Novels • Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj – 1957 • Agyaatvaas – 1962 • Raag Darbari (novel) – 1968 – original is in Hindi; an English translation was published under the same title in 1993 by Penguin Books; also translated and published by National Book Trust, India in 15 Indian languages. The novelist had long discussions with his close friend Surendra Chaturvedi of Nav Bharat Times concerning the plot, characters and language of the novel. • Aadmi Ka Zahar – 1972 • Seemayein Tootati Hain – 1973 • Makaan – 1976 – original is in Hindi; a Bengali translation was published in the late 1970s. • Pehla Padaav – 1987 – original is in Hindi; an English translation was published as Opening Moves by Penguin International in 1993. • Bisrampur Ka Sant – 1998 • Babbar Singh Aur Uske Saathi – 1999 – original is in Hindi; an English translation was published as Babbar Singh And his Friends in 2000 by Scholastic Inc. New York. • Raag Viraag – 2001 Satires • Angad Ka Paanv – 1958 • Yahaan Se Vahaan – 1970 • Meri Shreshtha Vyangya Rachnayein – 1979 • Umraaonagar Mein Kuchh Din – 1986 • Kuchh Zameen Mein Kuchh Hava Mein – 1990 • Aao Baith Lein Kuchh Der – 1995 • Agli Shataabdi Ka Sheher – 1996 • Jahaalat Ke Pachaas Saal – 2003 • Khabron Ki Jugaali – 2005 Short Story Collections • Yeh Ghar Mera Nahin – 1979 • Suraksha Tatha Anya Kahaaniyan – 1991 • Iss Umra Mein – 2003 • Dus Pratinidhi Kahaaniyan – 2003 Memoirs • Mere Saakshaatkaar – 2002 • Kuchh Saahitya Charcha Bhi – 2008 Literary Critique • Bhagwati Charan Varma – 1989 • Amritlal Naagar – 1994 • Agyeya: Kuchh Rang Kuchh Raag – 1999 Edited Works • Hindi Haasya Vyangya Sankalan – 2000

He has visited Yugoslavia, Germany, UK, Poland, Surinam for various literary seminars, conferences and to receive awards. He has also headed a delegation of writers sent by the Government of India to China.

Shukla died in Lucknow on 28 October 2011 at around 11.45 am after a prolonged illness, fourteen years after the death of his wife Girija, who had been his true companion who passionately shared his love of classical music and literature. Shri Lal Shukla has four children – daughters Rekha Awasthi and Madhulika Mehta who are musically talented homemakers;son Ashutosh Shukla who works in a corporate cooperative concern and lastly youngest daughter Dr. Vinita Mathur who is a professor in Geography in the University of Delhi. He has eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.