BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: Arundhati Roy’s novel ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’ Hindi translation ‘Apar Khushi Ka Gharana’ and Urdu translation ‘Bepnah Shadmani Ki Mumlikat’ were launched by Arundhati Roy, Rajkamal Prakashan’s Managing Director Ashok Maheshwari, Manglesh Dabral, Arjumand Ara, Sanjeev Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar at India International Center(IIC) in the Capital recently. This novel is translated into Hindi by senior poet Manglesh Dabral and into Urdu by Arjumand Ara. The novel is published by Rajkamal Prakashan in both languages.
The book launch was started by reading an excerpt from the book by Dastango Darain Shahidi. On this occasion, writer Arundhati Roy said, “This book has been translated into 49 languages including Hindi and Urdu translation, this book is now complete for me.” She further added that “After the success of the novel ‘The God of Small Things’ and winning the Booker Prize, I could have easily written Part two and three of the same novel, but for me the novel is a worship and my world, the novel is a mode in which you can create a new atmosphere by which you invite the reader to walk with you. It is far more complex. It’s a satisfying thing for me. I write novels, so I think I am using my skills in a
Arundhati said, “It took a lot of time for ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’ to finish, but writing it was like solving a puzzle for me.”
Responding to questions during the conversation, the author said, “It is a fraudulent novel; you may have to read it several times to understand its deception.”
Poet and Hindi Translator Manglesh Dabral shared his experience from the time of translation. He said, “The title in itself had a lot of conflicts. Arundhati liked the world ‘Gharana’ after discussing over many such words like sultanate etc. for Hindi translation of the word ministry.” Speaking about the difficulties during the translation, he said, “In the English novel, Arundhati used many new words which were very difficult to get the Hindi version of it.”
Urdu translator, Arjumand Ara shared her experience of translating the book. She said, “The way this novel is written by Arundhati and the kind of words that were chosen in the novel, it was difficult to translate them into the mainstream language, especially Urdu. I have shown complete loyalty on my side while translating it in Urdu so that the characters of the novel come in the same way as it’s in the original language. She further said, “It was easy to translate the old Delhi and Kashmir part of the novel.”
Rajkamal Prakashan’s Managing Director Ashok Maheshwari said “It is a great opportunity that this important book has been published simultaneously in two major languages of our country Hindi and Urdu. It is also a historical moment for Rajkamal publication to start Urdu publication with ‘Bepanah Shadmani Ki Mumlikat’.
