Batatychi Chal (Marathi, Paperback, Laxman Deshpande Purushottam)

Witty and humorous, Batatychi Chal (Marathi) depicts the lives of the middle class families inhabiting a fictitious ‘chal’ or tenement in a place called Girgaon in Mumbai.

Summary Of The Book

Batatychi Chal (Marathi) focuses on the lives of the dwellers of a tenement called ‘Batatychi Chal’. The families living there come from lower middle class backgrounds, and the members include school teachers, music teachers, and clerks. The poignant and humorous narrative is set in the backdrop of India in the 1940s, and it laments the decline of the middle class section of the society.

The episodes in Batatychi Chal (Marathi) feature many interesting elements including a musical show, a cultural movement, songs for women, and also a few pages from the diaries of some of the residents of the tenement. Some of the main characters in the book are Baba Barve, Dwarakanath Gupte, Kashinath Nadkarni, Kochrekar, Sammel Kaka, Janoba Rege, Raghunana Soman, and Kushabhau Akshikar.

Scores of a one man show based on the episode of Batatychi Chal (Marathi) have been presented in Marathi by Deshpande himself. The first show was held in 1958, and it was the first one man show that was presented in the Marathi Theater.

About Purushottam Laxman Deshpande

Purushottam Laxman Deshpande was a popular Marathi author, orator, film actor, singer, theatre actor, and music composer.

Deshpande has written other Marathi books like Nasti Uthathewa, Vatvat Vatvat, Kay Wattel Te Hoeel, and Kanhoji Angre.

Deshpande’s is quite popular for his humorous and witty style of writing as well as for his eye for detail and succinct way with words.

Deshpande was born in 1919 in Mumbai, but his family later settled in Pune. He was lovingly called Pula by all his fans. He attended Fergusson College in Pune and later Willingdon College in Sangli. He began his career as a college professor in Belgaum in Karnataka. He later moved on to a well-rounded career in acting, writing, direction, and also music. He has also translated several books from other languages into Marathi. During his lifetime, Deshpande won several awards including the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri. He passed away in the year 2000 in Pune due to Parkinson's disease.