"Today's Pasts", the English version of "Aaj Ke Ateet", is not only a powerful poignant memoir, but also vitally documents the history of India in the 20th century, says publisher Penguin India.
In addition to being the story of Sahni's life and art, "Today's Pasts" also chronicles the great cultural high points of modern India: the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), the Progressive Writers' Association, the Nayi Kahani movement. The stars of Hindi and Urdu literature enter and exit the text as friends and familiars.
Also included is the growth and development of Indian film and stage, the literary milieus of Hindi literature, the cultural efforts of the Non-Aligned Movement, globally, and the headlines of the world brought on by the advent of modernity.
The book has been translated by Snehal Shingavi, an assistant professor of English at the University of Texas, Austin, where he teaches South Asian literatures in English, Hindi and Urdu.
Also Read
As he gathers life experience, Sahni hones his politics and talent as a writer to gradually become one of the icons of modern Indian literature.
Sahni's oeuvre encompassed novels, plays, short stories and essays. "Tamas", his best-known novel, won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975 and was subsequently adapted into a National Award-winning film by Govind Nihalani.