Hrishikesh Sulabh

Hrishikesh Sulabh (born 15 February 1955) is a Hindi writer, best known for short stories and writing plays in Bideshiya Shaili. He worked with the All India Radio between 1980 and 2015. He is now retired and focuses on writing and interacting with young writers / poets / theater workers and activists.

'Sulabh's newest short story collection titled Halant (हलंत) has just been released by Rajkamal Prakashan. The title story can be read for free at http://www.shabdankan.com/2014/05/hrishikesh-sulabh-halant-hindi-kahani.html.

'Sulabh has written a new play called Daaliya (दालिया) based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore.

'Sulabh has just been bestowed upon with the Indu Sharma Antar-rashtriye Katha Samman by Katha,UK for his short-story collection Vasant ke Hatyare.

He was born in a small village (of Laheji, in district of Siwan, Bihar). He received his basic schooling in the village school at Laheji. The ambience of village stage and theatre led to the inculcation of theatrical values in him.

His father, who was a freedom fighter, moved to the city of Patna for Sulabh's further education. After completing his B.A. in Hindi, he went to pursue his Masters in the same subject. Due to financial constraints and family responsibilities, he had to drop out after a year of his M.A. education.

As an optimisation between arranging his wherewithal and channelising his creative energies, he took up a job with All India Radio as an executive.

He married Meena Shrivastava on 26 April 1982 at the age of 28. At that time, she was the only graduate in her village (of Madhavpur, in district of Champaran, Bihar). He has three daughters, Vatsala, Vasundhara, and Vallari.

His life and works have been greatly influenced by his father, Dr. Rama Shankar Srivastava (Prasad), who was a homoeopathic doctor and a freedom fighter. Sulabh has been known for crediting his father for being exceptionally understanding. He mentions the freedom and faith extended by his father towards himself as the biggest motivating factors in the journey of his life.^{[citation needed]} For the past three decades, Hrishikesh Sulabh, apart from writing plays and being a theatre activist, has been actively participating in the various cultural movements. His stories have been published in a plethora of magazines and at the same time, they have been translated into various languages, also in English. On account of his intense passion for theatre, he looked up towards writing plays along with story writing. ″Hrishikesh Sulabh″ has incorporated the theatrical skills and ideas of the famous drama style of ″Bhikhari Thakur″ .i.e. Bidesiya″ in his plays for the first time in a very creative style for the contemporary Hindi theatre. ″National School of Drama″ staged his play ″Batohi″. For the past few years he has been continuously writing for the literary magazine 'Kathadesh'.

″Dharti Aaba″ and Rani ka Sapna are Hrishikesh Sulabh's latest play.

• 10th Indu Sharma International Katha Samman 2010 by Katha UK
• Banarsi Prasad 'Bhojpuri' samman for short story writing in Hindi
• Anil Kumar Mukharji shikhar samman for theatre activities and play writing
• Ramvriksh Benipuri samman for play writing
• Pataliputra award for play writing and theatre
• Siddhnath Kumar smriti samman for play writing and theatre criticism
• 1st shashibhooshan smriti samman for play writing

His works can be broadly classified into three categories – plays, short stories, and theatre criticism.

• Amli अमली
• Batohi बटोही (ISBN 8126713349)^[1]
• Dharti Aaba धरती आबा
• Daaliya दालिया (based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore)
• Mati Gadi माटी गाडी (Adaption of Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play written by Shudrak)^[2]
• Maila Aanchal मैला आँचल (Adaptation of a novel by Phanishwar Nath 'Renu')

• Halant हलंत
• Pattharkat पथरकट
• Vadhsthal se chalang वधस्थल से छ्लाँग
• Bandha Hai Kaal बँधा है काल
• Tuti Ki Aawaz तूती की आवाज़ (ISBN 81-267-1291-0)
• Vasant ke Hatyare वसंत के हत्यारे^[3] (ISBN 978-8126717866)

• Rang Manch Ka Jantantra -a book of theatre criticism रँगमंच का जनतंत्र (collection of Sulabh's article on theatre) (ISBN 978-8126717842)
• Regular column on theatre activities in KATHADESH, a Hindi monthly
• Regular column on theatre for a while in Hindi news magazine Lokayat
• Articles in various other newspapers and magazines Jagaran, Dainik Hindustan, Rashtriya Sahara
  • Shabdankan (शब्दांकन)^[4]
  • Sarika
  • Dharmyug
  • Lahar
  • Sakshatkar
  • Kathayatra
  • Ravivar
  • Vasudha
  • Samya
  • Ab kahani visheshank
  • Vartman Sahity
  • Hans
  • Kathan
  • Sabrang-Jansatta visheshank
  • Kathadesh
  • India Today and Sahity visheshank of India Today
  • Lokmat visheshank
  • Prabhat Khabar visheshank
  • Sambhav kahani visheshank
  • Janpath
  • Samkaleen Bhartiya Sahitya and others

His story Ashtabhujalal ki Bhujaein/ अष्ठभुजालाल की भुजाएँ (known after translation as Ashtabhujalalinte Bhujangal) was included in Theranjedutha Hindi Kathakal (translated and edited by V. K. Ravindranath)^[5]