Branded as 'obscene' six decades ago, Shyama stages a comeback

In the summer of 2018, Pankaj Bhosale, 44, a young researcher fascinated by classic Marathi suspense literature, stumbled upon Shyama (1964), a novel considered a racy romance for its time.

- Niraj Pandit

MUMBAI: Once buried under court cases and censorship debates, the novel had faded from public memory for more than 60 years. Now it is poised for a revival.

Written by Mumbai-based author Chandrakant Kakodkar, Shyama revolves around Nishikant Kadam, a poet and teacher drawn to Shyama Shinde, a progressive art teacher at the same school. Nishikant encourages Shyama to overcome the conservative resistance she faces and she evolves into a successful singer on All India Radio. Their journey is layered with emotional complexity, misunderstandings, and the tension between love and ambition. Beyond its romantic core, Shyama captures the social mindset of its time—especially in its portrayal of a strong, modern woman navigating a traditional world.

Shyama was originally published as a story in 1963, in Rambha, a magazine traditionally brought out during Diwali. The story caught the attention of a Pune reader, who disturbed by its content filed a complaint against Kakodkar, alleging obscenity. He also wanted Rambha to be declared as a magazine with "adult content".

What followed was a six-year legal battle, which started in a Pune court in December in 1963. A few months later, Kakodkar published Shyama as a novel, even though the case was being heard.