One For The Road By V. P. Kale

Va Pu, a name famous not only within the boundaries of Maharashtra but also all over the world wherever Marathi is known. The image which appears by default with this name is that of a fresh, handsome, energetic storyteller reflecting his stories. The stories, the author and the team presenting the stories all have blended together perfectly well. All the characters represent the middleclass mentality of people from Mumbai and Pune. It has no touch of rural life or modernization and the problems occurring with that. It does not reach deep down its interior to handle the pains, yet it has a peculiar style, a natural freshness. It finds depths and humour in simple subjects. It does not avoid pain, but is not very fond of it. It presents the normal mind, normal set up, normal feelings. It makes us laugh and freshens us up. It makes us forget about our day to day life and the meager problems that come with it. This is the secret of his writing, of his success for 23 books, consecutively. M.V.Rajadhyaksha