Review Of O ( Punjabi Fiction #1)

[ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ]

Originally Posted by Kulvanth Kaur in City Sikhs about my book. Now reposting this and the rest of the series that was posted here..

In an effort to keep our Punjabi Language in the 21st century, I am recommending the below. Please take a read, if you are a Punjabi lover, or a novice. Especially for Diaspora Sikhs in my view.

Punjabi Language Book Club

Synopsis Of Fiction written in the Punjabi language

ਓ (O) by Roop Dhillon

About the book

This is a rare Punjabi Novel. It is written almost exactly as Punjabi is spoken in the UK by British born and raised Punjabis ( in this case Sikhs) who speak Punjabi at home with their parents but were not formally educated in writing the language in Punjab or even in the UK. It is almost the creole of British Punjabi, but not quite as the author has attempted to capture enough correct Punjabi syntax and grammar to make it into an Upboli or a dialect of Punjabi. He clearly has not written it in standard Punjabi, but some of this is because instead of being in Taxila or Theth Punjabi it reflects his specific heritage, a mix of Malva and Doabl Punjabi as one of his Parents was a Doabi and his mother is a Malvain. It also has splattering of Majha and Lehnda punjabi whilst its syntax follows UK English.

The Chapters are also unique. Each chapter starting with Oorha, follows the Painti alphabet used by Sikhs to write Punjabi, with the first sentence of each chapter pretty much beginning with a word commencing with that same letter. Thus there are as many chapters as there are letters in the Gurmukhi script. The title also is unusual as it is the letter O or Oorha.

The title makes sense when you realise that the main protagonist is a Sikh Maharaja named Onkar. The thing is no one knows about him as he should have died 200 years ago but was cursed ( and his brother than becomes the Maharaja of Patiala) to live forever until someone who really loves him lifts the curse. On top of this ( as the book covers suggests) he is cursed to be a tiger by day and a man by night. This allows him to live through 1848, 1947 and 1984 which allows the author to have him witness all these key dates in Punjabi and Sikh history. So this side of the plot explores recent Sikh History but another side is a critique of modern Indian Punjabi society ( as opposed to those in the west) with all its flaws, such as the treatment of women, the caste system and religious intolerance. As he is a Weretiger, the story also explores a Chinese hunter named Han Ku who hunts him across northern India. This provides the plot. In terms of social commentary the book explores his relationship with Seema who becomes his wife by promise of a rich dowry to her greedy poor father Kumar. The fact that in this day and age women still have no value other than being men’s chattels is explored. But Seema unlike most Indian woman is tough and independent and knows her own mind. It is in effect a modern imagining of the Beauty and the Beast story. The author has written other similarly unique novels and short stories in Punjabi as well, many of them retreading these same themes and having the anger of 1984 simmering beneath the surface. This book however stands out as it is the first example of gothic fiction written in Punjabi.

About the author

Roop Dhillon’s real name is Rupinderpal Singh Dhillon, but he writes under the name Roop so he is not confused with another established Punjabi language writer. He was born in Hillingdon and bought up in Southall and Hounslow. He loved reading English fiction and when he turned thirty taught himself Punjabi. Then he decided to put it to use and write in Punjabi showing the British Punjabi experience from the perspective of those raised in the UK as a counter to the Parvasi or immigrant writers who pined for India in their books and only wrote about the Pind back home or immigration. Room has written Science fiction, Fantasy, Crime and Espionage as well as Magical realism. However he mixes it all up with punjabi themes in a style or literary movement he has created and he calls Vachitarvaad.

O would sit well as a reading text at UK GCSE level. It is also a good starting point for anyone raised in the UK who can read Punjabi to get themselves into Punjabi fiction.

Further info

For those who want to get hold of the book there are 2 publishers

In India there is Lokgeet Parkashan the imprint of Unistar Books

In Holland there is BLURB the printing provider for Khusjeevan Kitaaban

Links for info

http://www.unistarbooks.com/fiction/4224-o.html

https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/5057516

[dalsingh101]

I just wondering if Roop's post might be better located in the Literature section?  

[ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ]

i didn't know there was a literature section

[dalsingh101]

I'm going to read this one next. Seems shortish. 

[ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ]

2 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

I'm going to read this one next. Seems shortish. 

There is a free online version, but it excludes the English sections ( The printed version of the book has sections written in English on purpose which make sense to the story)

The idea was given to me by Tolstoy, as the orginal War and Peace is 75% in Russian but 25% in French, as most Russians also spoke French in the way Punjabis speak English

See links

 

https://www.blurb.com/books/5057516

http://www.5abi.com/dharavahak/urra-onkar/01-onkar-dhillon-281211.htm

 

 

[dalsingh101]

18 hours ago, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

There is a free online version, but it excludes the English sections ( The printed version of the book has sections written in English on purpose which make sense to the story)

The idea was given to me by Tolstoy, as the orginal War and Peace is 75% in Russian but 25% in French, as most Russians also spoke French in the way Punjabis speak English

See links

 

https://www.blurb.com/books/5057516

http://www.5abi.com/dharavahak/urra-onkar/01-onkar-dhillon-281211.htm

 

 

Will it make sense without the English bits? 

[GurjantGnostic]

14 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

Will it make sense without the English bits? 

Gotta buy the book for those.  We gotta keep Roop in lentils. 

[ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ]

On 9/25/2021 at 6:44 PM, dalsingh101 said:

Will it make sense without the English bits? 

mostly yes. The full book is available on Blurb as well.

[ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ]

On 9/21/2021 at 10:06 PM, dalsingh101 said:

I just wondering if Roop's post might be better located in the Literature section?  

Hi Dalsingh, did you get to read any of my books / stories? What is your feedback?

[GurjantGnostic]

18 hours ago, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

Hi Dalsingh, did you get to read any of my books / stories? What is your feedback?

Roooooooooooooop.

This is h(b)ollywood calling for a screen play adaptation. 

Must make Punjabi Anime or film. 

[GurjantGnostic]

How cool would Sikh Anime be? Awesome sword scenes, rigtheous driven plots, preets and things to run into. Ridia Sidia. All that. 

[GurjantGnostic]

Oh and remember to fire your publisher. Lol. 

[dalsingh101]

On 11/5/2021 at 11:35 AM, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

Hi Dalsingh, did you get to read any of my books / stories? What is your feedback?

Okay. I've been busy trying to get ready for a test I have. I did try reading one of your larger works. I'm going to be straight up with you. Prior to trying to read it, I had thought that my Panjabi level must be about intermediate by now, but I really struggled with even a few pages though. So I've now relegated my Panjabi level to elementary. I think my vocab isn't all there. 

I do plan on going through them. I just realise it will be a longer and more difficult process than I imagined. 

[ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ]

On 11/6/2021 at 4:27 PM, dalsingh101 said:

Okay. I've been busy trying to get ready for a test I have. I did try reading one of your larger works. I'm going to be straight up with you. Prior to trying to read it, I had thought that my Panjabi level must be about intermediate by now, but I really struggled with even a few pages though. So I've now relegated my Panjabi level to elementary. I think my vocab isn't all there. 

I do plan on going through them. I just realise it will be a longer and more difficult process than I imagined. 

oh no...my attention was never to make anyone feel like that!

[dalsingh101]

On 11/8/2021 at 11:03 PM, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

oh no...my attention was never to make anyone feel like that!

That's not an issue. You just maybe have to realise that your language skills are probably way more advance than the vast majority of potential readers of your work. I think we sort of got evidence for that when we put your work out there and got a little feedback.  

I appreciate your recent efforts. I look forward to cutting my teeth on them when the time is right.  I think it'll be small bites for a while! lol Your older works helped me reach where I am today, so.......

This'll make you laugh, but right now, my sweet spot in terms of reading the language in a 'flow' fashion (like I'd probably do in English), is something simple like Santokh Singh Jagdev's books. 

That being said, when I usually read Gurmukhi/Panjabi it's probably an old dharmic ithihaasik text. And yeah, I invariably end up using a bunch of dictionaries (kosh) for those. 

I think you probably realise you've found your true passion in life, and you're lucky with that - many people never do. I don't think a person would go to where you have for popularity or wealth purposes (although they would probably be awesome incidental effects). 

Write some stuff for dumbos like me too!! You don't have to go full throttle all the time. You're not going to simultaneously please both the established literati and the people you said you wanted to target - diasporic Sikhs.