A Graphic Poem by : Sharvari Deshpande

MAJNU

LAILA

BlueJackal Publication June 2020

Laila-Majnun by Sharvari Deshpande

Sharvari Deshpande : Sharvari is from Pune and has recently finished her fourth year of BVA from Fine Arts Faculty, M. S. University, Baroda, yr. 2020. She enjoys writing stories and illustrating them.

This book is inspired by a Marathi poem 'Laila' by Arun Kolatkar. I admire the way Arun Kolhatkar adapts epic love stories and myths in his poem collection ‘Bhijki vahi’ (Marathi) and gives them more intimate perspectives, to reveal their underlying tones.

I re-imagine Laila-Majnu in the contemporary context. Majnu is the anxious lover determined in the pursuit of his love whereas Laila fights to find her own ‘being’. In the course of time, their paths meet at a single point where a question is raised about the idea of love.

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