Identity: short story writer, novelist, playwright, sketch writer, and travel writer

Ram Lal is an important name in the history of Urdu literature. He emerged as a strong link between the Progressive Movement and the modern era. Among the writers who appeared between 1943 and 1960, he holds a very high position, although critics did not give him the attention he truly deserved. He was a novelist, critic, playwright, sketch writer, and above all, a great short story writer.

Ram Lal was born on March 3, 1923, in Mianwali (now in Pakistan), located near the Indus River. His father’s name was Lachhan Das Chhabra. The loss of his mother at the age of two and the cold behavior of his stepmother deeply affected his sensitive nature throughout his life. He completed his education up to the 10th grade at Sanatan Dharma School, Mianwali.

At the age of sixteen, he joined the Indian Railways. This job gave him the opportunity to travel across India. Wherever he went, he closely observed the economic and social conditions of people. These experiences became the foundation of his stories.

His first story “Khayyam” was published in 1943 in a weekly newspaper in Lahore. His first collection “Aaiye” was published in 1945. At that time, Urdu fiction was dominated by writers like Krishan Chander, Manto, and Bedi, but Ram Lal created his own unique identity. His stories have been translated into many Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, as well as Russian, French, Arabic, and English.

He wrote around 52 books, including 16 short story collections.
Short story collections: Awaaz To Pehchano, Inquilab Aane Tak, Gali Gali, Chiragon Ka Safar, etc.
Novels: Neel Dhara (1981), Aage Peechhe, Chachi Ka Dabba
Play: “Aatishkhor” is his famous long play
Sketches: In “Darichon Mein Rakhe Chirag”, he portrayed 21 literary personalities
Travelogues: Zard Patton Ki Bahar, Khwab Khwab Safar, Moscow Yatra

He mostly wrote about middle-class Hindu-Muslim families. Ali Abbas Husaini predicted that he would become the “Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay” of Urdu, which proved true.

He received many national and international awards, including the Ghalib Award, Shiromani Urdu Sahityakar, and Denmark’s Bulleh Shah Award. He also served as the Vice President of the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy.

Death: He passed away on October 16, 1996, in Lucknow.