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Saint and sinner
THE CONCEPT of e-books and audio books is still in its infancy in India. There have been sporadic attempts by publishers to bring out an audio book or two but mostly the attempts have been directed at the variety catering to the children - nursery rhymes, folk tales and the like. But now ABN Publishers have come out with a wonderful audio book, a serious and celebrated one at that - the English translation of the Sahitya Akademi winner, the late Nanak Singh's Punjabi novel, "Pavitra Papi" (Saintly Sinner). The original book, hailed as a masterpiece in Punjabi literature, has won worldwide acclaim and much has been talked about and written about this book. There has even been a movie titled "Pavitra Papi" which aptly had veteran character actor Balraj Sahni, a name to reckon with in Punjabi literature those days, enacting the lead role.
The book is about a very poignant story set in the pre-Partition days in the border states of Lahore, Amritsar and Pindi, and revolves round the family of Panna Lal, an upright and honest man. By a quirk of fate, the once-prosperous man turns poor and is forced to take a small-time job as a watchmaker but he bravely soldiers on with the help of his courageous wife. More tragedy is in store for him as he loses his job to a young Kedar who comes to play a crucial role in his family. In fact the story is mostly centred round Kedar - whether he is a saint or a sinner. It is a gripping story all through.
The author's grandson Navdeep Puri, a career diplomat, has done the translation from Punjabi to English. And in this audio edition, Barry John, the consummate artiste that he is, has lent his voice. He has a very rich and flawless voice, his delivery is impeccable and his speech full of feeling and emotions. Still the nuances that one would be able to discern from reading a story could be quite different from hearing the same. Besides, to sit through four hours and four CDs could be quite taxing, and the idea of listening to the CDs in instalments somehow doesn't appeal; in fact it takes away the continuity. It becomes difficult to piece together the events. Even though the publishers deserve praise for their attempt to bring out the audio version of the book, apparently to cover wider audience, somehow one comes out with a feeling that books are meant to be read, not `heard'. Especially such books that are so unputdownable.
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