Andha Ullu

Considered not only one of Irans best novels, but also one of the worlds best, the novel Andha Ullu was written by its author during his stay in Bombay, India. The inner darkness of a desperate man and his anguish at the world that keeps him oppressive are woven into every word of this novel, which the renowned storyteller Nasira Sharma has painstakingly translated from the original Persian into Hindi. While this novel, in its incoherent surrealism, seems distant, it also feels very close to us in its very details and reactions. It captures the dark expanse of our modern psyche, surrounded by insensitive geometric shapes, where we often dare not tread. Due to its horrific depiction of immense despair, terrifying nightmares, profound loneliness, and a sense of mortality, this novel was even banned in Iran, one of the reasons for which is said to be that some readers even attempted to end their lives after reading it. But it was never possible to deny the truth expressed in this novel and with time, Andha Ullu became more and more accepted as an indispensable lesson for every conscious and sensitive person.