I was in love with it the very first time I read this book. I do not know how to thank Priyanka, a friend from my lodge at Ranchi, for having gifted me a copy of this.

Bachchan had accepted the effect of "Rubaiyat-e-Umar Kahiyyam" on his poetic tendencies -

तुम्हारी मदिरा से अभिषिक्त
हुए थे जिस दिन मेरे प्राण
उसी दिन मेरे मुख की बात
हुई थी अंतरतम की तान

For this book he has said - "रात को मेरे तकिए के नीचे रहती, दिन को मेरी जेब में" and for me similar was the situation with his Madhushala.

What I like the best about this particular creation of him is that no matter what kind of a situation you are facing in life, you have something in Madhushala to identify with. At least I always found it to be so. Its simply wonderful... I am not sure if I really appreciated this aspect when I first read it. But then one can not do so, unless one has spent sometime of his/her life having different kinds of experiences, after having read it.

Those who have been following my blog since at least 4 months or so would see that I have often put some excerpt from Madhushala to express a particular mood. And I have turned back to the same book for many drastically different situations!

Categories: Literature