Jha

A novel about Indian matchmaking originally written in Maithili in 1930, The Bride (Kanyadan) offers an intimate portrayal of Mithila society in the colonial period. The author Harimohan Jha was a lifelong crusader against oppressive social practices and he dedicated the book, among others, to “a society that gives away its daughters in marriage as commodities without any qualms.” Shashi Kapoor and Asha Parekh in the Hindi film "Kanyadaan" in a picture dated 11 January 1969 (HT Archive) The story begins with…

Sonora Jha’s new novel, The Laughter, is a powerful statement on a range of themes including radicalization, xenophobia, prejudice, inclusion, white rage in America and Muslim identity in a global world. 56-year-old Dr Oliver Harding is a professor of English at a university in Seattle. Divorced, he is estranged from his ex-wife Emily and their 23-year-old daughter Kathryn, who is engaged to be married. Quite unexpectedly, Harding finds himself attracted to his dynamic Pakistani colleague, Dr Ruhaba Khan, a professor…