3 Review(s)

Machhali Mari Hui, Rajkamal Choudhary’s seminal masterpiece of Hindi literature, is a fearlessanatomy of sexual orientation, identity and emotional tumult set in mid-20th-century Kolkata.Translated into English for the first time as The Dead Fish, the novel explores the psychologicaldepths of Nirmal Padmavat, a ruthless businessman whose personal life is marked by emotionalvolatility and contradictory sexuality. His complex relationships—particularly with Shirin, Priyaand his beloved Kalyani—reveal a disturbing and fragmented self, crushed between deification andconfusion, longing and detachment.Rajkamal firmly brings homosexuality to the forefront, a bold move for his time. Priya and Shirin,both queer, form part of a muddled psychological and emotional nexus that overwhelms Nirmal’s inner world. He is likened to Goethe’s Mephisto, Shakespeare’s Othello and Brontë’s Heathcliff forhis bestiality. Nirmal’s violation of Kalyani’s daughter, Priya, reinforces his own confused identityand his ineptitude of connecting with women in a healthy manner.The metaphor of the dead fish echoes throughout and evokes themes of barrenness, enmeshmentand unfulfilled desires. Through lyrical prose and skilfully embroidered subplots, coupled with anunconventional and experimental writing style, Rajkamal Choudhary critiques hostile societal normsand reveals the intense struggles associated with queer identity.In an era when homosexuality is striving for rightful recognition within the social fabric, The DeadFish feels more urgent and relevant now than ever before.