A Pair of Mustachios

 Mulk Raj Anand, the most celebrated Indian novelist is one among the trio of Indian Writing in English along with R. K. Narayan and Raja Rao. His works endeavored to portray the social realities of British India in the language of the colonial master. Anand witnessed the Gandhian Period in Indian politics and literature in Indian languages began echoing Gandhian principles and philosophy. This impact was evident in Indian writing in English as well. Mulk Raj Anand was most deeply impressed by Mahatma Gandhi and his ways of life. His works endeavored to portray the social realities of British India in the language of the colonial master.

He was a champion of the 20th-century Progressive Writers’ Movement. He had drafted the first manifesto of the literary association. A forerunner of Indian Writing in English, he earned an international repute early in his life. He was born in Peshawar and educated at the Universities of Lahore, London, and Cambridge. He has achieved international fame as a novelist as well as a short story writer. He has penned novels like The Untouchable, Coolie, The Sword and the Sickle, Two Leaves and a Bud, etc. His remarkable short story collections include Lajwanti and Other stories, The Barber’s Trade Union and Other Stories, etc. He has written comprehensively in multifarious fields such as politics, art, sculpture, Indian literature, freedom movement, Gandhian impact, and so on. The laurels and accolades for his literary contributions comprise International Peace Prize from World Peace Council, Sahitya Akademi Award, Padma Bhushan, and Leverhulme Fellowship.

Mulk Raj Anand’s short stories unearth a deep sense of humour, simplicity of the village folk, pretensions of the people with the effective use of his creative language, and comic content. His “A Pair of Mustachios” is written in a humorous vein dealing with the funny clash that happens due to the upturned moustaches of Seth Ramanand, the grocer and money lender.

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