कर्मचारी [Karmachari] (2024)

★★★½☆
Light hearted fun read delving into the psyche of regular people around you.

A collection of 12 short stories all centered around middle class service people from the 70s Mumbai.
Each story title is the last name of the protagonist, keeping up with the surprise element on what's the story about.
Joshi - the advocate - was my favorite story.
Vandana Samant was the most exciting to read.
Sadashiv was pretty funny.

Theme samples:
A wise man habitual to overhearing train conversations and indulging in uninvited.
Point of view of a boss who is made fun of by most of his employees.
A childless couple's impromptu visit to their friends house who wants to sneak out to buy a contraceptive.
A person becomes the accomplice to the illicit affair between his office friend and his childhood crush.
A father showing out of bounds love for his daughter, leading up to her marriage and vidayi part.

P.S.: Read the English translation and it was good.

*Favourite quote (Karkhanis):

"People with whom we don't get along at all don't trouble us. Their praise doesn't fool us, their taunts don't hurt. It's the ones who are close that make your life miserable."

These 12 short stories talk about the lives of the common people; their workplaces, their family and those surrounding them; their woes and their joys; the changing times and the facts and truths we have to accept dealing with day-to-day life.

*Highlights:

🔹 Unique writing style

🔹 Translation done right

🔹 Unique characters

🔹 Wholesome stories with realistic plots

🔹 Different stories, different messages

*Contents:

1. Anamik 4 🌟

2. Vaidya 5 🌟

The Gandhari concept though!

3. Sadashiv 4 🌟

4. Gokhale 4 🌟

5. Deosthali 4 🌟

6. Joshi 5 🌟

7. Khambete 5 🌟

8. Sridhar 5 🌟

9. Satwalekar 5🌟

10. Kalpana 5 🌟

11. Karkhanis 5 🌟

12. Vandana Samant 5 🌟

A must read. I enjoyed the whole collection thoroughly!

Set in the backdrop of 1970s ... Karmachari tells simple stories revolving around the office goers in Mumbai.

Simply written. The Original stories are in Marathi, but there is no loss of emotion during the translation.

Wanted to read something light, so picked this up.

It will be a good-read , if you have been part of the Mumbai culture and know the city and her people well.

A refreshing collection of 12 stories set in the 1970's Mumbai!
Like I have mentioned in one of my review of some another book earlier, I'm always intrigued by the 70's/80's lifestyle & am always on a lookout for a book showing the same. This book delivered me just that which also could be a reason why I loved this collection.

In every story, VP has taken a middle-class person around which the story revolves and thorough his/her quips & quirks, tried to tell us about the human emotions & gave some lesson at the end of the story.
The honorable mentions are:
पंतवैद्य
खांबेटे
वंदना सामंत
कल्पना
सातवळेकर

4 ⭐ from my side.

V.P. Kale is one of the very few writers who perfectly match the wavelength of the milieu they write about, who accompany their characters as they breathe the dust-and-traffic air, drink the sweet and sour pani puri water, jostle for space during the entire 75 minute long commute on the always-packed Churchgate-Borivali local, deal with overtime work from their boss and gossip from the office peon, all while drinking countless cups of cutting chai throughout the day.

"Karmachari" is one of the very few books that so perfectly capture a time and a space and a people-- their lives, their loves, their humble desires and larger-than-life dreams, their "jeena isi ka naam hai" attitude towards everything that they come across in life.

This book, as the blurb suggests, is a series of snapshots from the lives of the countless office workers that make up India's main service sector workforce, primarily in government jobs, working in dingy offices on creaky desks stacked with old files, each file taking a momentary break on their parikrama across the office as they get transferred from one desk to another, from one clerk to another, from one karmachari to another. Kale is a keen observer of people-- and by that I do not mean "human nature" or anything fancy of that sort, but simply of the ways in which people are wont to behave-- their eccentricities and idiosyncrasies, but also their mannerisms and speech and tendency towards goodwill or grudge. It's a lovely read, and each piece is short enough to never outstay its welcome-- every story in this collection is about individuals who you and I know and recognise, and have encountered growing up in middle class urban India.

Two things that stood out in particular--
1. The book is mostly "timeless" but its 80's setting still comes across whenever money is discussed-- either explicitly, in terms of actual prices (of cabs or theatre tickets, etc.), or implicitly when people discuss where they live (no one of this economic status can afford to live anywhere near Chembur or Dadar or even Panvel today). Also, no mention of WhatsApp forwards.

2. The translation is mostly fairly well done, but the translator does tend to occasionally use English turns of phrase which seem very out of place in an Indian context-- commuters in a local train "packed like sardines" for example-- but it's also fun to un-translate and guess what the original verbiage might have been, especially in the dialogues which would have no doubt featured the Hindi-Marathi-English Bombay creole that is so intrinsic to the spirit of the environment.

Overall, highly recommended. It will probably not blow you away with rhetorical fireworks and literary wizardry, but it's a light and delightful read, ideal for when you want to just sit back and be amused by the antics of the uncle who needs emergency contraceptive pills for his wife, but needs his friend's car to go to the pharmacist-- without revealing why he is going there.

At first when i started reading it, the prose felt too simple and a little odd, but by the time i finished, it had evoked mirth, grief, wonder and a myriad of other emotions. The stories feature characters often working in a bureaucratic setup. They are simple people who despite being ordinary, compel us into deep thought, by their organic philosophy.

It was a refreshing read. Simple stories of ordinary people with the insight of Kale into life in Mumbai.

3.5/5 This is a bunch of 12 short stories focused on the middle-class salaried Mumbaikar written in a simple language. The author has given us perfect examples of "show not tell". Everything flows organically from the conversations and the events. All the stories were readable and some were really good. The rating would have been higher had I understood all the stories :) I couldnt get the point of some of them and they seemed too matter-of-fact and sad. Still recommended reading just for the writing style.

Loved every single story of the book. We can easily relate ourselves to the characters. Thumbs up. In love with the author. Want to purchase all his 37 books one day.

Sometimes we read a book and marvel at how the author has conveyed such simplicity so beautifully. This collection is definitely one such. I saw a friend reading it and picked it up and totally abandoned whatever else I was reading to finish it! The collection was originally written in Marathi by the author Vasant Purushottam Kale and I read the translation by Vikrant Pande. As always, I wish I could read the original language as I enjoyed the translation so much that it can only be better.

These are stories about, as the title says, ordinary people and that's the best possible description. Set in the 70s in Mumbai each story revolves around the character it is named for and those around them. Though they capture the essence of the Bombay of the time, including the local trains, the lingo and the quintessential dabbawallahs,these are tales of the everyday situations that we can all relate to. Human problems, personalities and emotions are explored.

From the very first story where a passenger on a train has a unique way of responding to problems shared by fellow travelers, I felt a connection to the people being written about. The man who looks to be a total pushover so much so that you wonder why, the one who feels like the Arab from the Arab and camel story because he is always adjusting, the government employee who gets a taste of bribery, a friendship that develops from a chance encounter on the train, a co worker who supports his colleague through a personal crisis until he realizes he may have been unfair to someone else. All of their thoughts come to us through the observations of the human psyche of the writer and each time I read a line that resonated, I was struck by how well it was expressed.

While I loved all the stories, some really made an impact. My favorites were

Deosthali - About a father's immense and all encompassing love for his daughter, something I missed out on and always love reading about.

Satwalekar - What happens when our need for precision and exactness and detail wars with our happiness? This theme is done really well here.

Kharkanis - This is the best story for me as it brings to the fore the need to live in the present and appreciate every moment. When the protagonist was talking, I was stunned by how much sense he made.

Kalpana - The only story told from a woman's POV, this reflects on how the simple joys of life get away from us while we race towards a distant goal.

Vandana Samant - This is about something that is timeless and happens on a different scale in every workplace even today. Gossip, manipulation and toxicity that draw the less savvy ones into a trap they don't notice until it's too late.

The most striking thing about this set of stories is their timeless appeal. In an era where fiction contains elaborate worlds and complexity beyond imagination, these make a place for themselves in the heart of the reader with their very ordinariness that turns out to be anything but!

Va Pu Kale is a renowned Marathi writer.

I had actually picked up the English translation of this book (the cover was too appealing tbh) but then I found the original Marathi on #KindleUnlimited

Karmachari is a collection of short stories about the lives of ordinary people, people who work on offices, your regular typist and clerks. We know our coworkers only on a superficial level but there is no much more going on in their lives, in their minds. The stories give us insight into their love life, their desires, their ambitions and sometimes how unique they are.

I was absolutely lost in their stories. I loved Karmachari: Kalpana the best (specially the character of Shekhar)

Besides relishing flavours of nostalgia that come my way, I even more enjoy listening to nostalgic tales from others especially from my parents' generation- their childhood , their passtime, their teenage & their life at work. Growing up I was interested & intrigued in happenings before the advent of internet; when land-line phone and television seemed utmost luxury & owning a two/ four wheeler tagged as one's status symbol. That might be the reason I get lured towards 70's & 80's music & movies. Also that might the very reason I loved this set of vintage short stories so much.

Karmachari by Vasant Purushottam Kale is a set of 12 short stories set somewhere in 70's which reflect slices of lives of common men hailing from Mumbai (aptly put : Bombay). These middle class Mumbaikars from all the stories struggle to meet their ends, travel every day hours together on local train, tired to their bones at office & goes back home standing at foot board of the city bus.

Hustle bustle in the local train , clacking sounds of typewriter in the office, flippings of rusty folders, whispers of gossip, friendships between commuters & colleagues form major backdrop in VaPu's stories. Most of the stories were told to us by a narrator observing his friend or neighbour or colleague or supervisor or subordinate very closy & keenly. A lusty supervisor to a responsible peon; a courageous & dishonest employee to coward & genuine one ; a paranoid father of a son to a broad-minded father of a daughter;a lady employee who realises the importance of family time to a lady who deliberately breaks her marital ties - all play their roles with their own unusual & strange quirks piquing our interest steadily.

All stories feel authentic & intimate. Each story has stealthy philosophical element in and around, popping up with a lesson or moral at the end. My favourite from the lot are 'Kalpana', 'Sadhashiv', 'Khambete', 'Satwalekar', 'Kharkhanis' & 'Deosthali'. 'Vandana Samant' tops the list for its unique way of narration & VaPu being the narrator himself in the story ,shining with his cameo.

During present times of technology overtaking conversations between passagers/commuters, we hardly come across incidents mentioned in the book. So let's board VaPu's train of 12 stories & meet his idiosyncratic protagonists & overhear their conversations for a while.

व. पु. काळे लिखित 'कर्मचारी' या कथासंग्रहात मुंबईतील चाकरमानी वर्गाचं प्रतिनिधीत्व करणाऱ्या १२ कथांचा समावेश आहे. या कथांतून वाचकांना भेटणारे सर्व कर्मचारी कचेरीचं 'ऑफिस' होण्याआधीच्या आणि फायली-टाईरायटरची जागा कॉम्प्युटर्स-लॅपटॉपनी घेण्याआधीच्या काळातले आहेत. त्यांचं जग आपल्यासारखं tech-savy, मॉडर्न वगैरे नाही, तरीही त्यांच्या कथा आणि व्यथा आपल्यापेक्षा निराळ्या नाहीत. त्यामुळे या कथांतून वाचकाला भेटणारी पात्र काल्पनिक वाटतच नाहीत, किंबहुना ती आजही आपल्या अवतीभवती असलेली जाणवतात.

This time Bestie and I camped on a railway station to explore some uniquely Mumbai characters. Which station? Any Mumbai one, I say. Only a Mumbaikar will be able to relate with the unique experience of traveling via trains in this weird city. Kale was one of the best writers in Marathi literature and my favourite, so I picked up the original one and Bestie picked up the English translation. The stories in this one are simple but very very interesting.

Book is amazing... Relationships are perfectly explained. Each persons behaviour, nature. In day to day life how we face different issues, issues in local trains, issues in married life (sansaar). This book is the mirror of everyones life.

धकाधकीच्या आयुष्यात जगताना आपल्या आयुष्यात येणाऱ्या व्यक्तींचे पॅटर्न अगदी सहजतेने तेवढेच उत्कटपणे मांडणारे वपु. आपल्याला माणसांकडे बघायचा दृष्टीकोण शिकवतात. व्यक्ती तितक्या प्रकृती आणि तेवढेच त्यांचे पॅटर्न. हे पॅटर्न नक्की त्रिकालाबाधित सत्य आहेत. काल आज आणि उद्याही!

Notable people sketches in Karmachari- Khambete, Anamik, Joshi, Satavalekar, Jathar, Kalpana & Karkhanis

Eleven stories about Karmachari, or means Employee, gave a sight what living of workers in Mumbai looks like. Crowded train, suffocated office, estranged home, just a typical day for Karmachari. Even though the stories took times at 1970’s, but the resemblance still echoed through recent days. I’ve seen many mirror like conditions happened in Jakarta, so most of the stories are easily can relate.

How the writer builds the ordinary stories is also interesting. The nuance is built up by the interaction of the characters; the conversations on ordinary days. From overheard stranger’s talks, colleague chats, to anxious parents, and daydreaming marriage, written in subtle reflective way. I guess my favorite stories are from Kalpana and Karkhanis.

The stories are capably-drawn character sketches of believable people, but unfortunately the moral of each is some hokey, suburban middle-class truism. You get the distinct impression that the author is tidying up his message, removing the sting in order to make it more accessible to a wider, genteel audience. Reading the stories evokes the same frustration that you might get from looking at Norman Rockwell's paintings during the time before Look magazine let him paint what was really on his mind.

Although I doubt I'll search out any more of V.P. Kale's writing, I hope at some point he was able to remove the shackles of hominess and write what he was really thinking.

३.५ स्टार

सर्व कथा वाचनीय आहेत. वपुंची एक गोष्टच निराळी आहे कुठलीही कथा वाचताना कधी संपेल असं कधी वाटत नाही. मागच्या काही दशकातल्या नौकारवर्गच्या कथा आहेत. मन त्या काळातल्या असलेल्या आज नसलेल्या गोष्टींमध्ये, माणसांच्या स्वभावमध्ये, निरनिराळ्या लोकांच्या व्यक्तीमत्वामध्ये हरवुन जातं आणि विचार करायला बांधील होऊन जातं.

काही कथा अगोदरच कुठल्या तरी वपु च्या कथासंग्रहात वाचलेल्या आहेत असं वाटत आहे.

वाचवा असा वपुंचा अजून एक कथासंग्रह.

कर्मचारी

Perfect short reads for someone who lived the same life.

Witty, funny, emotional book. A story of Mumbai spirit and the lives of middle class Maharashtrian family. Definitely a must read.

The stories are beautifully written and have that 90's magical vibe.

Loved the characterization and the story telling. I can only imagine how awesome the original stories in Marathi will be.

Takes you back to far simpler and slower times in Mumbai. While the stories in themselves are gripping, but it's Kale's intricate little detailing of relationships and psyche that makes this a great read.

I think that this particular collection of stories by VaPu have been most accurately desribed in the following lines
"VaPu builds his characters through conversations and does not try to create a portrait by mere description".
I enjoyed each and every character, especially Vaidya and Joshi and Khambete. Each story also had a dash of the societal norms and values at the time along with VaPu satire on them.
The strange yet funny philosophy of Vaidya amd the Sadness in the words of Joshi coloured the story deeply. Yet till the end I could not understand the reason why Khambete remained adamant till death.
In any way, the stories are so masterfully written that they grips you from the very first lines.

Having just finished two of later - and rather ambitious -works of Kale, it's a relief to find this relatively earlier work, with his genre of expertise at close to its best.

Last story of the collection one recalls having read, decades ago, but only because of the description of blue shine in the simple girl's hair!

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September 14, 2022 - September 15, 2022.
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Vasant Purushottam Kale writes the kind of stories in Marathi that I frankly want to write in English - and Vikrant Pande translates them with the ease of an immortal. The blurb puts it ever so deftly when it says that this is a collection of unforgettable short stories about ordinary people. The book is a mirror held up to the society, and it makes me optimistic in a way graphic novels and dogs do. V.P Kale's best story is saved for the last, with 'Vandana Samant'. Other notable stories in the collection that are a must-read include 'Anamik', 'Deosthali' and 'Khambete'.

This short story collection is not one to be missed.

Very simple and observable narrative! VaPu best known by this alias is a man of keen observations! All his stories and it’s characters are realistic , they actually live in your kind as you read through!
In this book VaPu takes us through some very notable characters you could actually see in every office! And thus the name karmachari!
All the stories are unique, the underlying narrative is realistic and yet we see very much resemblance to our lives with people around!
Each chapter is titled with the character name the story is centered around! Must read!!