Sevasadan

Sevasadan is not only a gripping novel but also a sensitive and perceptive document on the lives of young urban men and women at the beginning of the twentieth century. At a time when Indian women were being held up as standard-bearers of a nation in chains, Premchand depicts the hypocrisy of the so-called pillars of society, who can sacrifice their orthodox principles behind closed doors, yet do not shirk from mouthing moral platitudes in public. He portrays the reality of the Hindu-Muslim divide, but also conceives of an ideal community that gives a new direction to the life of a fallen woman and allows her to lead a meaningful existence. A hugely popular novel, Sevasadan went through several editions after its first publication in 1918. It was made into a film in 1938 with M.S. Subbulakshmi in the lead role.