Black Waters

Kala Jal (Dark Waters) is the first authentic saga of that significant segment of the Indian society- the Indian Muslims. For centuries, the Indian Muslims have been portrayed as rulers, nawabs, courtiers and the cultured aristocracy. Shaani’s novel portrays them as they were, familiar, vulnerable people with their personal and social struggle, their humble triumphs and humiliating tragedies, their little joys and enormous sorrows, their passions but a collective identity.

Shaani brings a unique understanding sympathy to his characters and their milieu. Seldom does he indulge in sentimentalism or self pity but presides over the narration with a wry compassion and an almost totally neutral control. What results is not a partisan, sociological study of the plight of Muslims in India but a vivid , moving portrayal of the human condition in any corner of the earth.

But it would be a misstatement to call Dark Waters a Muslim novel. It is essentially an Indian novel for it is the story of numerous individuals belonging to two families that exist only in the Indian ethos. But perhaps to call it only an Indian novel would also be an error. The story of the crumbling and disintegration of the three generations could be a story from any part of the world.

from Shaani Foundation website- https://shaanifoundation.org/eng/200/