Shobhaa De's Spouse now in Hindi

Lucknow, July 23(UNI) Literary work of renowned columnist Shobhaa De reached the Hindi readers with the launch of Hindi version of De's much acclaimed book'' Spouse- The truth of Marriage''.

Shobhaa De's first book published in Hindi is not merely a translation of the works of an acclaimed english writer but a reflection of how the Hindi heartland readership have changed in the era of globalisation and redifined relationships.

At the inauguration of her first hindi translation titled'' Spouse-- shadi ka sachh'' here last night, Shobhhaa seemed confident about the success of the book. Penguin Books India has published the book which was the 50th Hindi translation by the publisher in the country.

'Hindi readers have grown over the years and they are now bold enough to demand new ideas'', she said, adding the Hindi version of ''Spouse'' will initiate a debate on the institution of marriage in the country. '' I also feel this version will be a grand success'', she further added.

In the book she writes about how and why marriages work or don't.

with her usual disregard for rules, tradition and old stereotypes, addressing all the issues that are central to most Indian marriages: saas-Babu conundrum, the need of honesty, the importance of romance and not any less important, how to recognize the warning signs in a hopeless relationship and run before its too late.

Prominent Bollywood producer-director Muzaffar Ali, who was present in the launching function, claimed the book should be a tool for the youngsters to aware them of the good and bad about marriage. His wife Meira too felt, the book would be a landmark to strengthen the institution of marriage.

Penguin India associate editor Naved Akbar told UNI that Spouse was published by his company last year and went on to become one of the hottest selling titles of 2005, selling more than 50,000 copies in just over a year. ''We are delighted to publish this runaway bestseller in Hindi'', he said adding that Spouse will also be launched in Marathi next month.

The translator of Spouse Hindi, Ms Suchita Mittal claims that she has made all effort to give it an original look and used common language so that people could understand it easily.

Ex- senior sub-editor of Vanita magazine, Suchita said Shobhaa De has also appreciated her work.

UNI MB LL RS1430