Vyangya means satire in Hindi literature. Vyangya writings includes the essence of sarcasm and humour in Hindi literature. Some of the better known writers in this genre are Harishankar Parsai, Sri Lal Sukla, K. P. Saxena, Gyan Chaturvedi, Suryakumar Pandey, Sharad Joshi, etc.
Modern Standard Hindi, commonly referred to as Hindi, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in Northern India, and serves as the lingua franca of the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been described as a standardised and Sanskritised register of the Hindustani language, which itself is based primarily on the Khariboli dialect of Delhi and neighbouring areas of North India. Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, is one of the two official languages of the Government of India, along with English. It is an official language in nine states and three union territories and an additional official language in three other states. Hindi is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of the Republic of India.
Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan, where it is also an official language alongside English. In India, Urdu is an Eighth Schedule language whose status and cultural heritage is recognized by the Constitution of India; it also has an official status in several Indian states. In Nepal, Urdu is a registered regional dialect and in South Africa it is a protected language in the constitution. It is also spoken as a minority language in Afghanistan and Bangladesh, with no official status.
Hindustani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Deccan, Northern India and Pakistan, and used as a lingua franca in both countries. Hindustani is a pluricentric language with two standard registers, known as Hindi and Urdu. Thus, it is also called Hindi–Urdu. Colloquial registers of the language fall on a spectrum between these standards.
Hindi literature includes literature in the various Hindi languages which have different writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃśa like Awadhi, Magadhi, Ardhamagadhi and Marwari languages. Hindi literature is composed in three broad styles- गद्य (Gadya-prose), पद्य( Padya- poetry) and चम्प्पू In terms of historical development, it is broadly classified into five prominent forms (genres) based on the date of production. They are:
Harishankar Parsai was an Indian writer who wrote in Hindi. He was a noted satirist and humorist of modern Hindi literature and is known for his simple and direct style. He wrote vyangya (satire), which described human values and nature. They reflected his critical thinking and humorous way of describing simple things with huge meanings. Parsai won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982, for his satire, Viklaang Shraddha ka daur.
Harivansh Rai Bachchan was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is best known for his early work Madhushala. He was also the husband of social activist, Teji Bachchan, father of Amitabh Bachchan and Ajitabh Bachchan, and grandfather of Abhishek Bachchan. In 1976, he received the Padma Bhushan for his service to Hindi literature.
Puntambekar is an Indian surname. It is found amongst Marathi speaking Deshastha Brahmin and Karhade Brahmin communities of Maharashtra. Marathi surnames are created by adding the suffix -kar to the family's town of origin; therefore, people originating from the town of Puntamba take the name Puntambekar.
K. P. Saxena was an Indian satirist and writer. He was employed by the Indian Railways and was a prolific writer for magazines and newspapers. He started writing for Doordarshan's famous serial Bibi Natiyon Wali. He wrote vyangya articles for almost every popular magazine of Hindi. His first book of satire Koi Patthar Se Na Mare was published in 1982. His style is unique and he is very popular among poets in Kavi Sammelans. He was an expert of three Indian language Urdu, Hindi and Awadhi. He was awarded Padma Shri by Government of India, in year 2000. He died on 31 October 2013. He was a regular in Hindi Kavi Sammelan.
Viveki Rai was an Indian writer who penned over fifty books.
Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Ram Avatar Sharma (1877–1929) was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and academic, apart from being an indologist and historian. He was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family of scholars and pursued the same path of scholarship, becoming the professor of Sanskrit in University of Patna in pre-independence years. He was also a renowned Indologist. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India and a favourite student of Pandit Sharma, was instrumental in getting his works published after his death. His son, Professor Pandit Nalin Vilochan Sharma was also a professor of Hindi Literature in University of Patna and started the Nai Kavita; New Poetry movement in Hindi literature.
Kavi Sammelan is a gathering of poets in the Hindi Belt of northern India. The participants recite their poetry to each other and have a general discussion on literary issues. This may take place among the poets but is mostly done before an audience. Kavi sammelan specifically dedicated to comedy (Hāsya) and satire ("Vyangya") are known Hasya Kavi Sammelan.
Prem Kishore Patakha is a Hindi author of comedic poetry. He was born into a Brahmin family at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. He appeared as a guest on the television programme of Bollywood actor Bharat Bhushan.
Alhar/Alhad Bikaneri was a renowned Hindi Hasya Ras(Humour) and Urdu poet of India. His original name was Shyamlal Sharma. He was born on 17 May 1937 in a small village named Bikaner, Rewari district, Haryana, India.
Hari Joshi is a Hindi writer, satirist, novelist and poet.
Lothar Lutze was a German scholar, writer, translator, Indologist and the Emeritus Professor of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the Heidelberg University. He is known for his research on Hindi literature and Indian culture, which prompted many to classify him under Heidelberg Indologists. He is a recipient of the Tagore Award and the Dr. George Grierson Award of the Central Hindi Directorate of the Government of India. The Government of India honored him again the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri, in 2006, for his contributions to Indian literature.
Suryakumar Pandey is an Indian poet, humorist, satirist and writer. During his literary career, Pandey has contributed to various genres of Hindi literature including Hasya Kavita, Vyangya (satire) and Bal Kavita etc... He is most recognized as a Hasya kavi and for his distinctive style and language of hasya kavita Popularly known as Pandeyji, he is also well known for his Hāsya kavita recitations at Hindi kavi sammelans both in India and globally.
Koduram Dalit was an Indian poet in Hindi and Chhattisgarhi languages.
Shankar Punatambekar was a writer in Hindi language. He is known as a satirist. His literary output includes short stories, novels, one-act plays, based on satire and reviews.
Vidya Vindu Singh is an Indian author in Hindi and Awadhi languages. She is best known for her broad work in folk and children's literature. Singh has been awarded Padma Shri in 2022 by the Government of India for her contributions in the field of literature & education.
V L Nghaka is an academician from the Indian State of Mizoram known for his efforts for the propagation and development of the Hindi language in Mizoram. He authored the first Hind-Mizo dictionary and got it published in the year 1965. In the year 2022, Govt of India honoured V L Nghaka by conferring the Padma Shri award for his contributions to literature and education. As per his citation for Padma Shri award, "He built a cultural bridge between Hindi and Mizo language by drafting a Hindi-Mizo dictionary. As an interpreter, he was instrumental in bringing the government and Mizo people closer.”