This Could Have Become Ramayan Chamar’s Tale: Two Anti-Novels

Subimal Misra was a Bengali writer known for his unconventional, anti-establishment approach to literature. His writing was strongly influenced by experimental cinema and alternative narrative techniques. V. Ramaswamy is the English translator of Misra’s work and has undertaken an extensive project translating his fiction.

The book presents two unconventional works that blur the boundaries between fiction, reportage, autobiography and social commentary. This Could Have Become Ramayan Chamar’s Tale follows the attempted telling of a violent story involving a tea-estate worker and political activism, while When Colour Is A Warning Sign uses fragmented forms to expose uncomfortable realities.

Together, the two anti-novels examine inequality, political violence, class divisions and the tendency of society to ignore difficult realities. Their experimental structure makes the reader confront these issues rather than simply consume them as a conventional story.