Writing Beyond Applause: The Inner Calling of Videh Arvind Kumar

New Delhi [India], February 28: In the culturally resonant city of Lucknow, where refinement of language and tehzeeb shape intellectual discourse, 68-year-old ‘Videh’ Arvind Kumar stands as a steadfast custodian of disciplined literary commitment. A retired Assistant General Manager of the State Bank of India, he is, in essence, a writer by temperament and conviction — one for whom literature is not a pursuit of momentary acclaim but a lifelong tapasya.

With an impressive corpus of 27 published books — 17 in English and 10 in Hindi — spanning fiction, poetry, drama, translation, and literary commentary, his journey reflects not only productivity but persistence. His long-running English fiction series, Hypocrisy & Reality, comprises nine volumes that probe societal contradictions with unsparing candour. Alongside this, works such as Chambellion (a comedietta), Brainy Beasts (short stories), Bewailing Muse (poetry), and Self-Styled Sovereign, the Judiciary (dramatic deliberation) demonstrate his comfort across genres.

Equally significant is his engagement with literary scholarship. His critical study Nagasaki: Bomb & Aftermath examines A Pale View of Hills by Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, while Procreation, the Adorable reinterprets the Shiva Puraan through a contemporary lens. As a translator, he has rendered major Hindi poetic works into English, notably Search for Life and Reality of Invisible, thus bridging linguistic traditions.

His Hindi oeuvre is no less substantial: three short story collections (Anapadh Lipi, Paashaan Yug, Nisarg), three poetry anthologies (Aart Gaan, Kaal Krandan, Ananubhoot Kaal), a drama (Ambedkar Smriti), and scholarly condensations of classical texts including Priya Pravaas and Mahaamuni Vaalmeeki Rachit Itihaas: Ramayan – Uttar Kaand. Through these, he demonstrates a commitment to recontextualising India’s literary heritage for contemporary readers.

The pen name ‘Videh’, suggestive of detachment and transcendence, mirrors the philosophical undercurrent in his writing. His prose is marked by forthrightness — often blunt, always deliberate. Poverty and struggle in childhood, followed by professional success and international exposure, have lent his voice both grit and breadth.

Retirement in 2018 did not diminish his creative output; rather, it intensified it. His works are accessible globally via platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart in eBook, paperback, and hardcover formats — affirming the universality of his themes.

For aspiring writers, his message is resolute: continue writing, irrespective of external validation. Doubt from others is inevitable; perseverance must be intentional. True literary worth, he believes, is not measured by applause but by authenticity of expression.

In an era enamoured of immediacy, ‘Videh’ Arvind Kumar represents the enduring power of sustained reflection. His twenty-seven books are not mere publications; they are milestones of intellectual labour. Through fiction that questions, poetry that mourns, drama that debates, and scholarship that interprets, he has carved a literary space defined by depth rather than display.

His journey reminds us that creative vitality is governed not by age but by intent — and intent, in his case, remains unwavering.

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