Dastan-e-Raag Darbari is an adaptation in the Dastangoi format of Raag Darbari, one of the greatest satires ever composed in modern India. The Shri Lal Shukla novel of the same name was published fifty years ago and was instantly recognised as a classic for its savage portrayal of life in a village and its politics. For its wit, humour, and its ability to demolish all the shibboleths and pieties of a stifling rural existence, the novel remains unparalleled. It has remained in print continuously and has sold over half a million copies, apart from being adapted as a television serial. Raag Darbari's influence on Hindi literary culture is widely acknowledged, but its influence on popular culture is also significant.
