"Aiwa Maru” is story of a ship, of sailors, told by a sailor and brought to non-Marathi readers by a sailor. A cult novel in its original language, penned in 1989 by noted writer Anant Samant, and translated by Prashant Pethe, it is a one-of-its-kind novel.
“I do not think ‘Aiwa Maru’ is only of its kind in just Marathi but it might be only of its kind in any language. Some critics compare it with ‘Old Man And The Sea’ or ‘Moby Dick’. Those two and ‘Aiwa Maru’ have same elements –– man, sea, storm. The difference is ‘Aiwa Maru’ is a ship with a soul. A ship that breathes , thinks and makes things happen,” says Samant.
Samant started writing “Aiwa Maru”, story of a ship that has been banned from sailing, with a thought that it would “never” be published. “After 11th standard, I did hotel management and then joined sea. I knew no writer or critic. I never wanted to be a writer. A letter I wrote to my college friend about an occurrence at sea made me a writer as he sent it to a magazine and it was published as a short story. The editor asked me to send more stories. When I started writing stories wholeheartedly they refused to publish them. Too bold they said. It was 1980. That made me more determined to write just for my pleasure. And I wrote without any apprehensions.”
He gained support at home to describe the voyage from Hong Kong. “Because I was writing passionately my wife and mother read each page as soon it was written. That reined me as my mother was a traditionalist, proud Indian, who had fought for freedom. Their opinion was ‘you are just pouring out sea on the paper’. The only philosophy that made an impact on me was of Advait, the Oneness. On ships I carried a photo of Swami Vivekanand. I also believed in the theory of Dhyaneshwar that universe is like Ashwatha, a tree with roots above and below.”
It has the sailor’s language, sometimes rough, offensive with cuss words. Samant does not agree.
“I don’t consider my style to be too bold or the language to be offensive. On the contrary, sailors on ships used much cuss words and rough language in those days. Comparatively the language and narration of ‘Aiwa Maru’ is much more soft and controlled. It would’ve been otherwise if told by a man of literature.”
The strongest point of the narrative is the language. In Marathi and English. “It makes the story true,” asserts Samant. “The language, the honesty, the transparency make the reader see the sea, skies and the sailors. The reader sails with ‘Aiwa Maru’. When I write I don’t draft the story. I don’t decide the style and language of narration. The characters and the content choose their own style and language and the direction of the story.”
There are some dark aspects of “Aiwa Maru”. And a complex character, Ujjwala, wife of a Second Engineer on the ship. Anant, the narrator, is drawn towards her. An upheaval occurs. “A dress or behaviour doesn’t reflect upon a woman’s culture or education but upon morals and values of the society she belongs to. Like fruit of the tree is the product of roots of the tree. There are four ladies in ‘Aiwa Maru’. They all are products of their societies. The end of ‘Aiwa Maru’ and Ujjwala is nearly the same which reflects upon the values of men they belong to. Ujwala’s end was determined by herself. Same as the end of ‘Aiwa Maru’. It was out of my hands once the words started appearing on the paper.”
Samant’s flair to capture the essence of sea, ship and sailor is natural. “I have experienced such storms, sailed on such ships, lived with the characters. I sailed for seven years meeting such souls around the world. I’ve combined them, weaved them together to find few answers myself. Readers and publishers were after me for years to translate. I had no intention to do that myself. Few tried. I did not like their language. It was too bookish. Pethe being a sailor himself and in love with ‘Aiwa Maru’ since school days, did that nicely. But I believe ‘Aiwa Maru’, even as a book, had her own mind, destination and will. With or without anyone, she charts her own destination. Even now.”
Published by Penguin, “Aiwa Maru”, is a much-acclaimed novel, a thrilling tale that takes you on a tempestuous cruise, thanks to two seamen working in tandem to create an enchanting experience. “Aiwa Maru” is a bewitching vessel, says the author. Aye, aye Sir!
