Munshi Premchand, born Dhanpat Rai (1880–1936), looms over the landscape of 20th-century Hindi and Urdu literature like a mountain. One of the pioneers of the short story-genre, he was a trailblazer for later writers. Shifting the focus of fiction to the real world, he skilfully used techniques employed by the romances and fantasies popular at the time. In his stories the common people are the heroes, waging battles against all sorts of social evils. This legendary writer produced remarkable novels, short stories, essays and plays which continue to enchant readers today. The mass appeal and relevance of novels like Godan, Gaban and Rangbhumi, and evergreen stories like ‘Idgah’ and ‘Shatranj ke Khiladi’ affirm their place as classics.