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      At 88, Vinod Kumar Shukla Finally Gets Paid — His Royalty Battle Exposes Deep Cracks in Hindi Publishing

      Postvinod-kumar-shukla- image from indianexpress.com

      Veteran Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla, known for his lyrical prose and landmark works like “Naukar Ki Kameez” and “Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi”, recently shook the Hindi publishing world by revealing that he was paid shockingly low royalties for decades by major publishers.

      A video went viral on Social Media after actor-author Manav Kaul shared it. In the video, Shukla alleged that Vani Prakashan paid him just ₹1.35 lakh over 25 years, and Rajkamal Prakashan paid around ₹14,000 annually for six of his books, paltry sums considering his literary stature.

      His quiet but public statement sparked a conversation that Hindi publishing has long avoided: Are publishers fairly compensating writers?

      A Symbolic Victory — ₹30 Lakh Royalty Cheque at 88

      This month, at the Hind Yugm Festival in Raipur, Shukla was handed a symbolic cheque of ₹30 lakh in royalties for his novel Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi, a sharp contrast to the previous decades of underpayment.
      The payment was made by independent publisher Hind Yugm, who took over the book’s rights and claimed significant sales and renewed interest in Shukla’s work.

      In just six months, they claim, the book generated revenue that older publishers hadn’t managed over decades, raising questions about transparency, marketing, and intent in Hindi publishing.

      The Publishers Respond to the Claims

      Following the uproar, Vani Prakashan and Rajkamal Prakashan both stated that they were open to dialogue and willing to settle any royalty disputes. Vani denied underpayment claims, while Rajkamal maintained that royalties were paid annually, with statements shared.

      But for many in the literary world, Shukla’s calm yet pointed revelation was a rare moment of truth, highlighting how even the most celebrated Hindi writers are often financially sidelined, their contributions undervalued in the market they helped build.

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