Ved Prakash Sharma, pulp fiction pioneer, would’ve turned 69 this year, but we honor his 2017 passing on February 17. The Meerut-born author’s 170+ novels flooded markets in the 80s-90s, blending crime, romance, and thrills in everyday Hindi that addicted ordinary readers.
His process? Pure observation. Newspapers and street scenes fueled plots packed with murder mysteries, illicit loves, and betrayals. None captured imaginations like ‘Vardi Wala Gunda’. Inspired by a Begumpul policeman’s thug-like brutality—baton swinging wildly on locals—Sharma questioned authority’s dark side. The 1993 release exploded, moving 15 lakh copies day one.
Classics like ‘Sabse Bada Khiladi’, ‘Kariigar’, ‘Daulat Par Topka Khoon’, and ‘Hatya Ek Suhagin Ki’ created fan mania. Series binged in days; rentals boomed amid eager waits for more. Adaptations amplified reach: Akshay Kumar’s ‘Khiladi’ from his work, Sharma’s ‘International Khiladi’ screenplay, ‘Bahoon Maange Insaaf’ film (1985), Keshav Pandit series (2010). Even Aamir Khan sought his pen.
Meerut Ratna and Natraj Bhushan marked peaks. Illness claimed him in 2017, yet shelves stock his works, thrilling youth and cementing his role as Hindi suspense’s emperor.