Raag Darbari takes a satirical look at the decay in moral values in the Indian society post-independence. It exposes the nexus between politicians, businessmen, criminals, and policemen, and highlights the way in which they collude to exploit society for selfish reasons.

The protagonist is Ranganath, and the book is narrated through his perspective. Ranganath is a research student who majors in the subject of History. His university education has taught him to aspire for the highest of ideals and moral values.

Ranganath moves to a village called Shivpal Ganj to stay with his uncle Vaidyaji for a few months. Vaidyaji is at the helm of the political scene in the village. He is very diplomatic and articulate. He also happens to be the manager of the local college.

Ranganath discovers that all the village politicians, including his uncle, misuse their positions of power to manipulate the village people and fulfil selfish ambitions. As Ranganath learns more about the workings of the village, the differences between the corrupt nature of the village politicians and the high moral standards that he aspires to become glaringly obvious.

In this book, the author seeks to highlight the negative aspects of rural life through the viewpoint of an educated person. Some of the other characters in the book are Ruppan Babu, Principal Sahib, Badri Pehelwaan, Chhote Pehelwaan, Khanna Master, Sanichar, and Jognath. The helpless common man is represented by Langad, who seems to have no choice but to bow to the corrupt people in power.

Raag Darbari was originally written in Hindi. It was first published in 1969. It won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1970. This particular edition of the book is a 2008 reprint in Hindi. The book was adapted for theatre by Girish Rastogi and it was staged by Bahroop Arts Group as Ranganath Ki Waapsi. An English translation by Gillian Wright is also available. It has also been translated into fifteen other languages. - from Amzon