Nanak Singh (1897-1971), hailed as the father of modern Punjabi novel, is in the line of Bankimchandra and Saratchandra in Bengali and Premchand In Hindi. He gave a new turn to Punjabi short story, in vesting it with pace, grace and finesse. Romantic love and social criticism are the recurring themes in his writings. He exposes religious hypocrisy, caste tyranny and oppression of women. Gandhian idealism pervades his fiction. Author of thirty-five novels, his Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel, Ik Miyan Do Talwaran, has been hailed as an outstanding contribution to Punjabi literature for the depth of treatment and realistic characterization.