Rama Mehta – English writer best known for the novel – Inside the Haveli

Rama Mehta was an Indian sociologist and English writer, who lived during the period, 1923–1978. English novel – Inside the Haveli is widely regarded as her masterpiece work. For this novel which depicts the story of a young girl from Mumbai who gets married to a son of a former Indian prince, Mehta was posthumously conferred with Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979. It also depicts the conflict between tradition and modern life faced by women, which is believed to be a reflection of own life. The novel is a part of RBSE class 12 syllabus in English literature as second book. The book was originally published in 1977, just before her death.

Ramu, A Story of India (1966) and The Life of Keshaw (1969) are her other major works. Both the books emphasize the need to educate boys. The Western Educated Hindu Woman (1970) and The Hindu Divorced Woman (1975) are other major works of Rama Mehta. The Western Educated Hindu Woman is a detailed study of fifty Indian women who were in their 20s at the time of Indian independence.