India, June 1 -- In the summer of 2018, Pankaj Bhosale, 44, a young researcher fascinated by classic Marathi suspense literature, stumbled upon Shyama (1964), a novel considered a racy romance for its time. Once buried under court cases and censorship debates, the novel had faded from public memory for more than 60 years. Now it is poised for a revival.

Written by Mumbai-based author Chandrakant Kakodkar, Shyama revolves around Nishikant Kadam, a poet and teacher drawn to Shyama Shinde, a progressive art teacher at the same school. Nishikant encourages Shyama to overcome the conservative resistance she faces and she evolves into a successful singer on All India Radio. Their journey is layered with emotional complexity, misunderstandings,...