Amritlal Nagar was one of the most prominent Hindi writers of the twentieth century. Often cited as the true literary heir to Premchand, he penned over 14 novels, 13 short-story collections, in addition to numerous plays, screenplays for Hindi films and books for children. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967 for his novel Amrit aur Vish, and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981.