Upara: An Outsider, an autobiography written by Laxman Mane, is a path breaking work in the Marathi literature, for its lively depiction of the life of the downtrodden and forceful style, authenticity of experience and its strong plea for social justice. The book is rich with emotional experience at different levels. The love-hate relationship between the author and his father, between his mother and father, between father and relatives, the intense love between the author and his beloved, the mute suffering of both the lovers, the cruelties of life, humiliation and feelings of anger, forbearance, compassion—the intertwining of all these elements gives the work immense vitality.
