|
Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824-1873):
Born in Jessore (now in Bangladesh) wrote in English as well as
Bengali. He invented a metre called Amirtakshar Chhande
(blank verse) and created a bengali language of his own, borrowing
difficult and unknown words from Sanskrit. His Meghnabadh Kavya
(The Poem on the Killing of Meghnad) is the most famous epic in
Bengali. In his life Dutt wrote many revolutionary poems, dramas and
prose works. His long poem The Captive Lady, written in
English is a masterpiece. All his life, Dutt read the European
classics and travelled almost the whole of Europe.
Krishnakumari, Vrajangana, and Virangana are
his other poems. He died a pauper. Bankimchander Chatterjee (1838-1894):
Bankimchander, the finest product of the 19th century renaissance is
regarded as the pioneer of the novel in Bengal. His first fiction to
appear in print was Rajmohan's Wife. It was written in
English and was probably a translation of the novelette submitted
for the prize. Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance, was
published in 1865. The next novel Kapalkundala (1866) is one
of the best romances written by Chatterjee. Mrinalini,
Vishbriksha, Chandrasekhar, Rajani, Krishnakanter Uil
(Krishnakanta's Will, 1878), Rajsimha, Anandamath (The
mission house of the Anandas, 1882), Devi Caudhurani,
Kamalakanter Daptar (The Scribbling of Kamalakanta, 1875;
enlarged as Kamalakanta, 1885) are some of his great works. Bankim
Chatterjee was superb story-teller, and a master of romance. He was
a path finder and a path maker. Chatterjee represented the
English-educated Bengalee with a tolerably peaceful home life,
sufficient wherewithal and some prestige, as the bearer of the torch
of western enlightment. No Bengali writer before or since has
enjoyed such spontaneous and universal popularity as Chatterjee. His
novels have been translated in almost all the major languages of
India, and have helped to simulate literary impulses in those
languages. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941):
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, mystic, philosopher, musician,
painter and Nobel laureate for literature is among the leading
personalities of Modern India. He was awarded the Nobel prize in
Literature for his collection of well known poems Gitanjali.
Rabindranath Tagore entered the field of Bengali Novel following the
glorious tradition of the great pioneer novelist Bankimchandra
Chatterjee (1834-'94). His first two novels Bauthakuranir Hat
(Daughter-in-Law's Market, 1883) and Rajarshi (The
Saintly King, 1887) are historical novels. Chokher Bali
(Eyesore, 1903) is one among the great social novels he wrote. His
other notable works include Sonartari, Kalpana and
Chitra. In 1901, Tagore established Shantiniketan, (near
Bolpur, Bengal) an institution blending Indian and Western methods
of education.Between 1916 and 1941, Tagore published 21 collections
of songs and poems and held lecture tours across Europe, the
Americas, China, Japan, Malaya, Indonesia etc. In 1924, he
inaugurated the VISVA BHARATI UNIVERSITY at Shantiniketan, an All
India Centre for culture.Tagore's works are classics, renowned for
their lyrical beauty and spiritual poignancy. He is remembered for
his literary genius. In Tagore's own words, "The world speaks to me
in colours, my soul answers in music". Crescent Moon is his
famous book of poems. Tagore was also the author of our National
Anthem Jana Gana
Mana. Gora is one of his best novels. His book
Sadhana is known for its philosophical significance. Saratchandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938):
Bengali novel originated from Bankimchandra, Tagore modernised
it and Saratchandra set the trends of realism and protest in it.
Some of Saratchandra's stories are very striking for their obvious
sincerity and basic realism. These include Bindur chele
(Bindu's Son, 1913), Ramer Sumati (Ram Returning to
Sanity, 1914), Araksanya (The Girl Whose Marriage is Overdue,
1916), etc. Saratchandra's earliest writings show striking influence
of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. In Devdas (written in 1901,
published 1917), Parinita (The Married Girl, 1914), Biraj
Bau (Mrs. Biraj, 1914) and Palli Samaj (The Village
Commune, 1916), the themes and their treatment are not very much
different from the older Chatterjee's but they are presented in a
modernistic setting and in an easier and more matter-of-fact
language. To name some important works : Srikanta in four
parts (1917,1918,1927,1933), Charitrahin (Character-less,
1917), Biraj Bau (1914), Palli Samaj (1916), the first part
of Devdasa (his first novel) and his first published short
story Mandir (1904). It may be noted that these (with the
exception of the last two part of Srikanta) belong to the
first phase of Chatterjee's literary career, that is up to 1913.
Grihadaha (Home Burnt, 1919). Datta (The Girl Given
Away, serialized 1917-19) and Dena-Paona (debts and demands,
1923) and Pather Dabi (The Demand of the Road, 1926). are his
other works.. His last complete novel Ses Prasna (The Final
Question, 1931) is an attempt at the 'intellectual' novel where the
meager theme is inflated by high brow talks on problems of the
individual and of the society relating principally to love and
marriage. Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyapadhyay (1894-1950): An inimitable lyricist in prose, Bibhuti Bushan extended the perceptive world of Bengali fiction by his single contribution to the appreciation of the beauty of rural Bengal. He is renowned for his novel Pather Panchali (Saga of the Road) which was made into a great film by Satyajit Ray. Aparajita, a sequel to Pather Panchali is another of his great novel Some of the stories that Bibhuti had written earlier show him at his best. Among these may be mentioned Umarani (first published in 1922) and Pui-mancha (The Kitchen Garden Scaffolding; first published 1925). These and his later short stories are collected in more than a dozen volumes, such as Meghmallar (1931), Mauriphul (1932), Jatra Badal (1934), etc. Banerjee's novels are not a few and they include besides those already mentioned: Dristipradeep (The Look- a lamp, 1935), Aaranyak (The Wild, 1949), Adarsa Hindu Hotel (1940), Bipiner Samsar (Bipin's Home, 1941), Devayan (Spirit's Path, 1944), Icchamati (1949) etc Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1898-1971):
Tarasankar remains the best chronicler in Bengal so far as the
decline and decay of the feudal fabric is concerned. Hansuli
Banker Upakatha (The Tale of the Crescent Bend of the River
Kopai) is one of his most outstanding novels. Banaphul (1899-1970): One of the major novelists of the post-Tagore period, Banaphul is famed for his two novels Sthavar (Stationary) and Jangam (Moving) based on the history of the human civilisation. Ratri (Night) and Dana are his poetis novels. Bimal Mitra (1912): Bimal Matra rose to
eminence with his classic trilogy Saheb Bibi Golam (The
Master, The Lady and the Slave), Kadi Diye Kinlam (Bought
With Money) and Ekak, Dasak, Satak (Ones, Tens, Hundreds)
spread over nearly three centuries of Bengal's social history. The
thematic vein of his novels, on individual planes, is the travails
of men of integrity within a value empty milieu. Samaresh Babu (1924-'88): One of the pioneers of Post-Second World War Bengali fiction, Samaresh Babu wrote 87 novels, 200 short stories and 20 travel-based novels. Ganga is one of his well-known novels Badal Sarkar (1925): An engineer by profession, Badal Sarkar earned fame mainly as a playwright introducing new forms of theatre movement. He has written about 50 plays of which Evam Indrajit and Basi Khabar (Stale News) are famous. Both these plays belong to the Theatre of the Absurd. Mahasweta Devi (1926): Considered
one of the boldest of Bengali female writers since late 1950s,
Mahasweta Devi wrote novels and short stories based on historical
subjects as also on topics of social and political relevance. She
has brought out the rebellious spirit of the tortured people of the
past and the present with a rare blend of fact and fiction.
Aranyer Adhikar (Rights over Forest) is one of her great
novels. She is also a crusader for the rights of the tribals. She
was given the Jnanpith award in1996 for her contribution to Indian
literature. Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, Rudali,
Nati, Bioscoper Baksho, Hajar Churashir Ma, Chatti Munda O Tar
Tir are considered to be her masterpieces. |
 |