Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (Bengali: শরিদn& বেnাপাধ,া-; 30 March 1899 – 22 September 1970) was a Bengali writer. He was also actively involved with Bengali cinema as well as Bollywood. His most famous creation is the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi.
He wrote different forms of prose: novels, short stories, plays and screenplays. However, his forte was short stories and novels. He wrote historical fiction like Kaler Mandira, GourMollar (initially named as Mouri Nodir Teere), Tumi Sandhyar Megh, Tungabhadrar Teere (all novels), Chuya-Chandan, Maru O Sangha (later made into a Hindi film named Trishangni) and stories of the unnatural with the recurring character Baroda, the Ghost Hunter. Besides, he wrote many songs and poems.
He was born to Tarabhushan and Bijaliprabha Bandyopadhyay at his maternal grandparents’ home in Jaunpur, United Province, India. The family hailed from Purnea, Bihar, India.
He passed the matriculation examination in 1915 and took admission in Vidyasagar College, Calcutta. While studying there, he published his first work, Jaubansmriti, a collection of poems, at the age of 20.
In 1919, he passed the B.A. examination. He studied law in Patna and then devoted his time to writing.
Bandyopadhyay wrote short stories, historical as well as social novels, poems, songs, essays, etc. Besides, he also wrote several screen plays, some of which is of his own writings.
His writings are always very short and generally have a twisty ending and in these regards, he can be compared to another great author, Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay, a.k.a. Bonoful. Humor, witty comments and satires are prevalent in his creations.
The main theme of most of his writings is romance, basically it is the beautiful relationship between a man and a woman. He was very selective and a perfectionist.
The first Byomkesh Bakshi work appeared in 1932.
One of his earliest stories, Raktasandhya, appeared in Bengali in 1939. It was later included in The Scarlet Dusk (2003), a collection of 5 of his stories translated into English.
He moved to Mumbai in 1938 to write screenplays for Bombay Talkies and other film banners. He gave up ties with the film industry in 1952, and moved to Pune, to concentrate on writing.
He wrote several ghost stories, historical romances and children’s stories in Bengali over the next 18 years.
External link’s…
Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0051779/) at the Internet Movie Database
Roy, Pinaki. The Manichean Investigators: A Postcolonial and Cultural Rereading of the Sherlock Holmes and Byomkesh Bakshi Stories. New Delhi: Sarup Book Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-81-7625- 849-4.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-rituparno-ghoshs-swan-song-satyanweshi- team-attends-premiere/20130906.htm
Work’s…
Novels
Historical
Kaler Mandira [কােলর মিnরা] (1951)
GaurMallar [1গৗ4মlলার] (1954)
Tumi Sandhyar Megh [ত& িম সn,ার 1মঘ] (1958)
Kumarsambhaber Kabi [ক& মারসmেবর কিব] (1963) T
ungabhadrar Teere [ত& ŋভdার তীের] (1965)
Social
Jhinder Bondi [িঝেnর বnী]
Dadar Kirti [দাদার কীিত@]
Short stories
Jatismar [জািতsর] (1933)
Chuya-Chandan [চ& -া-চnন] (1935)
BishKonya [িবষকন,া] (1942)
Sada Prithibi [সাদা পৃিথবী] (1948)
Emon Dine [এমন িদেন] (1963)
ShankhaKankan [শŋকŋণ] (1963)
Kortar Kirti [কত@ার কীিত@]
Timingil [িতিমিŋল]
Protidwondee [pিতdnী]
Adim Nrityo [আিদম নৃত,]
Kutub Shirshe [ক& ত& ব শীেষ]@
Vendeta [1ভনেডটা]
Mone Mone [মেন মেন]
Jhi [িঝ]
Toothbrush [ট& থbাশ]
Arob Sagorer Rosikota [আরব সাগেরর রিসকতা]
Premik [1pিমক]
Roopkotha [rপকথা]
GronthiRohosyo [gিnরহস,]
Bhutor Chondrobindu [ভV েতার চWিবn& ]
SondehoJonok Byapar [সেnহজনক ব,াপার]
Sekalini [1সকািলনী]
Asomapto [অসমাp]
Mukhos [মুেখাস]
Poriksha [পরীkা]
Vokti Vajon [ভিk 1ভাজন]
Bohu Bighnani [বh িব_ািন]
Collected works
Sharadindu Omnibus [শরিদn& অমিনবাস] (in 12 volumes) (edited by Pratul Chandra Gupta, Bandyopadhyay’s friend and published by the Ananda Publishers, Kolkata).
(See also Byomkesh Bakshi for individual stories featuring this detective)
Filmography
As screenplay writer:
Durga [dগ@া] (1939)
Kangan (1939)
Navjeevan (1939)
Azad (1940)
Films based on Sharadindu’s writings
Bengali
Chiriyakhana [িচি4-াখানা] —Directed by Satyajit Ray is based on one of the most intricate detective novels ever written in Bengali. It features supersleuth Byomkesh Bakshi
Shajarur Kanta (1974) directed by actress-turned-director Manju Dey and produced by Star Productions was the second film of the Bakshi series. Satindra Bhattacharya replaced Uttam Kumar as Bakshi while Shailen Mukherjee reprised his role as Ajit.
Jhinder Bandi [িঝেnর বnী] —Directed by Tapan Sinha is based on a recreation of Prisoner of Zenda written by Anthony Hope. This novel is categorised as one of Sharadindu’s romantic novels.
Dadar Kirti [দাদার কীিত@] —Directed by Tarun Majumdar. This full-length feature is based on a short- story of the same name.
Meghmukti [1মঘমুিk] —Directed by Tarun Majumdar. This full-length feature is based on a short- story of named Kortar Kirti.
Mogno Mainak [মg bমনাক] —Directed by Swapan Ghoshal who also directed the two Bengali TV series on the sleuth. The film is featuring several TV actors. TV actor Shuvrajit Dutta is playing Bakshi.
Byomkesh Bakshi [1ব,ামেকশ বkী] —Directed by Anjan Dutt. This movie is based on the story Adim Ripu [আিদম িরপ]ু . Abir Chatterjee plays Byomkesh Bakshi while Saswata Chatterjee plays Ajit. Swastika Mukherjee plays Shiuli the bar dancer and Chandan Sen plays arms dealer Batul. Dutta plans to make a trilogy.
Abar Byomkesh [আবার 1ব,ামেকশ] —Directed by Anjan Dutt. This movie is based on the story Chitrachor [িচtেচার ]. This series is expected to be followed by Kohen Kobi Kalidas .
Rajadrohee– starring Uttam Kumar and Anjana Bhowmik in lead roles.
” Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy” (1যখােন ভ& েতর ভ-), a film directed by Sandip Ray, is based on three separate stories, the last one being Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s ‘Bhoot Bhabishyat'(ভ& ত-ভিবষ,ৎ), starring Saswata Chatterjee and Paran Banerjee in lead roles.
“Satyanweshi” (সত,ােnষী), the last film directed by Rituparno Ghosh and released in 2013, is based on the story “Chorabali” [1চারাবািল, Quick sand]. Sujoy Ghosh played the role of Byomkesh, with Anindya Chattopadhyay as Ajit.
In the upcoming film Chaar, one story (Porikkha) is written by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. The film is directed by Sandip Ray.
Hindi
Trishagni (1988) is an award-winning film directed by Nabendu Ghosh, based on Sharadindu’s historical short story Moru O Sangho.[1]
Detective Byomkesh Bakshi (forthcoming) directed by Dibakar Banerjee. The lead role is played by Sushant and the film is set in 1942.[2]
Award’s…
Bandyopadhyay was awarded the Rabindra Puraskar in 1967 for the novel Tungabhadrar Tirey. The Calcutta University honoured him with the Sarat Smriti Purashkar in 1967.
Notes…
1. ^ “36th National Film Awards” (http://dff.nic.in/2011/36nfa.pdf) (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals.
2. ^ “Bollywood Movies” (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Byomkesh-Bakshi-is-my-most-expensive-film-Dibakar-Banerjee/Article1-1097964.aspx). Hindustan Times.
References…
Crime For Dinner 