Samaresh Basu
Encyclopedia
Samaresh Basu (11 December 1924 - 12 March 1988) was an India
n Bengali
writer based in Kolkata
, India
. He was born on December 11, 1924 (1331 in the Bengali calendar) and spent his early childhood in Dhaka
, Bikrampur
in what is today Bangladesh
. He died on March 12, 1988.
When he was only 21, he wrote his first novel Nayanpurer Mati. While it was later serialized in Parichay, it was never published as a book. Adaab was his first short story published in Parichay in 1946.
A prolific writer with more than 200 short stories and 100 novels, including those written under the aliases "Kalkut" and "Bhramar", Samaresh Basu is a major figure in Bengali fiction. His life experiences populated his writings with themes ranging from political activism to,, working class life to, sexuality. Two of his novels had been briefly banned on charges of obscenity. The case against one of these, Prajapati, was settled in the Supreme Court of India which overturned, in 1985, the rulings of the two lower courts.
Among other intellectuals, Buddhadeb Bose, himself once accused of similar charges for his Rat Bhor-e Brishti, came out strongly in support of Samaresh. To quote from Sumanta Banerjee's recent translation Selected Stories (Vol.1), Samaresh Basu "remains the most representative storyteller of Bengal's suburban life, as distinct from other well-known Bengali authors who had faithfully painted the life and problems of either Bengal's rural society or the urban middle class. Basu draws on his lived experience of Calcutta's `half-rural, half-urban,' industrial suburbs."
While the nom de plume "Kalkut" was adopted in 1952 for the immediate need to publish an overtly political piece, the real "Kalkut" can be said to have been born with the publication of Amritakumbher Sandhane, a hugely popular, semi-autobiographical narrative centered around the Kumbha-mela. The many subsequent books by Kalkut had depicted the lives of the common people from all over India and all walks of life (including those who live on the periphery of the "mainstream") with their varied cultures and religious practices in a unique style that was Kalkut's own. He also drew upon the recollections of the Puranas and Itihas; Shamba, an interesting modern interpretation of the Puranic tales, won the Sahitya Akademi Award
in 1980.
Samaresh Basu breathed his last on March 12, 1988.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
writer based in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was born on December 11, 1924 (1331 in the Bengali calendar) and spent his early childhood in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bikrampur
Bikrampur
Bikrampur pargana is situated 12 miles south of Dhaka, the modern-day capital of Bangladesh. It lies in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. It is a historic region in Bengal. The region is famous for its early Buddhist scholarships and in the later period for its cultural influences...
in what is today Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He died on March 12, 1988.
Life and career
He would in later days recall the deep impressions that the Brata-kathas (fantastic folk-tales recited by women while performing certain religious rites) narrated by his mother left on him as a child. His adolescent years were spent in Naihati, a suburb of Kolkata, in West Bengal. His life was rich with varied experiences. At one point, he used to hawk eggs from a basket carried on his head; later, he worked for meager daily wages. From 1943 through 1949 he worked in an ordnance factory in Ichhapore. He was an active member of the trade union and the Communist party for a period, and was jailed for during 1949-50 when the party was declared illegal. While in jail, he wrote his first novel, Uttaranga, that was published in book form. Soon after his release from the jail, he began to write professionally, refusing to join the factory even when offered his old job.When he was only 21, he wrote his first novel Nayanpurer Mati. While it was later serialized in Parichay, it was never published as a book. Adaab was his first short story published in Parichay in 1946.
A prolific writer with more than 200 short stories and 100 novels, including those written under the aliases "Kalkut" and "Bhramar", Samaresh Basu is a major figure in Bengali fiction. His life experiences populated his writings with themes ranging from political activism to,, working class life to, sexuality. Two of his novels had been briefly banned on charges of obscenity. The case against one of these, Prajapati, was settled in the Supreme Court of India which overturned, in 1985, the rulings of the two lower courts.
Among other intellectuals, Buddhadeb Bose, himself once accused of similar charges for his Rat Bhor-e Brishti, came out strongly in support of Samaresh. To quote from Sumanta Banerjee's recent translation Selected Stories (Vol.1), Samaresh Basu "remains the most representative storyteller of Bengal's suburban life, as distinct from other well-known Bengali authors who had faithfully painted the life and problems of either Bengal's rural society or the urban middle class. Basu draws on his lived experience of Calcutta's `half-rural, half-urban,' industrial suburbs."
While the nom de plume "Kalkut" was adopted in 1952 for the immediate need to publish an overtly political piece, the real "Kalkut" can be said to have been born with the publication of Amritakumbher Sandhane, a hugely popular, semi-autobiographical narrative centered around the Kumbha-mela. The many subsequent books by Kalkut had depicted the lives of the common people from all over India and all walks of life (including those who live on the periphery of the "mainstream") with their varied cultures and religious practices in a unique style that was Kalkut's own. He also drew upon the recollections of the Puranas and Itihas; Shamba, an interesting modern interpretation of the Puranic tales, won the Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in 1980.
Samaresh Basu breathed his last on March 12, 1988.
Work as Kalkut
- Amrita Bisher Patre (Ananda Pub.)
- Amritakumbher Sandhane
- Arab Shagorer Jol Lona
- Dhyan Gyan Prem (Ananda Pub.)
- Ek Je Chilen Raja (Ananda Pub.)
- Judhe'r Sesh Senapoti (M.C.Sarkar & Sons)
- Kalkut Rochona Samogro [1-8] (Maushumi Prakasani)
- Kothai Pabo Tare (Ananda Pub.)
- Punya Bhume Punya Snan (Ananda Pub.)
- Purno Kumbho Punascha (Ananda Pub.)
- Shambo (Ananda Pub.)
Works For Children Audiences
- Adrisya Manusher Haatchani (Sarodiya Suktara,1986)
- Bandha Ghore'r Awaz (Ananda Pub.,Nov 1979)
- Bhul Barite Dhuke (Ananda Pub.,1986,Sarodiya Anondomela,1985)
- Bideshi Garite Bipod (Ananda Pub.,Apr 1988,Sarodiya Anondomela,1987)
- Buno Hati'r Bandhuttwo (Pujabarshiki Anondomela Sankalan, Sarodiya Anondomela,1977,illustration - Sudhir Maitro)
- Goa i Gogoler Prothom Kirti (Pujabarshiki Anondomela Sankalan, Sarodiya Anondomela,1978)
- Gogol Amonibas (Nath Publishing)
- Gogol Chikkus Nagalande (Ananda Pub.)
- Gorokhkhonathbabur Notebook (Pakhik Anondomela Sera Sankalan,25 June 1986,illustration - Debashish Deb)
- Jangal Mohol E Gogol (Ananda Pub.,1987,Sarodiya Anondomela,1986))
- Jonaki Bhuter Bari (Pujabarshiki Anondomela Sankalan, Sarodiya Anondomela,1980, illustration - Sunil Shil)
- Jwor'er Ghore Shona (Pakhik Anondomela Sera Sankalan,23 December 1987,illustration - Anup Roy)
- Sei Gari'r Khoje (Ananda Pub.,Aug 1984, Sarodiya Anondomela,1983)
- Simul Gore'r Khune Bhut (Ananda Pub.)
Gogol Amonibas
- Aayna Niye Khelte Khelte
- Adrishya Manusher Haatchani Sarodiya Suktara,1986)
- Buno Hati'r Bandhuttwo (Sarodiya Anondomela,1977)
- Chora Hati Shikari
- Durger Garhkhai Er Durghatono
- Garadheen Jaanalay Rakkhos
- Gogol Kothay? (Sarodiya Anondomela,1981)
- Gogoler Keramati
- Gogoler Royraja Uddhar
- Harano Buddhagupti
- Indurer Khut khut
- Jonaki Bhuter Bari (Sarodiya Anondomela,1980)
- Kairong Moth Er Gogoler Kando
- Mahishmardini Uddhar
- Pashchimer Balcony Theke
- Rajdhani Expresser Hatya Rahasya
- Ratna Rahasya O Gogol
- Sonali Parer Rahasya
- Telephone Aaripatar Bipad (Sarodiya Suktara)