Syed Waliullah
Encyclopedia
Syed Waliullah (1922-1971) was a Bangladesh
i novelist, short-story writer and playwright. He is most well known in Bangla literature for his first novel, Lalsalu (translated as "Tree Without Roots", though it literally means "Red cloth"). He is a cousin of physicist and mathematician Jamal Nazrul Islam
. The last two of his three novels, specially Kando Nadi Kando, show his mastery in revealing the inner depths of his characters. However, his most famous work remains Lalsalu, some would argue because of its relative simplicity.
Lalsalu tells the story of Majid, a poor man from a devout muslim
background. Majid comes to a remote village. He declares an old grave to be the majar (mausoleum) that of a pir (a Muslim saint), covers it with the traditional red cloth used for masoleums, and establishes his stronghold on the life of the people using the reflected power on him of the supposed saint. The novel shows his struggle with other religious figures trying to establish dominance, the undercurrent of pagan ideas among the people, and his own weaknesses. He is finally outdone by his second wife, the young and vigorous Jamila. Jamila, ever disrespectful, dies after Majid keeps her tied all night near the majar. Majid comes to find her dead, but her feet irreverently touching the majar.
Lalsalu was recently filmed by Tanvir Mokammel
.
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...
i novelist, short-story writer and playwright. He is most well known in Bangla literature for his first novel, Lalsalu (translated as "Tree Without Roots", though it literally means "Red cloth"). He is a cousin of physicist and mathematician Jamal Nazrul Islam
Jamal Nazrul Islam
Jamal Nazrul Islam is a Bangladeshi mathematical physicist and cosmologist. He is a professor at Chittagong University and a member of the advisory board at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology...
Novels
Waliullah is often considered the pioneer of existential analysis of the characters psyche in the literature of BangladeshBangladesh
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...
. The last two of his three novels, specially Kando Nadi Kando, show his mastery in revealing the inner depths of his characters. However, his most famous work remains Lalsalu, some would argue because of its relative simplicity.
Lalsalu tells the story of Majid, a poor man from a devout muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
background. Majid comes to a remote village. He declares an old grave to be the majar (mausoleum) that of a pir (a Muslim saint), covers it with the traditional red cloth used for masoleums, and establishes his stronghold on the life of the people using the reflected power on him of the supposed saint. The novel shows his struggle with other religious figures trying to establish dominance, the undercurrent of pagan ideas among the people, and his own weaknesses. He is finally outdone by his second wife, the young and vigorous Jamila. Jamila, ever disrespectful, dies after Majid keeps her tied all night near the majar. Majid comes to find her dead, but her feet irreverently touching the majar.
Lalsalu was recently filmed by Tanvir Mokammel
Tanvir Mokammel
Tanvir Mokammel is a Bangladeshi film director. He earned a Masters degree in English Literature at Dhaka University...
.
Novels
- Lalsalu (Tree without roots), 1948
- Chander Amaboshay (Dark moon), 1964
- Kando Nadi Kando (Cry, o river), 1968
- The Ugly Asian, 1959