5 Bengali Book Characters That are Must-Read #WriteAPageADay

Thanks to Hindi films and TV shows, Bengali detectives like Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda are now popular throughout India. Many such popular characters have been penned by famous authors throughout the ages. Since few translated works are available for Bengali books, many readers remain unaware of the intensity of the Bengali book characters and their interesting journeys. I have listed a few Bengali book characters, other than Byomkesh and Tenida, that should be popularised more through translated works. 

1. Prof. Shanku: Other than Feluda, this immortal creation of Satyajit Ray for kids still remains a favourite. A genius scientist living alone in Giridi with his servant and cat, Newton indulges in crazy scientific experiments. He often finds himself in weird situations and seeks new adventures worldwide and beyond. The stories are filled with the adventurous escapades of Shanku, frequently written in a diary format, sometimes with aliens or sometimes with rivals of equal IQ level. 

2. Kakababu: Kakababu or Raja Roy Chowdhury is the retired Director of the Archeological Department. Accompanied by his nephew Shantu, they travel to different destinations across India and outside for their thirst for adventure. This character by Sunil Gangopadhyay is another favourite amongst young Bengali readers. He had lost one of his legs in an accident, but that had made him more determined with a sharp presence of mind.

3. Tenida:  One of the funniest Bengali literary characters has to be Tenida, the leader of Narayan Gangopadhyaya's Charmurti stories. He is a pompous man, accompanied by 3 much younger friends Pyala - a sickly boy with no interest in studies, Habul - a food-lover from East Bengal with a strong accent and Kyabla - a brilliant student with a sharp mind. He often comes across as a coward, only gulping on food and bragging about himself. Still, a thorough dive into his adventures or misadventures reveals that under the facade lies a man with a heart of gold.

4. Colonel Niladri Sarkar: A retired Armyman teams up with a crime journalist, Jayanta, to form one of the most iconic Bengali fictional detectives through the pen of Syed Mustafa Shiraz. He is silent yet observant, an occasional ornithologist and an avid coffee lover. He is often assisted by retired police officer Haldarmosai while solving cases. 

5. Ghanada: A bachelor living in an attic of a men's hostel can enthral everyone with his storytelling capabilities. The entire hostel becomes his audience while he indulges in tasty food and starts to tell stories about strange incidents he has witnessed in his lifetime. Everyone knows that the stories are fake, but no one opposes such is his storytelling capabilities. One of the best of Premendra Mitra's works, Ghanada, is noted for the amazing lies everyone loves to be fooled by. 

These are but a few immortal characters that Bengali books have gifted us throughout the ages. I have to check if any of these, besides Kakababu and Professor Shanku, are available in English translations. But it would be great if everyone learned about them in detail through translated works. 

This blog post is a part of #WriteAPageADay by Blogchatter.