5 Types of Friendship in Bengali Literature

Friendship can cross boundaries, age and every other barrier, if it is true. In today's world of fake smiles and fake lives, we still come across a few rare instances of such friendship, somewhere in the world. As I was thinking about what to write about friendship today, it occurred to me that it has been an integral part of Bengali literature through the ages. Friendships can come in many types; they may arise in unexpected ways. untimely situations and through unimaginable circumstances. Without much delay, let's dive into the types of friendship.

1. Age-Gap Friendship: As I said, friendship can break the age barrier, " Na Umrr ki Seema ho, Na Janmo ka ho Bandhan." We have often seen such heartfelt stories of friendship in Rabindranath Tagore's "Kabuliwalah" and "Postmaster". A man who left his daughter to pursue better prospects in another country forms an unusual friendship with a five-year-old girl. Their friendship evolves despite differences, hatred, and others' betrayal. A very short story, a powerful effect and some lifelong learning. This is Kabuliwalah.

Again, in Postmaster, a little orphan girl named Ratan becomes the postmaster's caretaker. Both become quite dependent on the other. But the reason for their bond is completely different. While the educated postmaster, stranded in a village, could hardly make friends with anyone there, Ratan becomes a filler in his spare time, who would listen to him and take care of him. But for Ratan. She, who has no one of her own, begins to feel emotionally attached to him. 

Again, a couple of days back, I read a story called Hinger Kachuri by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, where a small boy befriends a woman, doomed by others, on the pretext of having some delicious Asoefetida Deep-fried breads. 

2. Lost Friendship: With growing age and responsibilities, those friends who were the most important part of their lives are lost. We remember them, but are in no contact with them. When we meet after many years, we are overwhelmed by a range of feelings. 

Satyajit Ray repeatedly presented this "lost friendship" across multiple stories. In his short story, " Class Friend", two friends meet after a long time. While one enjoys an established, well-off life, the other is struggling to make ends meet for himself and his family. A brief encounter, a brief conversation, and others' curious and critical input complicate the simple encounter. Later, a very emotional incident could be concluded with the power of true friendship. 

In another story, "Dui Bondhu", two inseparable friends had to bid goodbye during their school days, due to unavoidable circumstances. But they make a pact to meet each other after 25 years in front of the Lighthouse Movie Theatre. 

One of the friends, Bilas, grows up to become a noted author and is surprised by a letter at his doorstep from his long-lost friend, exactly 25 years later. A promise is kept, but how it is kept is the most interesting part of the story. This was a light-hearted approach to the beauty of friendship.

3. Peer Friendship: This is the most common form of friendship we come across. And there are plenty of stories on this type of friendship by various authors. 

The first story that comes to mind is "Indranath O Srikanta" by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The introvert and observant protagonist, Srikanta, befriends an outspoken and naughty older boy, Indranath. Someone who the society tags as a bad boy, except Srikanta, who sees past his outer rebellious nature to find a true golden heart. 

Then there were the funny stories about Gansha and his group in Bibhutibhushan Mukhopadhyay's Barjatri O Basar. A group of young men, led by Gansha, whose stammering dialogue is part of the adventure, mostly revolving around various wedding-related matters,  often gets into unusual trouble. 

Some great books on peer friendship are "Ekushe Paa" by Bani Basu and "Palta Hawa" by Smaranjit Chakraborty

Charmurti, led by Tenida, by Narayan Gangopadhyay, also speaks of 4 schoolmates who set out on some exciting adventures, many of which are uncalled for.

4. Friendship for a Cause: This is often seen in detective thrillers like Byomkesh, Eken Babu, Kiriti and Colonel adventures. 

Byomkesh by Saradindu Bandopadhyay had his Ajit; Kiriti by Dr Nihar Ranjan Gupta had Subrata; Eken Babu by Sujan Dasgupta had Bapi Babu and Pramatha Babu; and Colonel Niladri Sarkar by Syed Mustafa Siraj had Jayanta as a friend on every mission.

Similarly, the adventures of Bimal and Kumar by Hemendra Kumar Roy, and those of Manik and Jayanta by the same author, are great examples of friendship with a cause. 

5. Unusual Friendship: Friendship with an animal, or even one with an inanimate object and even an alien- how does it sound? We have such stories written in Bengali by various authors. 

Sailen Ghosh has written multiple stories about unusual friendships for children. His "Akasher Dui Bondhu" is a story about the friendship between two kites. 

Satyajit Ray's story "Bonkubabur Bondhu" is about a friendship between a Geography teacher and an alien.

There are many more to explore. I have to write page after page on this topic. Meanwhile, a little additional information: Class Friend and Dui Bondhu are available as short films on YouTube. 

Happy Friendship Day to all of you