Taranath Tantrik


Taranath Tantrik is a fictional character of Bengali literature created by the legendary Bengali novelist Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. Later his son Taradas Bandyopadhyay wrote several more stories featuring the character. The elder son of Taradas Bandyopadhyay, Tathagata Bandyopadhyay continuing the legacy of Taranath. Younger son Trinankur Bandyopadhyay also wrote a story on Taranath Tantrik, but it is likely that Tathagata Bandyopadhyay will be continuing the family legacy.

Character

Taranath Tantrik is a mystic figure and practitioner of occult. He lives with his daughter Chari in a house of Mott lane in central Kolkata after having lost most of his supernatural powers because of misuse of Tantra. The person looked like a man in his mid fifties. He is an astrologer by profession and had many encounters with the supernatural forces in his extensive travels throughout the Bengal. He shares those experiences with two young friends Writer and Kishori in his Mott lane house over cups of tea and cigarettes. It is stated that the writer is a regular visitor at Taranath's house, sometimes with his friend, sometimes alone.

Stories

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

In 1940, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay created the character Taranath but he wrote only two short stories featuring this character and much of Taranath's life is displayed prominently through these two stories-
  1. Tarnath Tantrik-er Golpo
  2. ''Madhusundari Debi'r Abirbhab''

Taradas Bandyopadhyay

After Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, his son Taradas Bandyopadhyay continued writing stories featuring Taranath Tantrik. He wrote total six stories and novels. All the stories are supernatural and paranormal, based on dark arts, mystery and magic realism.
  1. Taranath Tantrik
  2. Panchamundi'r Asan
  3. Tinti Kaak-er Golpo
  4. Brojobhushan-er Biswasprapti
  5. Taranath Tantrik O Brahmapishach
  6. Taranath Tantrik-er Aschorjyo Duniya
  7. Alatchakra
  8. Abar Taranath
Tathagata Bandyopadhyay
After Taradas Bandyopadhyay, his son Tathagata Bandyopadhyay started writing stories featuring Taranath Tantrik. He wrote only one story so far. According to him, he wrote this story to stop fan fiction writers who are not doing justice to the character Taranath.
  1. Bhondo Taranath
  2. Taranather Bramhastra
  3. Rudradeb Taranath
Trinankur Bandyopadhyay
  1. ''Kolkataye Taranath''

Adaptations

Stories of Taranath was broadcast in Sunday Suspense at Kolkata Radio Mirchi. Many stories of Taranath Tantrik were also aired later on Goppo mir er Thek a podcast directed by Mir Afsar Ali. Bengali filmmaker Q alias Qaushiq Mukherjee has made Hoichoi web series named Taranath Tantrik based on the stories of Taranath. Koushik Roy and Jayanta Kripalni played the title role. The character was reimagined as TNT for a series of graphic novels by Shamik Dasgupta. In the year 2016, actor Tota Roy Chowdhury played as Taranath in Taranath Tantrik, a TV Series of Colors Bangla.