Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay


Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay was an Indian novelist who wrote in the Bengali language. He wrote 65 novels, 53-story-books, 12 plays, 4 essay-books, 4 autobiographies, 2 travel stories and composed several songs. He was awarded Rabindra Puraskar, Sahitya Akademi Award, Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. He was nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971 and posthumously nominated in 1972.

Biography

He fought against the british during the non-cooperation movement and was later arrested for political activism. Turning to literature after his release in 1930, he published his first novel Chaitali Ghurni in 1932 and met Rabindranath Tagore. Over the years, he presided over major literary conferences and received several prestigious awards including the Rabindra Puraskar, Sahitya Akademi Award, JnanpitTarasankar Bandyopadhyay, a renowned Bengali writer, was born in Labhpur, Birbhum, in British India. Educated at St. Xavier's and South Suburban College, he became involved in theh Award, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan. He served in both the West Bengal Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha. Bandyopadhyay died in 1971. In 2021, his ancestral home was turned into a museum preserving his legacy.
Bandyopadhyay was born at his ancestral home at Labhpur village in Birbhum district, Bengal Province, British India to Haridas Bandyopadhyay and Prabhabati Devi.
He passed the Matriculation examination from Labhpur Jadablal H. E. School in 1916 and was later admitted first to St. Xavier's College, Calcutta and then to South Suburban College. While studying in intermediate at St. Xavier's College, he joined the non-co-operation movement. He could not complete his university course due to ill health and political activism. During these college years, he was also associated with a radical militant youth group and was arrested and interned in his village.
He was arrested in 1930 for actively supporting the Indian independence movement, but released later that year. After that he decided to devote himself to literature. In 1932, he met Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan for the first time. His first novel Chaitali Ghurni was published on the same year.
In 1940, he rented a house at Bagbazar and brought his family to Calcutta. In 1941, he moved to Baranagar. In 1942, he presided over the Birbhum District Literature Conference and became the president of the Anti-Fascist Writers and Artists Association in Bengal. In 1944, he presided over the Kanpur Bengali Literature Conference arranged by the non-resident Bengalis living there. In 1947, he inaugurated Prabasi Banga Sahitya Sammelan held in Calcutta; presided over the Silver Jubilee Prabasi Banga Sahitya Sammelan in Bombay; and received Sarat Memorial Medal from the University of Calcutta. In 1948, he moved to his own house at Tala Park, Calcutta.
In 1952, he was nominated to be a member of the legislative assembly. He was a member of the West Bengal Vidhan Parishad between 1952–60. In 1954, he took Diksha from his mother. In the same year he scripted and directed a film, Naa, based on his own story. In 1955, he was awarded the Rabindra Puraskar by the Government of West Bengal. In 1956, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award. In 1957 he visited Soviet Union to join the preparatory committee of the Afro-Asian Writers' Association and later went to Tashkent at an invitation from the Chinese Government as the leader of the Indian Writers delegation at the Afro-Asian Writers' Association.
In 1959, he received the Jagattarini Gold Medal from the University of Calcutta, and presided over All India Writer's Conference in Madras. In 1960, he retired from the West Bengal Legislative Assembly but was nominated to the Parliament by the President of India. He was a member of Rajya Sabha between 1960–66. In 1962, he received Padma Shri; but the death of his son-in-law broke his heart and to keep himself diverted he took to painting and making wooden toys. In 1963, he received Sisirkumar Award. In 1966, he retired from the Parliament and presided over Nagpur Bengali Literature Conference. In 1966, he won the Jnanpith Award and in 1969, he received Padma Bhushan and was honoured with the title of Doctor of Literature by the University of Calcutta and the Jadavpur University. In 1969, he was given the fellowship of Sahitya Akademi, in 1970 became the president of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad/Vangiya Sahitya Parishad. In 1971, he gave the Nripendrachandra Memorial Lecture at Visva-Bharati University and D. L. Roy Memorial Lecture at the University of Calcutta.
Bandyopadhyay died at his Calcutta residence early in the morning on 14 September 1971. His last rites were performed at the Nimtala Cremation Ground, North Calcutta.

Family members and relatives

Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay was married to Umashashi Devi in 1916. Their eldest son Sanatkumar Bandyopadhyay was born in 1918; the youngest son Saritkumar Bandyopadhyay was born in 1922; the eldest daughter Ganga was born in 1924; the second daughter Bulu was born in 1926 but died in 1932; the youngest daughter Bani was born in 1932.

Awards

Poetry

  • ''Tripatra''

Farce

  • ''Chakmaki''

Memoirs

  • Amar Kaler Katha
  • Bichitro Smritikahini
  • Amar Sahitya Jiban, Vol. I
  • Koishor Smriti
  • Amar Sahitya Jiban, Vol. II

Travelogue

  • ''Moscow-te Koyek Din''

Essays

  • Sahityer Satya
  • Bharatbarsha O Chin
  • ''Rabindranath O Banglar Palli''

Collected works

  • Rachana Sangraha, Vol. I
  • Rachanabali, Vol. 1–25
  • "Galpaguchha" Vol. 1-3

Discography

List of all songs for which Lyrics were composed by Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay
YearSongSingerFilm/albumLyricsMusic
-Aamar bajubondher jhumko dolaySandhya Mukherjee-Tarasankar BandyopadhyaySudhin Dasgupta
1975Aha bhalobese ei bujhechhiJatileswar Mukherjee-Tarasankar BandyopadhyayAshoke Roy
1962Bhai re alor tareHemanta MukherjeeHasuli Baaker UpokothaTarasankar BandyopadhyayHemanta Mukherjee
1949Chand dekhe kalankaRabin Majumdar-Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay-
1957Ei khed mor moneRabin MajumdarKobiTarasankar BandyopadhyayAnil Bagchi
1962Gopane moner kothaHemanta MukherjeeHasuli Baaker UpokothaTarasankar BandyopadhyayHemanta Mukherjee
1954Kamal mukh shukeye gecheManabendra MukherjeeChaapa Dangar BouTarasankar BandyopadhyayManabendra Mukherjee
1970Maran tomarManna DeyManjari OperaTarasankar Bandyopadhyay-
1968Milana mdhu madhuri bhoraManabendra MukherjeeRamya Geeti, All India RadioTarasankar BandyopadhyayJnan Prakash Ghosh
1962Mora jor paye chaliboHemanta Mukherjee and Debabrata BiswasHasuli Baaker UpokothaTarasankar BandyopadhyayHemanta Mukherjee
1957O amar moner manush goRabin MajumdarKobiTarasankar BandyopadhyayAnil Bagchi
-O hay chokher chhotayRabin Majumdar-Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay-
1958Ogo tomar shesh bicharer ashayManne DeyDak HarkaraTarasankar BandyopadhyaySudhin Dasgupta
1975Paran bodhua tumifemale voiceKobiTarasankar BandyopadhyayAnil Bagchi
1968Praner radhar kon thikanaManabendra MukherjeeRamya Geeti, All India RadioTarasankar BandyopadhyayJnan Prakash Ghosh
1975Praner radhar kon thikanaJatileswar Mukherjee-Tarasankar BandyopadhyayAshoke Roy
1954Shiba he shiba heManabendra MukherjeeChaapa Dangar BouTarasankar BandyopadhyayManabendra Mukherjee