Suchitra Bhattacharya (10 January 1950 – 2015) was an Indian novelist,[1] known for works including Hemanter Pakhi, Kachher Manush, Aleek Shukh, Icche and Kacher Dewal.[2][3] During her career as a writer, she composed over 20 novels and many short stories.[4] Her novel Dahan was adapted into the 1997 film Dahan,[4][3] and her novels Iccher Gach, Alik Sukh and Ramdhanu Rang were adapted into films by Shiboprosad Mukherjee, and her novel Onnyo Bwasanto was adapted into a television film by Aditi Roy.[5]

Suchitra Bhattacharya
Born(1950-01-10)10 January 1950
Bhagalpur, India
Died(2015-05-12)12 May 2015
Dhakuria, Kolkata, India
OccupationWriter
Alma materCalcutta University
Notable worksHemanter Pakhi, Dahan, Kachher Manush

Early life and education edit

Suchitra Bhattacharya was born in 1950 in Bhagalpur, Bihar.[2] She was interested in writing from her childhood.

Bhattacharya graduated from the Jogamaya Devi College, an affiliated undergraduate women's college of the historic University of Calcutta, in Kolkata.[6][citation needed]

Career edit

Having taken many odd jobs in her early youth, she finally joined the public service, leaving in 2004 to become a full-time writer. She started writing in the late-1970s,[7] and novels in the mid-1980s, finding early success with her novel Kacher Dewal (Glass Wall).[citation needed]

Her writing focuses on contemporary social issues. Her life experiences are reflected in many of her stories and novels. Bhattacharya was enthusiastic about fellow contemporary women authors Sangita Bandyopadhyay and Tilottama Majumdar, and was deeply influenced by Ashapurna Debi and Mahasweta Debi.[8]

Her novels and short stories have been translated into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi and English. She has also written novels and short stories for children.

Her novel Dahan was made into the 1997 film Dahan by Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh.[4] The short story "Ichcher Gaach" was also made into a full-length feature film Icche, directed by Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy.[8] "Hemonter Pakhi" was also made into a feature film by Urmi Chakraborty.

Suchitra Bhattacharya also contributed to the Bengali adult crime fiction genre with her detective character Mitin Masi, one of the few female detectives in Bengali literature.[9] The first novel with Mitin Masi was Sarandai Saitan, followed by: Sarporahosya sundarbone, Jhau jhien hotyarorosya, Dussapno bar bar, Sander saheber Puthi and others. Other Mitin Masi novels were written for adults.

Suchitra Bhattacharya died on 12 May 2015, aged 65, due to a cardiac arrest at her home in Dhakuria, Kolkata.[10][11]

Awards and accolades edit

Suchitra received many awards, including the Bhuban Mohini Medal from Calcutta University in 2004, the Nanjanagudu Thirumalamba National Award (1996),[4] the Katha Award (1997),[4] the Tarashankar Award (2000),[4] the Dwijendralal Award in 2001 from Kalyani, the Sharat Puroshkar (2002),[4] as well as the Bharat Nirman Award,[4] Sahitya Setu Award[4] and Shailajananda Smriti Puroshkar[4] in 2004 and Dinesh Chandra Smriti Puroskar in 2015. She received the Mati Nandy award in 2012.

Selected novels edit

  • Kachher Manush (Close to Me)[8][7]
  • Dahan (The Burning)[8][7]
  • Ichcher Gaach( The Wish Tree)[8]
  • Bhanga Kal (Falling Apart)[7]
  • Kacher Dewal (The Wall of Glass)[7]
  • Hemonter Pakhi (Bird of Autumn)[8]
  • Neel Ghurni (Blue tornado)
  • Aleek Shukh (Heavenly bliss)
  • Gabhir Ashukh (A Grave Illness)
  • Uro Megh (Flying Cloud)
  • Chhera Taar (Broken string)
  • Alochhaya (Shadows of Light)[8]
  • Anyo Basanto (Another Spring)
  • Parabas
  • Palabar Path Nei (No escape)
  • Aami Raikishori
  • Rangin Pritibi (Colourful world)
  • Jalchhobi (Watermark)
  • Mitin Masi book series[12]
  • Dashti Upanyas (Ten novels)
  • German Ganesh
  • Ekaa (Alone)
  • Aynamahal (Palace of Mirrors)

Films Based On Her Books edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Suchitra Bhattacharya, 1950". loc.gov. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Noted Bengali writer Suchitra Bhattacharya passes away". The Hindu. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Suchitra Bhattacharya documented realities, aspirations and silences of modern women". The Indian Express. Express News Service. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Kolkata mourns writer Suchitra Bhattacharya's death". ZeeNews. Indo-Asian News Service. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. ^ Sen, Zinia (12 January 2017). "Tollywood mourns the death of Suchitra Bhattacharya". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. ^ History of the College
  7. ^ a b c d e STP Team (13 May 2015). "Four books by Suchitra Bhattacharya you must read". SheThePeople.TV. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Bhattacharya, Suchitra (14 May 2015). "Five Suchitra Bhattacharya novels that redefined feminist writing in Bengal". The Indian Express. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  9. ^ Bhattacharya, Suchitra (16 May 2015). "Detective Mitin Mashi, not middle-class tales, might be Suchitra Bhattacharya's lasting legacy". Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Anandabazar Patrika". anandabazar.com/. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Ei Samay". Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  12. ^ "5 Female Detectives in Indian Literature That Everyone Should Know About". News18. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.

External links edit