Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Quick Introduction

About Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was a Bengali novelist and short story writer who lived in the early 20th century. His writings frequently centered on the socioeconomic issues that rural people faced in their daily lives. He is one of the most famous Indian writers and his works have been translated into many languages.

He produced over 100 books and short stories, many of which were turned into movies and TV episodes. His writings are renowned for accurately depicting social ills like oppression, poverty, and forced marriage. Additionally, he was a strong supporter of women's rights.

He was one of the most talented and globally renowned writers, and because of this, had a huge fan base across India, which eventually led to his work being translated into over thirty languages.

Early Life

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was born in a small village in West Bengal on 15th September 1876. He suffered a lot during his childhood days. He was born into a middle-class family and his entire childhood was spent in poverty, so with a lot of responsibilities, he became a mature child at a very young age. Notably, he was a bright and curious child who loved to read. He started writing stories at a young age and soon developed a talent for storytelling.

Sarat Chandra's life was full of challenges, but he never gave up on his dreams. He became one of India's most famous and beloved authors, and people still read and enjoy his works worldwide.

His father's incomplete works inspired Sarat Chandra. He often pored over them in his childhood and wondered what the endings would have been if they had been finished. Such incidents inspired him to start writing short stories; he was just 17 years old.

Because of the critical financial situation, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's family frequently had to stay with his maternal grandpa in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Sarat Chandra was a brave young man who adored books. He attended Hooghly Branch High School after schooling at a local school. He did well in school and even skipped a grade. In 1894, after passing his entrance exam, he joined Tej Narayan Jubilee College. He tutored the kids of his family to pay for his education, but he could not take the F.A. (Financial Accounting) exam since the cost was too high.

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay dropped out of formal studies and started spending time with friends, acting in plays, and playing sports. He also wrote several of his famous works during this time. However, he eventually stopped writing because he felt it was "useless".

After his father died, Sarat Chandra left home and wandered from place to place in the guise of a sannyasin (monk). Little is known about what he did during this time. After his father's shraddha (memorial service), Sarat Chandra went to Calcutta (today's Kolkata) to try his luck.

Life at Calcutta and Burma

During his six months in Calcutta, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay translated Hindi paperback books into English. In January 1903, he moved to Burma. At the Rangoon Burma Public Works Accounts Office, he had a variety of positions.

He resided in a community of mistresses, manual laborers, mechanics, and artisans. He offered them free homeopathic medicine, assisted them with their job applications, resolved disputes, and even provided them with financial assistance. The mistress held him in high regard.

An incident happened due to which the interesting thing was that Sharat Chandra found his life partner or wife. In Rangoon, a Bengali Mistri (mechanic), who lived below Sharat Chandra in the apartment building, arranged the marriage of his daughter to a drunkard. Sarat Chandra had been begged by the daughter, Shanti Chakrabarty, to save her. As a result, Sharat Chandra himself married her and later had a child with her. However, the epidemic in Rangoon claimed the lives of his wife and one-year-old son. Later, Sarat Chandra received a marriage proposal from a friend of Bengali Mistri, named Krishna Das Adhikari, for his widow's teenage daughter. Sharat Chandra agreed after hesitating at first. After renaming her Hironmoyee, he taught his wife to read and write. Unfortunately, there were no kids born to them.

While living in Rangoon, Sarat Chandra studied, painted, and was interested in music. He stopped writing for nearly 18 years before starting again. After being convinced to do so, he agreed to pen a short story for a magazine in 1913.

Movies

The works of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay inspired many Indian language directors in the film industry to make films or dramas. His book Devdas has sixteen translations in different languages, including Bengali and Telugu. Three Hindi films have also been created based on Parineeta. Bardidi (1957), Rajlakshmi O Srikanta (1958), Indranath O Annadadidi (1959), Majhli Didi (1967), Swami (1977), and Chhoti Bahu (1971) are among more adaptations.

Two Bengali movies, one in 1951 and the other in 1976, were produced that were based on Chattopadhyay's novel Datta. His work was adapted into the 1977 movie Pather Dabi by Sabyasachi. Nishkriti and Apne Paraye (1980) were further movies adapted from his books. Pather Dabi was also the inspiration for the 1957 Telugu movie Thodi Kodallu.

The play Pandit Mashay by Chattopadhyay was the basis for Gulzar's 1975 movie Khushboo. His book Datta was a loose inspiration for the 1961 Telugu movie Vagdanam. His short story Aalo O Chhaya served as the basis for the 2011 movie Aalo Chhaya. Another novel called Chandranath served as the inspiration for the 1957 movie Chandranath.

Novels

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was a productive writer who wrote novels, novellas, and stories. He was known for his unique and elegant style, influenced by his travels to villages and foreign countries.

His first novel, Bardidi, was published in 1907. He wrote several other novels, including Parineeta, Devdas, Grihadaha, and Pather Dabi. His stories were also popular, and some of his most famous ones include Aalo O Chhaya, Anuradha, and Swami.

Chattopadhyay also wrote essays, including Narir Mulya and Svadesh O Sahitya. He strongly advocated for women's rights, and his essays were influential in the early 20th century.

Chattopadhyay's work has been translated into many languages, and he is considered one of the most important writers in Indian history. His novels have been adapted into many films, and his stories have been read by people worldwide.

Notable Works & Contributions

Here is a list of some of his most famous works:

Novels

• Parineeta was a famous novel that was launched in the year 1916.
• Devdas was a famous novel that was launched in the year 1917.
• Grihadaha was a famous novel that was launched in the year 1920.
• Pather Dabi was a famous novel that was launched in the year 1926.

Stories

• Aalo O Chhaya was a classical Bengal novel that was very popular at that time.
• Anuradha is a story about a kind and caring woman abandoned by everyone. She is forced to marry an old man for food and shelter but remains strong and compassionate. She takes care of her nephew and an unrelated child. Anuradha is a moving and heartwarming tale of love and sacrifice.

Impact and Legacy

James Drummond Anderson was a British civil servant who was an early admirer of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. He wrote an article in the Times Literary Supplement (1918) praising Sarat Chandra's work.

Anderson said that Sarat Chandra was a master of the "little language" of women and children in Bengal. He also said that Sarat Chandra was a keen observer of life in both cosmopolitan Calcutta and rural villages. Anderson was influenced by Sarat Chandra's popularity in India and hoped that after learning about Sarat Chandra and his talent, other Indian writers would emerge with similar talent.

Anderson also said that it was difficult to translate Sarat Chandra's work into English. He said that Sarat Chandra's stories may never be adequately rendered into English, and he apologized to English readers who may never have read Sarat Chandra's work. Despite so many challenges, Anderson planned to translate Sarat Chandra's work, but he died in 1920 before completing the translations.

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was a very popular writer in India. His books were translated into many languages, and they are still read by people all over the world. Films have also been made on his novels. Since his novels were also made into films, this helped spread his popularity even further. Many people consider him one of the most important writers in Indian history.

His popularity was not limited to Bengal. In Assam and Odisha, many people read his books in the original Bengali, and in other parts of India, his books were translated into many languages.

One critic once said that Sarat Chandra's name is "cherished as dearly as the names of eminent Malayalam novelists". Another critic said that his translated works "created a stir amongst the readers and writers all over Maharashtra".

Jainendra Kumar, who believes that Sharat Chandra's contribution to Indian culture is second only to that of Gandhi, asked a rhetorical question that reflects Sharat Chandra's popularity: "But where is the Indian language in which he was not the most popular when he reached there?"

On 16 January 1938, Sarat Chandra died at the age of 61 in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India, now known as Kolkata, West Bengal, India.