Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXVIII

With a collection of short adaptations for the young, non-fictions, humourous accounts, eerie tales and detective short stories, the main attractions are the article and historical anecdote sections. Mining from old ‘Mouchak’ volumes, several collaborators have put forward their sincere efforts in the making of this compilation who are acknowledged by Gita Dutta, the editor at the very beginning. Most of the articles contains references to the original publications of the pieces. The collection is categorized as

·        Galpo

§  Ati-Chalaker Kahini

§  Rip Van Winkle

§  Chobir Guptadhan

§  A(n)dhar Raater Atihi

§  Batabi Lebur Kirti

§  Jujur Bhoe

§  Parvat-Dahan

§  Surya Devatar Purohit

§  Bagher Chokh

§  Buno Galpo

§  Jayatu Jayanta

§  Bahadurer NIrbasan

§  The Outcasts of Poker-Flat

§  Kistimat

§  Dulur Bulu

§  Raktapanja

§  Kaler Kabale

§  Agantuk

§  Romanchika

§  Bajle B(n)ashi Kache Ashi

§  Bank Dakati

§  Agantuk

§  Jagrata Hritpinda

§  Jesa Deoge Tesa Paoge

§  Chelebelar Ekdin

·        Prabandha

§  Amar ‘Mouchak’

§  Natun Banglar Natun Kobi

§  Jagannathdever Guptakatha

§  Hollywoode Takar Pahar

§  Kalo Ghushir Bahaduri

·        Aitihasik Upakhyan

§  Rakta Patharer S(n)ataru

§  Mriganayan Mahishmardini

Another very interesting aspect that can be seen is that Hemendra had narrated tragedies in such a way that children can accept it without compromising on the seriousness of the events. He conveys his intense abhorrence to historical wrongs but these seem incomplete as basically being anecdotes for the young readers, the author has kept the references at a bare minimum.

Operation Red Herring

An unique Colonel Niladri Sarkar mystery told from the perspectives of three different persons, the sleuth, Jayanta and the client.

A case of disappearance, dormant for years, seems suddenly to come to prominence with a flood of threats and a sudden murder of an acquaintance. Was the disappearance a case of kidnapping or was it murder? With that there also appears a Godman with a skeleton that smokes which not only causes a hue and cry but also attracts challenges from the scientific minded. As Colonel is approached to look into the former, Haldermoshai is drawn to the latter. Some very obvious clues make the sleuth skeptic and the title perfect. As it nears the climax, the suspense heightens modulating the mood to keep the excitement at the right scale.

Hemendra Kumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXVII

The volume contains an assortment of sorts. It begins with Hatya Ebong Tarpor, containing a Jayanta Manik case of detection, and that too a good one, in the title content and then an equally well contrasted humourous one in Private Detective which, believe me is far less serious but equally enjoyable from what the title suggests. Then is an adventure story in Ek Diner Adventure with a touch of humour in this too. Then comes the short stories categorized under Galpo beginning with an horror episode in Shaitan, continuing the horror in Gangar Bibhishika, a Bimal Kumar adventure in Guhabaasi Bibhishan, which I personally felt a bit incomplete, an enjoyable read in Nakal Shikarir Shankat and finally a ghost story, which again felt short of expectation in Badshar Samadhi. Comparing these the best comes now beginning with the dual historical stories in Tin Samrater Trahyasparsha-Yog and Mahabharater Maharath, both depicting the downfall of two most important empires of medieval India viz. that of the Mughals and of Prithviraj the great. For the more inquisitive readers it may help to know that to enjoy the first one to the fullest please go through volume XII of Hemendra Kumar Roy Rachanabali though without it the document is complete in itself. Finally is a pleasing deviation from the author, something not for the children, mixing romance with adventure in Panchasharer Keerti, which is completely regionalized without any trace of its original source. This could have been immensely enjoyable but for a single fact that needs elaboration. It seemed the author, mostly conversant in writing gripping adventure stories for the young minds, was hesitant to make up his mind while writing for the older generation. So though the adventure was enthralling the underlying concept seemed a bit loosely composed.

Ghari Rahasya

Syed Mustafa Siraj's detective story, once read in Anandamela and now preserved in digital form, brought some more nostalgic memories and along with it a thrill for the suspense that seemed promising at first. But it was too quick in the finale and doesn't do justice for a bit old readers. Infact the ridiculous coincidence seemed too much in the story but seemed to be kept just for the sake of justification which I think may have been very well crafted in a different manner. All the same the story will be an addition to my prize collection just for bringing with it the fortnightly that I was once fan of.

Hemendrakumar Rachanabali Vol - XV

The Hemendrakumar Rachanabali starts with a collection of horror stories, the first being Mohanpurer Sashan. Besides the title story in contains several others which will give you the creeps as you go through them. But in Jeebanta Mreetadeha the details are more about one of the great floods at Contai where the plight of a family and their visitors are described. The collection ends with Abhishapta Murti that relates how a cursed statue found half-buried in Konark terrorizes a family. As the horror series ends begins the adventure Jakshapatir Ratnapuri as observed from the perspective of Bimal, in which a chance incident at Calcutta directs Bimal and Kumar on an exciting trail of ancient treasure whose clue is planted in a curious little riddle. Next comes the best Digvijayee Napoleon, that is nothing short of a magnificent ode written in prose for one of the greatest emperors of all times. Not only was the emperor in Napoleon has been detailed but his astute war tactics, his intellect, his erudite soul and his passionate patriotism blended with his misfortunes and fortunes – all have been narrated with a passionate zeal in this prose. The next again brought back cherished memory of my childhood as Firoza-Mukut Rahasya was a whodunit that I had earlier read in a book of collection of mystery stories. The best part of the story was that the evidence against the supposed criminal was so strong it was left upon Jayanta’s sharp intellect to look beneath the strata of the apparently straightforward events and unearth the real culprit and the stolen fragment of the seemingly priceless Firoza crown. The detective’s adventure continues in the collection Jayantar Adventure that contains a handful of short stories with Jayanta-Manik and Sundarbabu in action solving curious crimes as narrated by Manik. It starts with the murder mystery in Bansai Rahasya that the sleuth solves humoring the police force. In Kamrar Mamla, the intriguing plot is shrewdly solved by Jayanta but the escape of the murderer after the crime was not very convincing. The next Double Mamlar Hamla was a plot where an apparent suicide turned into a cruel murder mystery. It is followed by the short but stylish Aprilasya Pratham Dibase whose title itself provides the clue to the entire story. The making of a sleuth is Jayanta at his younger days is depicted in the next, Revolver whose title and the opening few lines are sufficient to provide the main plot of the tale.

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol – III

The book starts with an adventure Tsarinar Kanthahar and though at the start it seems only Bimal-Kumar are involved but as the trail of the villain becomes more and more complex Jayanta-Manik also appears in the picture. The best thing about Hemen Roy is that he could devise plots and that too adventurous ones in the heart of Calcutta and there lies his ingenuity in the realms if imagination as while normal authors will think adventure in the deceptive crevices, in the dark seabeds and elsewhere, Hemen Roy on the other hand explores the intricacies of the city's by lanes and creates adventure there only. True, the quality of the adventure may not seem too appealing in today's perspective but then it must be remembered that at his time, much of Calcutta had not been turned to 'caves of steel', if I may indulge using the word from Asimov's novel of the same name. Also the villain in this novel plots novel traps and how the quad with Sundarbabu tackles these are sure to keep you interested in the story. An annexe story Ek-Ratrer Bibhishika is a classic short story of its genre and is gripping in its span of only a few pages. I don't know why this is not indexed and also quite confused as to its inclusion as an extension of the the previous novel.

The next feature Sahityik Saratchandra, is as the name implies, about a brief biography of the literary genius of Saratchandra Chattopadhyay. Here, the author starts with a brief history of the Bankim and Rabindra era of Bengali literature and then goes straight to the childhood days of Sarat right from his birth on 1876 and dwells on his early introduction to literature. His love for adventure and dissatisfaction in the disciplined school life both fuelled his passion for literature and several characters with whom he grew up, his sisters, his friend 'Raju', all had found places in his creations, infact these were his tributes to the personalities and places that he were fond of and his literary genius moulded these as central characters in novels like 'Baradidi', 'Srikanta', 'Pather Dabi'. Hemen Roy writes in his own fascinating way the misery that once shadowed the literary life of Saratchandra during his stay at Rangoon and his re-entry in the pages of the magazine Jamuna and following up with his emergence in the more popular Bharatbarsha. The author's research is extensive and his style of writing so enjoyable that it never feels boring while reading this biography. That Saratchandra was a shy speaker but an excellent singer, a revered individual but someone who could mingle easily with the common men - these facts are illustratively described in the article. Finally Hemen Roy went on to a brief discussion on the dramatization of Saratchandra's plays which though encouraged him to attempt at playwriting but those never saw a bolder realization, so unlike of his penmanship as novelist. The discussion also included picturization of several of his novels and how these were successful in the theatres. The person Saratchandra has also been fondly remembered as the author writes of his personal traits, his addictions and his love of beings, both human and animal. Saratchandra's nature was also no less appealing than his novels. This was more apparent when, following his rise to fame and wealth, he still continued his normal lifestyle and invited people, both common and extra-ordinary, in the same way. The great Saratchandra was 9indeed great for these traits. As an addendum, Hemen Roy has included another chapter where he has started with a personal anecdotes centering his first meeting with Saratchandra. Then onwards he has included some refreshing humorous moments shared in the presence of Saratchandra, Saratpandit, Rabindranath and several others. The refreshing way that the article ends again proves the correctness of Premendra Mitra's comments in the introduction of the volume that Hemendrakumar was unique in his writing and this identified him in the crowd of host of other writers of the time.

The story that follows up is Jayanta-Manik's treasure hunt with Sundarbabu in Sonar Anaras where they starts off to solve a riddle directing to some treasure trove secured by centuries of secrecy. Though it is supposed to be a mystery story but adventure predominates and only a touch of the bizarre is added to thrill of the hunt. The villain is identified at the beginning but the treasure is uncovered at the end. Also the rest of the people excepting Jayanta-Manik, Bhushopagla and the evil genius had been portrayed so dumb that the story loses the touch of reality throughout. Thus what remains to be enjoyed is the adventure and the trail of the treasure only!

The next chapters categorized as Bhuter Raja is reserved for short ghost stories and some of them are sure to give creeps. Here the author had followed a new style in quite a few stories. Generally short horror stories have a single climax at the final pages. But in some of the stories when it seems that the climax has passed, turning over the pages it is found that the story is far from its completion and a second climax awaits that intensifies the suspense in a markedly unique way.

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol – VII

Again another treasure trove of excitement as Hemendra Kumar Roy presents two of his thrilling novels, an adaptation and some of his finest chronicles of history.

The volume contains:

1. Abar Jokher Dhon

2. Nrimunda Shikari

3. King Kong

4. Aalo Die Gelo J(n)ara

In ‘Abar Jokher Dhon’ Bimal-Kumar are on a treasure hunt and again their exploits take them to combat the forces of nature and the evils of mankind in the jungles of Africa. ‘Nrimunda Shikari’ starts with Jayanta-Manik’s hunt for the murderer who severs and takes the head of the victim from the streets of Calcutta. Here we again come across the comic character of SundarBabu and his equally comic associates but the main surprise of the story is in the final chapters when the detective duo gets help from the adventurous pair of Bimal-Kumar.

‘King Kong’ is the adaptation of the classic tale of the legendary ape and here the climax is at Calcutta. Nowhere throughout the story has it appeared to be an adaptation and the masterly style of the writing again takes the breath away at times.

But the best are the chapters of ‘Aalo Die Gelo J(n)ara’ where the author has narrated and glorified India’s past by quoting the exploits of history’s unsung heroes and heroines. On occasions he had touched upon world history too. He has recounted tales from the days of Alexander’s invasion of India, the tragic history of Hasan-Husein, chronicles of the courageous Rajputs against the wrath of Allauddin Khilji and many more.

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol – II

From the days that I had started savouring Bengali fictions till a few days back, I had read only a few of the stories of Hemendra Kumar Roy. Somehow his writings had always passed unnoticed by me. So when I found a catalogue of the Asia Publishing House and discovered that they treasure the whole collection of Hemendra Kumar’s proses for the young, I was quite excited. I found that the catalogue also advertised the index to each book and a glance at them brought back cherished memories of school days when the mere mention of ‘Jokher Dhon’ and the names of the adventurous duo Bimal-Kumar accompanied a thrill down the spine. Added to these were the exploits of the detective pair Jayata-Manik and their fights against crimes. So at the first chance that presented itself in the way of the Book Bazar at Rabindra Sadan, I purchased two volumes of the series.

The index to the 2^nd Vol runs as:

1. Amabasyar Raat

2. Manush Pishach

3. Ekhon J(n)ader Dekhchi

4. Shani-Mangaler Rahasya

5. Chora O Kobita (yet 2 b read)

6. Adrishya Manush

7. Chithi

The fictions (1, 2, 4) feature Bimal-Kumar & Jayanta-Manik and in this volume their ventures carries them to fight against the evil forces of nature that includes supernatural forces too. Normally meant for the primary school goers, but these narrations bring nostalgic feelings of the childhood past when the mind doesn’t understand logic and can smoothly drift to the lands of the unknown. The skilled way with which the author relates the events adds to the pleasure of an enjoyable reading.
There is also the Bengali adaptation (6) of H.G. Wells' "The Invisible Man" with a Bengali semi-urban setting as the backdrop of the events. The original characters have been cleverly camouflaged to suite the settings for a Bengali fiction. So nowehere it has been felt as a mere translation work rather it has unfolded the classic story for the Bengali speaking mass. This seems to be the author's tribute to the original writer.
But the writer's passion emanates in the tributes (3) to some unsung and some renowned personalities of Bengal and India. The first few chapters are dedicated to famed wrestlers of the time Gama, Chotogama, Hasanbaksh and finally Jatindra Guha who was more popular as Goborbabu. He goes through Goborbabu's journey to fame not only in the country but in foreign soils as well and the romance of his character blossoms beautifully in the pen of Hemendranath. He is passionate while describing Gobarbabu's rise to fame and is equally exasperating while narrating the dirty foul against him in the USA. I was even surprised to know that this great wrester was also an appreciator of music. Hemendrakumar also writes on the prominence of Jamini Ray and his paintings and while speaking of music, he offers his praise to the blind songster Krishnachandra Dey's lyrical musicals who lent his voice in Shishirkumar Bhaduri's plays after much persuasion and immediately earned praise there. The author also praises the works of poet Kalidas Ray and singer Dileepkumar Ray.
In ‘Chithi’ the author has paid tribute to Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore and his works including his work for the children and also laments at his loss. The author had always acknowledged the great poet as his Guru in the literary world and says how Rabindranath had been the best portrayer of the Mother Nature. He also admires the poet’s work for the children and marvels at the volumes he had written for the children. He goes even further in saying that no author before Rabindranath had given more time or had shown more interest in composing delightful literature for the young minds.