Yama Duare Porlo K(n)aata

A distressed girl comes to the chamber of Basu leaving her twin brother at death's door in a North Bengal hospital. The pace sets right in from the opening chapters that oscillates between the mountains and the plains with suspected embezzlement threatening innocents. But the case becomes complicated with a murder. As Basu starts the investigations at various places, help comes from unexpected quarters. Acknowledging the foreign themes as laid by Gardner, Sanyal adapted this. But this heady novel seems to lack in simplicity which might have given the mystery that extra bit a classic demands. The hurried justifications at the final chapters are some such instances.

'Abhipurbak, Nee-Dhatu Aw'-er K(n)aata

The name itself is complicated enough and the novel more so as it progresses rapidly to its abrupt finale. It all starts with a distressed woman being saved from a conviction as Basu accidentally stumbles upon the court proceedings. After this as the lady gratefully acknowledges Basu's blessings in his chamber, she is assured of a compensation from the complainant by him. Meanwhile, Sukaushali is on the scent of a mystery that seems interspersed with the case. As negotiations start for the damage incurred, several new facts come to fore. As the wise old barrister senses some foul play, his client is once more convicted of a murder with the apparent evidence being found in the possession of her solicitor. It grows even more complicated as the only clinching evidence that could have saved the client is rubbed off even before its production due to a sudden hitherto unforeseen forensic detail. Then it remained upon theory and its corroboration by a different track that could punish the evil and reveal the real truth.
Sanyal is very much loquacious just like Gardner and his signature style of extreme subtlety with metaphoric jargons makes the narrative pacy yet boringly monotonous.

Dwi-Baibahik K(n)ata

If acute loquaciousness is the downside of the story multiple twists at the climax is certainly credit to same. When a case of bigamy turns up corpse in the residence of a renowned businessman resulting in arrest of a salesgirl then it remains upon a cool brain to unravel the knots of the mystery. A fast paced novel with a thrilling courtroom drama leaves all but the prime sleuth in awe. With subtle cheatings during the unraveling, the narrative is supremely enjoyable as well as intensely suspenseful. Interspersing passion with mystery the author presents the anecdote with his signature style and acknowledges an obvious mistake in introductory explanations without which I would have failed to notice it.

Nyayanistha Nyashnashir K(n)aata

What started as a very complex plot turned out to be a fantastic mystery novel. From its very title I was way too much confused with the meaning and the plot. It is true that I did not consult a thesaurus due to my characteristic idle nature and though the meaning was already clear by the back cover note of Sanyal but still the novel was way too complex as clues were few and the apparent motive was never convincing. So as the story progressed the mind was more and more confused. The usual style of digression in the form of incessant dialogues befitting a movie script only increased the monotonicity. But all was converged with a brilliant twist that made the novel a classic. It is really one of the P.K. Basu novel that I will cherish forever because of its novelty. The apparent lack of motive with a hint so subtle could not have been handled in a cleverer way in a mystery thriller. Another very interesting part is the front cover photograph which will seem a printing mistake but its explanation inside will also make the book a collector's item. I purchased it among a collection of old stocks, at a price that will make others jealous, which proved to be one of the most fortunate choices.

Nagchampa

A mystery story enveloped in a social drama introduced P.K. Basu, the lawyer sleuth of Narayan Sanyal. Also introduced in the same novel, were the Tommy & Tuppence of Bengali mystery story – Kaushik and Sujata. Infact, the story revolved more around Sujata than on anybody else with Kaushik playing a significant role in it. P.K. Basu entered the drama at a very later stage, that too in the capacity of an investigating lawyer with a client about whom the author remained curiously silent, though it can be logically concluded who it might be.

The story is about the civil engineer-cum-researcher Mr. Chatterjee, foster father to Sujata. Mr. Chatterjee made a breakthrough inventing a cheaper hollow block with a strength of the traditional blocks for construction. But a curious ailment took his life just on the very night he documented his research. It was the prudence of Sujata who could hide the documents from the clutches of the greedy industrialists and politicians but at a cost of being detained at her home. As she used all her wisdom to prevent the research papers from reaching the wrong hands a curious rush of events made all her calculations go awry. From then onwards the story takes a tremendous pace and the author’s magnificent way of story telling keeps the readers glued with climactic courtroom drama and a sensational revelation in an apparently social gathering.

But there are certain very disappointing aspects of the novel. The first is a very prolonged introduction of the story cluttered with poems that, though initially felt relevant but finally loses its implications. Second is among the several mysteries that remained unanswered, the most important one was the death of Mr. Chatterjee whose cause was not revealed at all. Thirdly was the extensive use of civil engineering terms that once again makes it shelved for its fullest enjoyment for a certain class of people.

K(n)aatae K(n)aatae - VI

The collection contains

·        Dress Rehearsaler K(n)aata

·        Monalisar K(n)aata

·        Ishkabon-Bibir K(n)aata

·        Haripada Keranir K(n)aata

of which the last couple are undoubtedly adapted Christie pieces, which I’ve read and so can’t give any credit to the originality. But the other two are really good though it seemed a bit complicated. But as I am continuously reading the author’s detective creations it is becoming increasingly like a school teacher’s talk rather than a narration. Also the use of quotations and references from famous literary pieces is sometimes too much for an ordinary reader like me. The main thing that is very much disheartening in these pieces is unlike Holmes, Marple, Byomkesh, Poirot, Father Brown or for that matter Feluda stories, the crux of analysis and detection seems diluted by uncalled for humour and incessant use of metaphors. The stillness of the analytical mind, unperturbed by the disquiet ambience is never felt rather forced into believing by the author, so uncharacteristic of mystery novels that I am used to.

K(n)aatae K(n)aatae - V

P.K. Basu’s four exploits are compiled in this volume starting with Bisher K(n)aata, whose naming itself is a pointer to the clue of a murder that takes place in the very heart of Calcutta. Two vengeful ladies, an irritating lover, a doctor with a revolver all seems to have a reason for murder. But who had dealt the fateful blow – it is for the detective to uncover! The next in the series Darpane Pratibimbita K(n)aata was an old one for me and so won’t bore with its summary that I’d earlier depicted. It is followed by Sakal K(n)aata Dhanya Kore, which could have been easily be said to be the best creation of the author in this collection, but for the fact that it is just a straight adaptation of a foreign novel. So, no credit for the author for the plot but for the way of adaptation with the ambience shifted from European backdrop to an Asian one without harming the mood of the story. The story actually gets its name as the Basus become granddad and grandmom when Sujata gives birth to a daughter. The next one Ch(n)aparanger Murshidabadi Sareer K(n)aata also could have been a classic but for its abrupt ending and some over simplified rationale. The father of the murdered victim seemed so less emotional and Basu’s inferences seemed bordering clairvoyance sometimes. This said, it is again very much irritating to find not only Basu but his clients and associates are also so much happy to dress like Europeans. Sanyal’s characters in his Basu novels are all so alike one another that each lacks any kind of individuality. The intelligence level of the important characters, barring Basu who can be considered no less than a living encyclopedia, is almost always the same, all are so adapt in engineering idioms, everybody loves to speak in riddles and metaphors. These may seem appealing at the beginning but the limitation is very much apparent for this style as it automatically restricts variation in the manner of storytelling. Also, a detective story, according to me, must focus mainly on the mystery and detection with only subtle touch to emotions and the rest. But Sanyal’s way of getting carried off at the emotional moments very often squeezes the very essence of suspense and intrigue. Finally a complain to the compilation as, contrary to the belief, I suddenly discovered that the compilations are not at all chronological and reference to previously unread chronicles may act spoilers and also change the otherwise fast paced tempo of the primary story.

K(n)aatae K(n)aatae - II

The second volume in the series contains three stories, one adapted from Gardner’s novel and the other two from that of Agatha Christie. These Indianised versions are nicely woven with the suspense kept alive till the very last chapters but the first two Uler K(n)aata and A-Aa-Kaw Khuner K(n)aata seemed to have ended very hurriedly and not at all like the third one Sarmeya Genduker K(n)aata. The way the first two plots unfold and the way the climaxes are reached are quite at different paces in the first and the second pieces.

Keeping the sleuthing and adventure part aside, which are of course as good as the originals and also the erudition of the narratives, there are certain features that are irritatingly monotonous. The writer, being and Engineering graduate and a quality scholar could not resist the temptation of using analogies that may only be appreciated by a few and this may exclude the most ardent lover of mystery. Without compromising on the mystery that may have been made more and more complex, if required, the writing could have been more easily refined. Secondly is the use of too much flowery language that shifts the interest to literature rather than mystery. Thirdly is some undue use of humour at places that again lightens up the thrill of the adventures. Finally but more importantly is the tendency of creating a British ambience everywhere. Starting from referring the mere elderly individuals as ‘Saheb’ to focusing on breakfast habits, after dinner drinks and finally making an entire story based on a Christian town - the basic idea of presenting an Indianised detective version of the Western counterparts, that the author stressed upon in the earlier volume, seems to vanish completely. The romance which is due to any detective story, here seems to be more artificially generated than that which naturally evolves in this genre. The characters are different as regard profession but the same sense of humour in most actually robs the narrative of reliefs. The characters seem only to differ in their sense of responsibility and intellect. Most of the individuals show the same degree of refined schooling. Also there is an aggressive use of historical accounts whenever a scope presents itself. Sharing of facts no doubt enriches knowledge but irrelevant sharing mars the actual reading. Let’s see what the other volumes have in store!

K(n)aatae K(n)aatae - I

Narayan Sanyal’s books had always been my favourite, keeping aside the detective ones, which sampled at a very low rate, had never been too dear to me. But somehow or other this time I had an inspiration of buying those volumes, maybe the interest was spurred when I came to know that these are adaptations of Gardner’s Perry Mason novels. So in the last Boi Mela, I bought the Vol-I of his detective collections featuring the bar-at-law cum investigator Mr. Prasanna K. Basu. But the book had a disappointment in store for me from the very start. If not all, but in at least once in the past that I remember, I was irritated in observing the summary of a detective story with its final solution given in the introduction. Though here the summary is not given but the mere mention of the name of a famous play on which the first story was based is sufficient to dishearten the most avid mystery lover from furthering through the narrative. Not only this, but it so happens that this had been earlier adapted by another Bengali novelist and had been also picturised that was also seen by me, unfortunately. Thus much of my enthusiasm was worn out from the very start. But it was, in no time, rejuvenated when I actually started going through them one after another and finding that the literary content and erudition, though not of the highest quality, sufficient and unique so as to appeal to my feebly inquisitive soul. The introduction mainly contains the author’s inspiration on which he created the detective character and here he showers his gratitude and respect to one of the masters of Bengali detective fiction, Shri Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. But his explanation of the rationale behind creation of Basu seemed unnecessary as Gardner’s Mason and Sanyal’s creation bears more resemblance than his claim of Holmes and Byomkesh. The book contains

1. Sonar K(n)aata
2. Macher K(n)aata
3. Pather K(n)aata
4. Ghorir K(n)aata
5. Kuler K(n)aata

I thought the 1^st one will be an introduction of the detective but was again disappointed as I found my homework was incorrect. It appears that the detective 1^st appeared in Nag Champa and this was its sequel and again Sanyal disappoints the readers by divulging the gist of the earlier novel. I won’t go into the detail and will advise the readers not to look into the introductions before completing this one as, when the story gradually unfolds, they will surely relate it to one of the greatest detective plots in the history of crime fiction. Though devoid of complete analysis of the minor characters but this story is sure to bring pleasure to the readers’ souls.

In Macher K(n)aata whose title never seemed quite appropriate, the story has two very interesting aspects that deserves mention. One was the uniqueness of the plot where the readers are completely taken off guard and the plot is extraordinarily simple but mind boggling and the other was the formation of Sukaushali, the detective firm formed by the couple, Sujata and Kaushik Mitra, that was formed on Basu’s suggestion for helping in his investigations. Rani Devi, wife of Prasanna K. Basu also comes to fore as the complete investigating organization is defined here.

Pather K(n)aata contains a dual plot, one being a self declared challenge of Basu to solve a mystery rooted deep in the past and the other is a murder mystery that boosts the suspense till the final surprising twist. In this novel, astrology plays a definitely important part.

But among the novels, the most puzzling seems to be the 4^th, whose start I found to bear resemblance with a story I had read some times back. It is actually a murder mystery committed on April Fool’s day with the motive being a prized lottery ticket that seemed to be possessed by one among a group of friends. The plot, complicated by a rush of several events on the same day, was logically solved by considering the most important factor, time, that seemed to be overlooked by everybody but the investigator-cum-lawer. The interesting point was Basu saves his innocent client of the accusation but do not handover the criminal to the police. It is upto the reader to judge whether this was motivated by Basu’s social ethics or his professional ethics was the obstacle.

Again a dual mystery is weaved in Kuler K(n)aata but here drama overshadows suspense throughout. The story starts with a conspiracy of false inheritance to a blind and wealthy person but quickly the false identity seems to riddle both the conspirators and the victims. This follows a death that though seems natural but the wealth seems to evaporate with the death too. Basu is called to solve both the inheritance issue and the intriguing riddle that shows the path to the treasure.

Most of the stories are gripping and the storylines quite extraordinary but the only regret was the author’s adaptation of foreign novels. If it were original ideas the mystery lovers and Bengali society would both have been benefitted more than what they now are. Another complaint is about the publishers and the proof readers as there are a number of errors throughout the book and some of them quite vital for the detective fiction. The publishers may please look into them for future editions.

Darpane Pratibimbito K(n)aanta

A detective novel of Narayan Sanyal down in the line of the famous 'Kanta' series with the detection family of Prasannya Kumar Basu, his wife Rani Devi and their nephew Kaushik & his spouse Sujata solving itriguing cases.
At the introduction, the author has acknowledged Agatha Christie's 'Dead Man's Mirror' and 'Murder in the Mews' and truly the main plot and the later half of the story matches the 1st of the acknowledged stories quite remarkably.
But as is the case for Mr. Sanyal's work he had carried out his researches fine and had presented the plot with a historical background celebrating the brave Maharaja Mohanlal's heroism in the battle of Plassey in which he, along with Mir Madan went against Mir Jafar's direct orders to protect the motherland from the lusty clutches of East India Company.
It is really a tribute to this unsung hero of India's war for freedom as the storyline is quite old and as I mention, the ditto of a Christie classic.
As the ex-barrister, Mr. Basu reaches the mansion of Raibahadur Jagadindranaryan Seth Roy, in answer to his telegram he finds there an ensemble of Seth Roy's associates and family members, who were invited to dinner by the master of the house. But within moments it is discovered that Seth Roy lies dead in his library room with a bullet wound in his temples. As the local police tries to gather evidence of a suicide, Mr. Basu thinks otherwise and ultimately proves it to be a case of homicide amid a tensed situation, that follows the same dramatic ploy as sketched by Christie.
I have to admit that the case is intriguing and even more interesting is the way the murder is proved but since the model is from a Christie story can't give credit to the author for it.
Setting aside the actual theme, if we just concentrate on the historical background, Mr. Sanyal again outshines himself. Also his signature style of dropping down a bit of personal justifications at places make this a collector's item for Narayan Sanyal fans and I will recommend this for its literary value.