Nayan Rahasya

After Hatyapuri, the fresh chemistry of Indranil Sengupta, Abhijit Guha and Ayush Das return to solve mysteries as Feluda, Jatayu and Topshe respectively on a new adventure that spans across a part of the country. This time the plot centres a little boy, Nayan, who apparently can see decimal digits in front of his eyes that helps him to correctly answer any numeric question posed to him by anybody.

Identifying the paranormal trait in his son, his needy father takes him to a budding magician, Sunil Tarafdar, who immediately assures to include Nayan in his stage shows against a monthly allowance to the father and providing upkeep for the boy. With his position becoming regular in the magic shows, Nayan instantly attracts attention of many with varied interests. There are some who would like him to assure their gambling wins while others would want to showcase his abilities worldwide. Again there were others who would want Nayan to reveal their forgotten passkeys while there would be obsessive collectors lurking, ready to stoop low enough to snatch Nayan away from his free life and place him among their prized collections. Everything happens as Tarafdar gears up for his South India tour, backed by his mysterious sponsor, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Soon a kidnapping attempt on the boy right from the residence of Tarafdar follows. The worried wizard seeks the help of Feluda and Co who offers to help by accompanying the boy and the magic party through their upcoming tour. But the task of protecting the boy becomes difficult as, thanks to Tarafdar, media is briefed of the tour well in advance who publicizes the event much before the tour begins. Also, Feluda is forced to take another case of a businessman, allegedly fearing for his life. Thus the stage is set for a showdown as threats pile up while protecting both his clients.

The original novel had never been my favourite as fantasy prevailed over mystery but it seemed on afterthought, that the novel had the ingredients for a commercial movie with magic, action, paranormal, theft, murder and the climactic twist. Curiously however, all these being shown, but the actual essence of suspense and tension is missed somehow. The entire presentation thus becomes bland and only fit for the less matured. The background score was insufficient and the direction was not up to the mark. Infact, pondering over whatever the film offered, the editing will also be held responsible for the less crisp finale. Thus, Sandip Ray gives us something that the entire family may watch together but the refreshing Ray touch is disregarded entirely.

As to the acting, two persons stand out among the flock. They are Abhinav Barua as Nayan putting up a splendid show, perfect and naive, just what the character required and Supriyo Dutta as the crazy collector, T N T. Indeed, Dutta steals the limelight in most of the scenes he features and breathes the much needed energy and relief in the otherwise impassive settings with his animatedly menacing gestures and spontaneous playacting. Frankly speaking, I have liked Indranil Sengupta with his natural smartness and humility as Feluda and if he could manage to improve his dialect, he will indeed be a better Feluda, given his characteristic inclination of not copying the style of any of his predecessors. Ayush Das complements well as Topshe and devoid of any street smartness, might shine as a better successor if he matures in the line that the character demands, the subtle apprentice and the primary admirer of the sleuth. Abhijeet Guha is another person who understands Jatayu better than many and thus we get a happily comical Jatayu, in a more responsible role this time, instead of a jester that many had previously and of course, mistakenly, characterized.

In summary, similar to what Feluda advised to Tarafdar about the missing splendour and grandeur that his neat magic show demanded, we can reiterate only similarly the need of a bit of intellectual sparkle in future Feluda movies to augment the appeal of the uncomplainingly compact version of the silver screen release.

Jabar Baro

This particular collection of Ray's dozen stories seems a bit disappointing as though it contains one of the most varied collections ranging from some of his short stories, punched with some of Tarineekhuro's narratives, culminating in the traditional style with a Feluda story and also containing, for the first time, a play and a couple of vernacular translations of Ray's english stories, but it lacks the regular Ray charm. Though Tarineekhuro returns in style with Mahim Sanyaler Ghatana, Ganatkat Tarineekhuro and Galpabolie Tarineekhuro, the twists progressing more unpredictably and enjoyably more than before but curiously Sakuntalar Kantahar lacks the characteristic Feluda wit and the Ray humour. The translations, courtesy Sreemati Bijaya Ray, titled Puraskar and Barnandha, matching in their theme and another very interesting aspect that the characters are nameless, but they are contrastingly enjoyable and gloomy respectively. Haaui is a refreshing play and as far as I can place it, this is an adaptation of one of the author's own short stories. Shilpi and Pratikriti are again thematically similar but while the first has a delightful twist the later is abrupt and disappointing. Abhiram begins with a promise of suspense augmented by its illustrations but the climax is almost totally predictable. But the best of the collection is Mrigankababur Ghatana which borders sci-fi and will be remembered by the readers for its classic blend of psychology, suspense and the signature twist which again reminds us of the master story teller. Brajaburo reflects another socio-psychological aspect which is enjoyable as a story and reveals the stark truth of loneliness.

So though it is a collector's item for completing the Ray works but some of the narratives are far from the average as far as the author is concerned. So readers may shop for it but might as well keep their expectations a few octaves low. The illustrations are though not all by the author but the others has done justice to the stories. These are at par will the original style of the author.

Ba! 12

Have you ever wondered how to tackle an hour long monotonous bus journey during a rainy season? If you have, then take hold of a Ray book and all the boredom in the world would vanish. Infact be it a boring time or a soothing holiday afternoon a Ray in hand is always a treasure to cherish. It freshens the mood while stirring the intellect.

Published posthumously the collection contains some of the memorable classics penned by Ray including a Feluda thriller but remians unique in the sense that this is the only collection of dozen stories that contain Tarineekhuro’s adventures and that too four brand new ones.

• Natun Bandhu
• Shishu Sahityik
• Nitaibabur Mainah
• Rantur Dadu
• Dui Bandhu
• Akshaybabur Shiksha
• Prasanna Sir
• Juti
• Maharaja Tarineekhuro
• Tarineekhuro o Oindrojalik
• Norris Saheber Bunglow
• Dr. Munsheer Diary

Though some of the stories contain plots akin to his earlier works still they are enjoyable just for sheer creativity. A few printing mistake and a slight but obvious error, which in all my previous readings remained undetected, seemed to be the only disappointments in store. The added appeal is Ray’s sketches and the Ray Jr’s cover design. Gifted by my father within months of its publication this easily finds its place among one of my all time favourites.

Robertsoner Ruby

This is supposed to be the final Feluda story that takes the trio to a tour that originates as a holiday but turns to an adventure protecting a ruby of historic importance and immense value. Though it was published posthumously in the book form, the appeal of Feluda lingered in the first few chapters. But disappointment will be in store near the climax which has been diluted by not so logical conclusions and an incompleteness not meant for a novel. The story follows the descendant of a British soldier in whose possession was a ruby looted during the suppression of the Sepoy Mutiny and who wanted his predecessors to return it to its place of origin. So Patrick Robertson brings the ruby back home with his friend Tom who seemed to have some ulterior motives of his own. Along came many traders willing to buy the gem at a high price and strangers eager to help the tourists. As tension grips in Tom is injured in a covert attack and the ruby is stolen. But the climax is not during recovery of the ruby but in the way Feluda solves the identity of the criminal which again seems not so rational.

Nayan Rahasya

Feluda had been introduced to fantasy from Sonar Kella but Nayan Rahasya is not at all the same classic. True it contains the sharp intelligence of Feluda but fantasy and unrealism dominates more than anything here. Another point that fades its appeal is that evidently the three musketeers have aged, not in years, but in their maturity. So the conversations and justifications seem to get the better of the novel rather than the novel itself. The story can be considered a rather ordinary one but for two instances - the first being the adventure in the caves of Mahabalipuram and the second being the way he solves a murder. Theft within theft had also been a feature of the story but quite unlike Ray novels, the fate of at least one of the characters has remained incomplete. So in all this may be an item to complete a collection but it may not be a favourite past time for several readers.

Eker Pithe Dui

My favourite of Ray's assortment of a dozen short stories with horror, ghost, sci-fi, adventure and a mystery blended in the hardback. the content runs as

• Anukul
• Telephone
• Aami Bhut
• Kaagtarua
• Lakhpati
• Ganesh Mutsuddir Portrait
• Nitai O Mahapurush
• Kutum-Katam
• Nidhiraamer Icchapuran
• Raamdhaner B(n)ashi
• Master Angshuman
• Bosepukure Khunkharapi

The best part of the collection is the usual thrill of the twist at the climax is heightened by extreme fiction that has been masterfully masked till the finale. The stories include a humanoid robot with senses more like humans, a call from the land of the mist, narrative by a ghost that has been followed by a curious dream, the transformation of a proud soul, extraordinary skill of an artist, a horror adventure, a funny metamorphosis, a terrified ghost, a short adventure in Master Angshuman, my favourite in my younger age and the pick of the lot and finally the mystery surrounding the murder and the family of an opera artist. The stories are so designed as to keep its impression lasting for years if not decades.

Double Feluda

Some stories lose their appeal too soon, some doesn't at all but there are some that has an increasing appeal as we grow old. Ray's works are like that as the young readers in us miss certain details while reading it the first time and enjoys the adventure of Feluda stories while when it is read at a later date, since the mystery is already know the focus is on the other aspects of the story. The various characters that are introduced, how their true nature evolve in the eyes of the investigator, how coincidences become necessary for the writer to concise the converging events - all these are better appreciated. Double Feluda with its pack containing Apsara Theatreer Mamla and Bhuswarga Bhayankar was such a revelation to me especially the later one where the beauty of Kashmir has been revealed and the mysterious backdrop is created with the utmost care. While in the first one, the mystery involves threats, disappearances and murders of stage actors of Apsara group at Calcutta the second one centres at the picturesque Kashmir with murder happening at quite a later stage and the introduction part increases the appeal and the complexity by quite a great deal. The first case is one where Feluda's observation power seems to be established once and for all as he solves the crime just by sitting at his home, the sleuthing being mostly done by Tophse and Jatayu. But the other case sees the researcher in him as a he travels in Kashmir is search of information so needed to find the criminals.
Ray's penmanship once again portrays the characters with such precision that the situations evolve succinctly before the eyes. Only one point where my personal dissatisfaction lies was in the person in Feluda who sees murder to be a graver crime no doubt, but when it is done as a rightful vengeance then also he doesn't show mercy. So much different from Byomkesh maybe Ray did this as his target seems to be children and he took the utmost care to prevent any shred of doubt to creep into the young hearts as to the wrongfulness of murder. An enjoyable read no doubt, the latter part can easily pass as a travelogue as well.

Darjeeling Jomjomat

Feluda returns to the place from where he started on his first investigation but this time accompanied by Jatayu and on the invitation of the famed Bollywood director Pulak Ghoshal on his venture of picturisation of one of Jatayu's adventure novels. But as it always happens that adventure seems to chase the trio even on a supposed pleasant vacation to the hill station. This time it was homicide of the aged Birupakhya Majumdar on whose grounds several of the film shots were being taken. The motive seems to be many that includes the theft of a priceless idol of BalGopal, an unsolved crime of the past and a hushed up incident that Mr. Majumdar wants to keep to himself in a veil of secrecy. One of the servants, Lokenath also goes missing after the murder and the police suspects him to be the culprit. But soon Jatayu and Topshe stumble upon the servant's deadbody that again gives a complex turn to the mystery and the event also coincides with an attempt on Feluda's life. As the film company laments on the catastrophe that withholds their shooting and also limits their movements, Feluda, Topshe and Jatayu sets on the mission to solve the crimes amidst the picturesque backdrop of Darjeeling that has been so fascinatingly painted in words and sketches by Satyajit Ray. The final chapters are as expected, full of thrill and drama but certain points (that I now seem to observe, going through it after several long years) defies logic and puts question marks on the detection system. First of all though their was a hint of poisoning during the murder that never seemed to be clarified by the police and Feluda too doesn't seem to suggest forensics to clear the doubt. Also the second deadbody was found by sheer coincidence that is too much for an avid mystery reader. Thirdly the identity of a mysterious trespasser remains unsolved. Thus though the writing is freshening and the novel a classic one but as a mystery story this doesn't satisfy all.

Gorosthane Sabdhan!

Feluda returns this year with a hint of nostalgia as the mystery he is about to solve is in the city of joy. Alas, the year is advanced to 2010 and with hi tech gadgets like the mobile and the www, Feluda’s research work seems easier enough. Also at times the Feluda like observations apparently lacks in edge but truly speaking, this seems to be Sandip Ray’s best venture with the trio as the calm and composed Sabysachi apparently strikes the best impression in this adventure. He is accompanied by the new Topshe in Saheb Bhatacharya whose age and looks are by far the best and most noticeably offers the more apt chemistry with Bivu Bhattacharya’s characterization of Lalmohanbabu. But having said these, it must also be mentioned that Bhattacharya is gradually becoming unbearable since appearing as Lalmohanbabu for the fourth time in a row he should have improved more.

This adventure, in search of Perigal Repeater - don’t ask me what it is, as it’s part of the mystery – takes Feluda to the Gorosthan (the Park Street cemetery). Or shall we say that his hunts in the Gorosthan led him to the deep rooted mystery. Yes, the mystery was surely deep rooted as it dates back to eighteenth century when a British named Thomas Godwin settled in Calcutta. With him came the precious Perigal Repeater. Now it seems, evil collectors were after it and it’s up to Feluda to save the day. But most mysteriously it was not the primary motivation. Feluda, on his own, had started investigating the cause of a reported accident in Gorosthan when his instincts drove him to further his searches.

The viewers are next led through a maze of complex characters and a thrilling ride through the Victorian remains of the city. Starting from séances and old chests the mystery spreads its knotty hues among academicians, gamblers, antique collectors and of course the private investigator Pradosh C. Mitter.

Sashanka Palit’s cinematography is excellent as are the shot compositions but if Sandip Ray’s style of story telling may be changed a bit to keep the mystery shrouded till the very end, the excitement could have been much more intense. Produced by Mou Roychoudhury, the team could have been more selective of the casting. While some, specially Tinu Anand blended into his role perfectly but contrastingly that of Subhashish Mukherjee failed to draw appreciation. Dhritiman Chatterjee was good during the start but at the final scenes his overacting was too much for the character. Dwijen Bandyopadhyay in his short appearance provided a wonderful relief that was so absent in Bivu’s entire performance. Infact, after viewing this, my opinion is the next Lalmohanbabu might be selected from Haradhan Bannerjee and Dwijen Bandyopadhyay. But surely one of the best performances come from Sabyasachi who seemed more relaxed in this role and though whispers about him gaining weight seemed going against his Feluda image but his acting reflected the sharp intellect much more than any other previous ventures.

Ebaro Baro

This had been not so favourite of my Ray collections and though I had forgotten much of the storylines but my subconscious self revolted quite surprisingly whenever it came near my hand.
The content runs as

1. Sadhanbabur Sandeha
2. Manpatra
3. Spotlight
4. Dhappa
5. Mackenzie Fruit
6. Anka Sir, Golapibabu Aar Tipu
7. Apadartha
8. First Class Kamra
9. Gagan Chowdhuryr Studio
10. Bahuroopi
11. Ambar Sen Antardhan Rahasya
12. Jehangirer Swarnamudra

The first story is the best portraying the always doubting Sadhanbabu whose behaviour caused many woes on his part. Next is an emotional piece on a long forgotten artist followed by a humorous piece of a mischivous elder. The fourth one has got the classic Ray touch and will be remembered for times by the readers but again the fifth seemed to lose pupose near its completion. The sixth one mixes fantasy with real world all too well and the seventh, though nothing remarkable, still can be considered a good read. The eighth and ninth are again revival of Rays' magic that is both spine chilling and immensely entertaining. Again the mood is held in the same level by the tenth piece though, barring its finish, it seemed a bit lengthy. Feluda, with Topshe and Jatayu enters in the eleventh though it is a bit dissapointing when the mystery is resolved. But the twelfth in the line is the best of the two Feluda stories and mixes the mystery, Jatayu's comic, Topshe aka the reader's confusion all too well.

Tintorettor Jishu

The style that Satyajit started in Hatyapuri is repeated here with the preamble shoving the readers to a new perspective than from which Feluda views the case. Infact Feluda stumbled across the case on his way to an astrologer accompanying Jatayu for his latest book release. On the way they met Nabakumar Neogi with his car broken down midway on his way to Baimunthapur. As Jatayu asked Haripadababu to help, the travellers began to get acquainted with each other. It was then that Feluda queried Nabakumar about a famous painting in possession of the Neogi family. Though the painting had been referred to in one of the recent articles in a magazine but the full identity of the painting was never revealed there. So it was Feluda's interest and a curious murder of the pet dog Thumri at Neogi residence that attracted him to the painting that was actually a masterpiece of a famous Italian Renaissance painter Tintorretto. There he found, among the others, one Rudrasekhar, claiming to be son of Chandrasekhar Neogi, the real owner of the painting and another person, Robin Choudhury who was interested in writing Chandrasekhar's biography. Feluda also met Soumyasekhar, Nabakumar's father and learnt about his other son Nandakumar who was out of family ties for a pretty long time. He further learnt that another person in the name of Hiralal Somani, a corrupt art dealer, was also interested in selling the painting to a foreign collector Krikorian. As Feluda started on the trail of the rightful owner of the painting a series of events takes place. It starts with a murder in the Neogi house, then Rudrasekhar goes missing and finally Feluda discovers that the valuable painting is replaced by a fake one. This forced his principled soul to rescue the painting and thus started an adventure that took them to Hong Kong, fulfilling Jatayu's age old hope of touring a foreign country and utilizing the passport that had been left useless ling enough. To know what happened and who was the criminal mastermind behind the murder and the theft you have to surely go throuth the narrative that promises an enjoyable read throughout.

Feluda One Feluda Two

Another of the double adventure packed Feluda stories with quite contrasting backdrops.
When the priceless Napoleoner Chithi gets stolen right under the nose of Feluda along with a murder at Barasat it is just obvious that he gets involved in the case. But he had not visited the aged collector's house for looking into his private museam but on the request of one of his little fans who had pleaded him to seek the wherabouts of his pet chandana. Feluda, found this irregular, and after the murder occurred, he was more than determined to go the depth of the problem. His suspect list seemed to grow like anything including another collector who also wanted desperately to have the letter in his possession, the revengeful secretary who seemed to vanish after the theft, two sons who didn't have a strong alibi. Finally, Feluda did solve the case but the adventures prior to it is as gripping as ever with Ray's masterful description of events that keep the readers glued to the pages. The next story Ebar Kando Kedarnathe takes place, as the name already tells, at Kedarnath and here too Feluda is somewhat coincidentally present at the place where a theft and something more heinous seemed to happen. The eternal lust for money and valuables seemed to drive the villains to raid the unsuspecting monk on whose possession was a prize, priceless to him, but a source of extreme wealth to many. Curiously, the villain is a kind of reflection of the earlier story and though it happens chronologically at a later period of the adventures of Feluda, later than Tintorettor Jishu, but seems the choice of including this along with the other one on the same pack was somewhat dependent on this point.
Apart from the mystery, another important part of the story is it covers Jatayu's ancestry. The description of the Himalayas, among other things, are another attraction where Ray's succint description is again revealed that never misses a single detail without being monotonous at the least.

Jato Kando Kathmandute

Curious as how Ray links his stories with the previous originating at Nepal and this one is right at Kathmandu! "Jato Kando Kathmandute" is the trio's first adventure in foreign soils. Feluda is requested by a Mr. Batra, a Nepal based businessman to offer him advice for dealing against a person who seemed to fake his identity at all sorts of places. Infact Feluda, with Topshe and Jatayu, saw the other person from close quarters, moments after meeting Mr. Batra for the first time.
Though Feluda advised Mr. Batra to consult with the police for better results but he could not keep mum following a murder of Mr. Anikendra Shome, hailing from Kathmandu, with the same Kookri that was bought by the fake Batra. Thus Feluda had dual problems to solve, one the murder of Mr. Shome and the other to save Mr. Batra from false accusations. So Jatayu's ambition of foreign trip seemed to mature as the three musketeers set off in unravelling the mysteries at Kathmandu. There coincidences seem to flood them as on the first day they met persons related to Mr. Shome and Feluda sensed foul play with illegal trade of fake medicines that seemed to result in Mr. Shome's death. Also the chain of murder seemed to start even before with the curious death of Himadri, friend to Anikendrababu, who had earlier unmasked some smuggling racket. As Feluda starts to bring the loose ends in one place another startling discovery presents itself intensifying the suspense even further. This was with their meeting with Maganlal Meghraj, Prof. Moriarty of Feluda series, who materialized himself at that fateful place introducing the fake Batra as Jagadish who appeared to be his right hand man.
Thus the stage was all set for an exciting climax and this story is again adventure packed but for one thing - too much coincidences that seem to mar real detection at places. Another dissapointment, rather spoiler is, in the context of Maganlal's entry, several of villains in previous Feluda stories have been named. But inspite of all these, this continues to be one of the most exciting Feluda stories with twists even at the final few pages.

Hatyapuri

"Hatyapuri", that translated in Bengali means the murderous mansion has also another meaning from the context of the story where murder occurs near the Puri beach, another Bengali favourite. As Feluda and his company starts their holiday at the seaside, murder seems to trail them from the very start. Along with comes theft, an astrologist who can read future in the strangest of ways, a photographer who proclaims to be a victim of attempted murder, a collector of scriptures, a jovial secretary who seems to know a secret. So it is just only natural that the reader will find more than the fair share of drama that detective stories promise. Along with this is a gripping prologue, a new style that Ray introduced in his stories, that reflects his masterful command of the pen and maybe this innovation was a spin-off of his movie making ideas.
As I turned over the pages of this so early read novel, the appeal seems to have increased only further. When a body of a murder victim is discovered on the beaches, a photographer tells about a mysterious mishap and the secretary of the aged collector vanishes with some valuable scriptures, the adventure had already begun that promises an exciting showdown on the sands.

Aaro Baro

This classic collection contains another dozen of Satyajit's memorable short anecdotes and runs as

• Loadshedding
• Sahadevbabur Portrait
• Bishful
• Asamanjababur Kukur
• Mr. Sasmaler Shesh Ratri
• Class Friend
  
• Pintur Dadu
• Bhuto
• Chilekotha
• Atithi
• Brihacchanchu
  
• Golokdham Rahasya

The stories takes you through a smooth ride of the human mind and make you think how the strangest of events can take place in the most regular surroundings. Also the psychology of human mind has been the subject of several of these pieces and will keep the readers glued to the pages till the very end. The collection starts with a humorous piece in the backdrop of Calcutta's power cut that sparks off a series of events that will surely bring more than a smile to the reader's faces. The next few deals with confidence tricks - used as a means of sweet revenge or as a practical joke, both coming hard on the victims! A nice message is depicted by the story of the strange dog who could laugh like humans and a horror story reflects once again another message 'crime doesn't pay'. The value of friendship is weighed in the scale of time and a child's contrasting view of a grim world is sketched as we glide through the next few pages. Horror seems to flow freely yet accurately from the hands of the author as he collages magic with the unknown and his compilation is perfect as the story follows up with a narration that chiefly deals with a curious urge of apology for a sin committed years back! Mutual faith is tested when a maternal uncle returns decades after he left home and the next story takes us to a strange land so convincingly portrayed in this country itself from where a pre-historic animal emerges to start a reign of terror that being foiled by the human intelligence. The final piece is as usual the most awaited for, where Feluda and Topshe (no Jatayu here) investigates theft and murder and here too like the 1st story of the lot, load shedding plays a very important part.

Chinnamastar Abhishap

Curious that when the disgraceful incident at Rajarappa happened, I was going through this Feluda adventure whose backdrop was at Hazaribagh, so very near the Holy site of Chinnamasta temple at Rajarappa.

On a holiday trip to Hazaribagh to spend a few days peacefully in his client’s resthouse, Feluda was once again entrapped in a mystery that consisted of unravelling countless riddles to truth and was made more adventurous by the episode of a run away tiger from the Great Majestic Circus, that was then performing at the same place.

It started when Feluda was invited by a retired lawyer, Mahesh Choudhury at his birthday picnic. Other than our trio, the main other invitees were Choudhury’s eldest son Arun, the youngest, Pritindra, his wife Nilima and daughter, the little Bibi, Mahesh’s childhood friend Akhilbandu Chakrabarty and Shankarlal Mishra, apparently a very dear and near acquaintance of Choudhury. But the picnic didn’t sail so smoothly as planned due to a sudden stroke that attack Maheshbabu and he had to be brought back immediately. Doctor diagnosed a possible mental shock as to the reason for the crisis and Feluda smelled foul play immediately. Maheshbabu ultimately succumbed to death but not before signalling his last wishes to Feluda who seemed to be as much baffled as the others to the meaning of the puzzling signal. But that the signal meant something important was very much apparent due to an attempted robbery at Feluda’s place. Will the detective find the solution to the many questions raised during Choudhury’s death? To know the answer you must read this riddle packed novel with a touch of adventure and a bit of coincidence.

Gorosthane Sabdhan!

Who knew that a mystery was awaiting Feluda right at the heart of Calcutta in the silence of the Park Street Cemetery? It was the magic of Satyajit who could weave mystery in the uncommonnest of places and a full scale thriller was penned by the great personality with the most realistic touch in this novel. This may as well serve as a classic reminder to those who assigns thrill only to foreign surroundings. Even as I flipped through the pages, so many years after I first acquired it, it infused the same thrill that I had when I read it for the 1^st time. The events stared on 24^th June, when Lalmohanbabu took Topshe with Feluda in his newly acquired green ambassador, the vehicle that served in several of the trio’s adventures, on a visit to Job Charnok’s grave. On that fateful day, a Narendranath Biswas was injured at the graveyard following a violent storm that blew @ 140kmph. Feluda, always inquisitive, took it his own responsibility to investigate why Mr. Biswas was wandering at the graves in the evening. While on the tour at the cemetery, Jatayu pointed to a wallet and Feluda’s insightful observations led to a series of incidents that culminated in a race for the priceless souvenir called Perigal Repeater. To know what it is and to enjoy the suspense the story must be savoured and I won’t spoil the excitement by spilling the beans too early. Haripadababu, Jatayu’s driver too played an important role and he too remained a close accomplice in later adventures for the three musketeers. Another important character that emerged in this novel and seemed to remain in the Hall of Fame of Feluda’s thrillers was the rich and aristocratic Mahadev Choudhury whose encounter was both theatrical and spine tingling!

Feluda & Co

The double Feluda stories back to back were 1^st introduced by Satyajit Ray in this book where the sleuth battled the evil brains both in and out of the city.

The collection starts with Bombaier Bombete, a title that was so aptly chosen by the master story teller that hints at both the place of Feluda's adventure and the origin of the bandits. Actually the case comes while Feluda and Topshe accompany Lalmohanbabu to Bombay when one of his novels, "Bombaier Bombete", was selected for a Bollywood release by Jatayu's acquintance turned hindi film director Pulak Ghoshal. But curious events start from the beginning when the author was requested to deliver a small packet to a stranger at Bombay airport by some Sanyal, a self proclaimed Bengali film director. Though the trio didn't have an inkling of any mystery till then but a murder at the premises, where the packet bearer of Bombay airport was seen, triggered of a set of intriguing sequences. Jatayu's reference came up during police enquiry and Sanyal's presence was felt at several places where Feluda & Co. roamed about in the metropolitan. Thus Feluda was automatically involved in the investigation not only to save his friend but also to stop a suspected smuggling. A high paced finish in the backdrop of a shooting site and the writer’s unique style of descriptive narrations would have been a great combination but for some misprints that is slightly irritating at places.

The other one of the collection, G(n)osaipur Saragaram, is a favourite to me not only for its contrasting backdrop in a quite village, so very far from sophisticated amenities of the city, but also for a wittier Feluda with his fantastic insights to human psychology. The truth cleverly camouflaged by the writer at the beginning and the lifestyle of a rural population makes this class apart from other stories in the Feluda series.

Joy Baba Felunath

I may have mentioned earlier that Ray’s works, be it film or literature, always reveal something new irrespective of the number of times these are view or read. This time as I re-read the detective classic called ‘Joy Baba Felunath’ I seem to rediscover the master’s style of penning down descriptions of nature and expressions that people make. The story starts with Lalmohanbabu peeling off a nut skin and the way it is narrated the reader won’t find any difficulty visualizing the whole. This and many more are strewn throughout the entire novel and this is one of those unique qualities of Satyajit’s writing that makes him class apart from several others.

The story is also the first in the series where Feluda meets Maganlal, one of his smartest and cunning opponents. The backdrop here is Benaras where on the occasion of a holiday tour during the Durga Puja, Feluda is introduced to the case of a stolen idol of Lord Ganesh from the house of Ambika Ghoshal, one of the oldest and respected residents of Benaras, which was not only a revered item of the household but also the adornments that gilded the idol could bring thousands, if sold. The interesting factor was five days previous to the discovery of the theft, Maganlal, a one-time classmate to Umanath, son of Ambika Ghoshal, meets his classmate and offers him a handsome amount to purchase the image. But Uma refuses. Thus one of the prime suspects in Feluda’s list was Maganlal. The case is further complicated by two other factors. The first one was the murder of Shashibabu, who used to sculpt the Durga Pratima for the Ghoshal family for years. The second one was the appearance of Machlibaba, a self-proclaimed saint from the Himalayas who assembled a vast crowd of followers in Benaras and on the day Uma and his family visited Machlibaba coincided with the day of the theft. Thus it required Feluda’s wit to find out the robber and the murderer and his nerve to fight off the threat of Maganlal. Those who have only seen the film, they may be surprised when I tell that the story not only differs from a different finish, but the actual perpetrators of the crimes are somewhat different in the written version.

Apart from the classic ending the descriptions of the different Ghats of Benaras, the famous lanes and by lanes of Kashi are also worth appreciating and the reader seem to take a short tour of Benaras with Feluda in this novel.

Aaro Ek Dajon

Another of a dozen of Satyajit Ray's short story collection following Ek Dajon Gappo including three Feluda stories that I picked up from my collection this time for revisiting the wonders of Ray. The content and their briefs are as

1. Professor Hijibijbij is a tribute to Ray's father and to his fantastic creations depicted in Abol Tabol and Ha-Ja-Ba-Ra-La that were brought to life by the eccentric professor of the story. But the final paragraphs seem to warn the readers of the dangers of defying nature.
2. Fritz deals with the supernaturals with an ending to send the head reeling in awe.
3. Brown Saheber Bungalow is a ghost story with an unique twist at the climax.
4. Sadanander Khude Jagat is written from the perspective of a child who could hear the ants’ voices.
5. Khagam is another spine chilling horror story of a saint who loved snakes and his pet one in particular.
6. Ratanbabau aar Shei Lokta is a queer story in which a lonely traveller meets a man who seemed to be his carbon copy in both appearance and nature. But though in one hand Ratanbabu seemed to get his right mate but the resemblence seemed to be getting discomfortingly painful which drove him to commit a murder and bear the consequence that was beyond his wildest dreams.
7. Bhakta is the most fascinating of the stories in which again resemblance plays the central role and an ordinary holidaying man finds himself trapped in the fan-circle of a renowned writer.
8. Batikbabu is another of Ray’s wonderful creation where obsession to a queer hobby drives a person to sheer madness.
9. Barin Bhoumiker Beram is one of Ray’s excellent pieces where the ultimate twist is in the final few lines.
10. Sheyal Debota Rahasya introduces Feluda to the case of an antique thief which he solves with his naturally sharp intellect.
11. Samaddarer Chaabi sets Feluda to a treasure hunt based on the queer few words which the dead man utters moments before his death. But villains prowl behind the shadows and it is to be seen how Feluda manages to catch them while recovering the treasure. Curiously, this story is devoid of any picture while the previous one had two sketches to the credit.
12. Ghurghutiar Ghatana is yet another case with Feluda solving a riddle to open a combination lock but the revelation of the vilest mind is again exposed by his quick wit. As in the previous two, this story was also written before Sonar Kella and so no Lalmohanbabu is there for a comic relief though the modulated pace of the story never seemed to need one.