Mani Shankar Mukherjee (commonly known as ''Sankar'' in both Bengali and English-language literature) is an Indian writer in the

Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second m ...

, who also served as the

Sheriff of Kolkata The Sheriff of Kolkata is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Sheriff has an office and staff in Calcutta High Court but does not have executive powers. Mumbai (Bo ...

. He grew up in Howrah district of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

Personal life

Sankar is the son of Avaya Mukherjee known as Gouri Mukherjee. Sankar's father died while he was still a teenager, as a result of which Sankar became a clerk to the last British barrister of the

Calcutta High Court The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It is located in B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court buildi ...

, Noel Frederick Barwell. At the same time he entered in

Surendranath College Surendranath College is an undergraduate college affiliated to the University of Calcutta, in Kolkata, India. It was founded in 1884 by the nationalist leader and scholar Surendranath Banerjee. The Women's section of the college was founded ...

(formerly

Ripon College, Calcutta Surendranath College is an undergraduate college affiliated to the University of Calcutta, in Kolkata, India. It was founded in 1884 by the nationalist leader and scholar Surendranath Banerjee. The Women's section of the college was founded ...

) for study. He worked in various field as typewriter cleaner, private tutor, Hawker for the livelihood.

Literary career

After Noel Barwell's sudden death, ''Sankar'', the professional version of his name adopted for the law courts, sought to honor Barwell. "First, I wanted to build a statue. It was not possible. I then wanted to name a road. Even that was not feasible. And then I decided to write a book about him," according to Sankar. That impetus led to his first novel, about Barwell, that according to some critics is perhaps the most stimulating -- ''Kato Ajanare'' (So Much Unknown). Around the same time in 1962, Sankar conceived ''Chowringhee'' on a rainy day at the waterlogged crossing of Central Avenue and Dalhousie - a busy business district in the heart of

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

. The novel, set in the opulent hotel he called Shahjahan, was made into a cult movie in 1968. It is wrongly said that Sankar marketed his literary work to Bengali households with the marketing slogan ''A bagful of Sankar'' (Ek Bag Sankar) and collections of his books were sold in blue packets through this marketing effort. He has been rewarded with

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

on 18 March 2021 for his outstanding metronomic creation of ''Eka Eka Ekashi.''

Works

Bengali_author_Sankar_speaks_at_the_UN_-_6105163912

* ''Jekhane Jemon'' (travelogue) (''As It Is There'') * ''Kato Ajanare'' (novel) (''The Many Unknowns'') - his debut novel. * ''Nivedita Research Laboratory'' (novel) * ''Abasarika'' * ''Chowringhee'' (novel) (1962) * ''Swarga Martya Patal''- (collection of three stories: '' Jana Aranya'' (''The Sea of People''), '' Seemabaddha'' (''Limited Company'') and ''Asha Akangsha'' (''Hopes and Desires'')) * ''Gharer Madhye Ghar'' * ''Nagar Nandini'' * ''Banglar Meye'' * ''Simanta Sambad'' * ''Kamana Basana'' * ''Purohit Darpan'' * ''Sri Sri Ramkrishna Rahsyamrito'' * ''Purohit Darpan'' * ''Mone Pare'' * ''Mansamman (1981)'' * ''Samrat O Sundari'' (novel) * ''Charan Chhunye Jai'' * ''Bangalir Bittasadhana - Saharar Itikatha'

* ''Jaabar Belay'' * ''Mathar Opor Chhad'' * ''Patabhumi'' * ''Rasabati'' * ''Ek Bag Sankar'' (collection) * ''Kamana Basana'' * ''Sonar Sangsar'' * ''Chhayachhabi'' (collection) * ''Muktir Swad'' * ''Subarno Sujog'' * ''ABCD'' * ''Charan Chhunye Jai(Vol 2)'' * ''Bittabasana'' * ''Eka eka ekashi'' * ''Rup tapos''

Works in translation

*''Chowringhee'' translated by Arunava Sinha into English and . Translation is pending into Italian. In 2013 the novel has been translated into French by Dr Philippe Benoit, sanskritist and head of Bengali department of Paris National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO), published by Gallimard house. *''The Middleman'' translated by Arunava Sinha from "Jana Aranya" into English . *''The Great Unknown'' translated by Soma Das from "Kato ajanare" into English . *''Thackeray Mansion'' translated by

Sandipan Deb Sandipan Deb (born 1 August 1962) is an Indian journalist and writer. He has been the managing editor of Outlook (Indian magazine), Outlook, the editor of The Financial Express (India), The Financial Express and was the founder-editor of ''Outloo ...

from "Gharer Madhye Ghar" into English .

Screen adaptations

*Many of Sankar's works have been made into films. Some notable ones are – '' Chowringhee'', '' Jana Aranya'' and '' Seemabaddha'', out of which the last two were directed by

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of fil ...

. *In 1959,

Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was a noted Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright. Along with prominent contemporary Bengali filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen, his cinema is primarily remembe ...

started making a film Kato Ajanare based on Sankar's first novel. * His novel, ''Man Samman'', was turned into a film by Basu Chatterjee, Sheesha (1986), starring Mithun Chakraborty, Moonmoon Sen and Mallika Sarabhai.

Awards

: 2021 * ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award ("Sera'r Sera"): 2022

References

Citations

Sources

* '
I am happy I had a ticket to ride in the 50s: novelist Sankar
' Indo-Asian News Service, 22 August 2008

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sankar Writers from Kolkata Bengali writers Bengali-language writers Surendranath College alumni University of Calcutta alumni People from Howrah district 1933 births Living people Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Bengali Sheriffs of Kolkata People from North 24 Parganas district