Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay (19 July 1899 – 9 February 1979) was an Indian

Bengali-language Bengali, also known by its endonym Bangla (, , ), is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. It is native to the Bengal region (Bangladesh, India's West Bengal and Tripura) of South ...

writer, physician, and playwright, best known by his pen name Banaphul ("Wild flower" in Bengali). His oeuvre spanned novels, poetry, plays, essays and over 400 short stories, the genre for which he is best remembered. For his contribution to literature, he was awarded the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

in 1975, India's third-highest civilian honor.

Life

Mukhopadhyay was born in Manihari village of

Purnia district Purnia District is one of the thirty-eight Districts of Bihar, districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Purnia is the administrative headquarters of this district. The city of Purnia has continued its tradition of hoisting the nationa ...

(now

Katihar Katihar (; ), is the tenth largest city in the state of Bihar in India in terms of population, Along with being one of the largest economic, educational and administrative centre in the eastern part of Bihar. The city situated in the eastern ...

District),

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

on 19 July 1899. His family originally hailed from Sehakhala situated in

Hooghly District Hooghly district () is one of the districts of the Indian state of West Bengal. It can alternatively be spelt ''Hoogli'' or ''Hugli''. The district is named after the Hooghly River. The headquarters of the district are at Hooghly-Chinsurah (' ...

of present-day

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. His father, Satyacharan Mukhopadhyay, was a doctor, and his mother was Mrinalini Devi. He originally took the pen name Banaphul ("the wild flower") to hide his literary activities from a disapproving teacher. He attended

Hazaribag Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also the administrative headquarters of Hazaribagh district and divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is known ...

College and was later admitted in the

Calcutta Medical College Medical College, Kolkata, also known as Calcutta Medical College, is a Government medical college and hospital located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is one of the oldest existing hospitals in Asia. The institute was established on 28 Janua ...

. But he graduated from

Patna Medical College and Hospital Patna Medical College and Hospital (abbreviated as PMCH) was established in 1925 and originally known as Prince of Wales Medical College, is a medical college located in Patna, the state capital of Bihar, India. It is located on the souther ...

, later he practised at Azimganj Hospital and worked as a pathologist at

Bhagalpur Bhagalpur, historically known as Champapuri, Champa Nagari, is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern bank of the Ganges river. It is the Bihar#Government and administration, third largest city of Bihar by population and ...

. He moved to Lake Town, Calcutta, in 1968, and died there on 9 February 1979. He is the elder brother of famous Bengali film Director

Arabinda Mukhopadhyay Arabinda Mukhopadhyay (18 June 1919 – 10 February 2016) was an Indian filmmaker, film director and editor, who directed all-time classics like Nishi Padma (1970), Dhanyee Meye (1971) and Mouchak (1974). He also wrote stories and screenplays ...

Literary works

He is best known for his short vignettes, which were often just half-page long, and centered on a single powerful moment with sharp observation and unconventional perspective, but his literary career spanned sixty-five years and included thousands of poems, over 586 short stories (a handful of which have been translated to English), 60 novels, 5 dramas, a number of one-act plays, an autobiography called ''Paschatpat'' (''Background''), and numerous essays." His short stories often revolve around a single, powerful moment, defined by sharp observation, unconventional perspectives, and exceptional storytelling.

Novels

* ''Trinokhondo'' তৃণখণ্ড * ''Boitorini Tire'' বৈতরণীর তীরে * ''Niranjana'' নিরঞ্জনা * ''Bhuban Som'' ভুবন সোম * ''Maharani'' মহারাণী * ''Agnishwar'' অগ্নীশ্বর * ''Manaspur'' মানসপুর * ''Erao achhe'' এরাও আছে * ''Nabin Dutta'' নবীন দত্ত * ''Harishchandra'' হরিশ্চন্দ্র * ''Kichukshan'' কিছুক্ষণ * ''Se O Ami'' সে ও আমি * ''Saptarshi'' সপ্তর্ষি * ''Udai Asta'' উদয় অস্ত * ''Gandharaj'' গন্ধরাজ * ''Pitambarer Punarjanma'' পীতাম্বরের পুনর্জন্ম * ''Nayn Tatpurush'' নঞ তৎপুরুষ * ''Krishnapaksha'' কৃষ্ণপক্ষ * ''Sandhipuja'' সন্ধিপূজা * ''Hate Bajare'' হাটেবাজারে * ''Kanyasu'' কন্যাসু * ''Adhiklal'' অধিকলাল * ''Gopaldeber Swapna'' গোপালদেবের স্বপ্ন * ''Swapna Sambhab'' স্বপ্নসম্ভব * ''Kashti Pathar'' কষ্টিপাথর * ''Prachchhanna Mahima'' প্রচ্ছন্ন মহিমা * ''Dui Pathik'' দুই পথিক * ''Ratri'' রাত্রি * ''Pitamaha'' পিতামহ * ''Pakshimithun'' পক্ষীমিথুন * ''Tirther Kak'' তীর্থের কাক * ''Rourab'' রৌরব * ''Jaltaranga'' জলতরঙ্গ * ''Rupkatha ebang Tarpar'' রূপকথা এবং তারপর * ''Pratham Garal'' প্রথম গরল * ''Rangaturanga'' রঙ্গতুরঙ্গ * ''Ashabari'' আশাবারি * ''Li'' ৯ * ''Sat Samudra Tero Nadi'' সাত সমুদ্র তেরো নদী * ''Akashbasi'' আকাশবাসী * ''Tumi'' তুমি * ''Asanglagna'' অসংলগ্ন * ''Simarekha'' সীমারেখা * ''Tribarna'' ত্রিবর্ণ * ''Alankarpuri'' অলংকারপুরী * ''Jangam'' জঙ্গম * ''Agni'' অগ্নি * ''Dwairath'' দ্বৈরথ * ''Mrigoya'' মৃগয়া * ''Nirmok'' নির্মোক * ''Mandanda'' মানদন্ড * ''Nabadiganta'' নবদিগন্ত * ''Koshtipathar'' কষ্টিপাথর * ''Sthabar'' স্থাবর * ''Bhimpalashri'' ভীমপলশ্রী * ''Pancha Parba'' পঞ্চপর্ব * ''Lakshmir Agaman'' লক্ষ্মীর আগমণ * ''Dana'' ডানা

Short stories

* Pratibaad * swadhinata * "Bonofuler Golpo" * "Bonofuler Aro Golpo" * "Bahullo" * "Bindu Bishorgo" * "Adrisholok" * "Anugamini" * "Tonni" * "Nobomonjori" * "Urmimala" * "Soptomi" * "Durbin" * "Bonofuler Sreshto Golpo" * "Bonofuler Golpo Songroho-1" * "Bonofuler Golpo Songroho-2" * "Banaphooler Chhoto Galpa Samagra—1 & 2" * "Fuldanir Ekti Ful"

Film adaptation of his literature

* ''

Agnishwar ''Agnishwar'' ''(''English: ''The fire god)'' is a 1975 Indian Bengali language socio-political drama film co-written and directed by Arabinda Mukhopadhyay. The story of the film is based on the novel of the same name written by Balai Chand Mu ...

'' * ''

Bhuvan Shome ''Bhuvan Shome'' is a 1969 Indian Hindi-language Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Mrinal Sen based on a Bengali story by Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. The cast includes Utpal Dutt (Bhuvan Shome) and Suhasini Mulay (Gauri, a villa ...

'' * ''

Ekti Raat ''Ekti Raat'' ( ''One Night'') is a 1956 Indian Bengali-language comedy film directed by Chitta Basu and produced by Harendranath Chattopadhyay based on, ''Bhimpalashree'', a story of Bengali novelist Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. The film stars ...

'' * ''

Aarohi (film) ''Aarohi'' is a Bengali comedy drama film directed by Tapan Sinha and produced by Ashim Pal based on the story of Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. This film was released on 4 September 1964 under the banner of Goldwin Pictures. It received 12th Nationa ...

'' (He received National Film Award for Best Story) * ''

Alor Pipasa ''Alor Pipasa'' is a Bengali drama film directed by Tarun Majumder and produced by Debesh Ghosh based on a novel named "Agniswar" of Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. This film was released on 15 January 1965 under the banner of D.R. Productions. Music o ...

'' (1965) * ''

Hatey Bazarey ''Hatey Bazarey'' or ''Hate Bazare'' (Bengali: হাটে বাজারে; English: The Market Place) is a 1967 award-winning art film by noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha. Produced by Asim Dutta, the story revolves around the conflict bet ...

'' * '' Arjun Pandit'' (He received the

Filmfare Award for Best Story The Filmfare Award for Best Story is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a writer who wrote a film's story. List of winners 1950s * 1955 Mukhram Sharma – ''Aulad (1954 film), Aulad'' * 1 ...

for this film) * ''Tilottama'' * ''

Paka Dekha ''Paka Dekha'' is a Bengali comedy drama film directed by Arabinda Mukhopadhyay and produced by Mohan Mallick based on a story of Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay by the same name. This film was released in 1980 under the banner of Reba Films. Hemant ...

'' * '' Ektu Sore Bosun'' (2023)

Postage stamp

On the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Government of India issued a postage stamp featuring his image.India, 1999
. ''Postbeeld.com'', Retrieved 1 May 2007.

References

Writers from Kolkata

External links

* * *
Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay
at the West Bengal Public Library Network

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mukhopadhyay, Balaichand 1899 births 1979 deaths 20th-century Bengali poets Poets from West Bengal Recipients of the Rabindra Puraskar University of Calcutta alumni 20th-century Indian poets Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education Bengali male poets Indian male poets 20th-century Indian male writers Best Story National Film Award winners 20th-century pseudonymous writers Writers from West Bengal

Life

Literary works

Novels

Short stories

Film adaptation of his literature

Postage stamp

See also

Further reading

References

External links