Bonoful

Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay (19 July 1899 – 9 February 1979) was an Indian Bengali-language 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 in 1975, India's third-highest civilian honor.

Life

Mukhopadhyay was born in Manihari village of Purnia district (now Katihar District), Bihar on 19 July 1899. His family originally hailed from Sehakhala situated in Hooghly District of present-day West Bengal. 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 College and was later admitted in the Calcutta Medical College. But he graduated from Patna Medical College and Hospital, later he practised at Azimganj Hospital and worked as a pathologist at Bhagalpur. 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.

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''
* ''Bhuvan Shome''
* ''Ekti Raat''
* ''Aarohi (film)'' (He received National Film Award for Best Story)
* ''Alor Pipasa'' (1965)
* ''Hatey Bazarey''
* '' Arjun Pandit'' (He received the Filmfare Award for Best Story for this film)
* ''Tilottama''
* ''Paka Dekha''
* '' 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.

See also

*Bengali literature

Further reading

* ''বনফুলের ছোট গল্প সমগ্র'' (Complete Short Stories of Banaphul), published by Banishilpa, Kolkata in January 2003
* ''উপন্যাস সমগ্র'' (Complete Novels), published by New Bengal Press (Private) Limited, Kolkata in July 1999
* ''পশ্চাৎপট'' (Background), the autobiography of Banaphul, published by Banishilpa, Kolkata in 1999

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