Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay

Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay (19 July 1899 – 9 February 1979) was an Indian Bengali-language novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet, and physician who wrote under the pen name of Banaphul (meaning "the wild flower" in Bengali). He was a recipient of the civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan (1975).^[1]

Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay
Mukhopadhyay on a 1999 Indian stamp
Born	(1899-07-19)19 July 1899 Manihari, Purnia District, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	9 February 1979(1979-02-09) (aged 79) Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Nationality	Indian
Other names	Banaphul
Alma mater	Calcutta Medical College Patna Medical College and Hospital

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.^[2] 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.^[3] He is the elder brother of famous Bengali film Director Arabinda Mukhopadhyay.

Literary works

He is most noted for his short vignettes, often just half-page long, but his body of work spanned sixty-five years and included "thousands of poems, 586 short stories (a handful of which have been translated to English),^[4] 60 novels, 5 dramas, a number of one-act plays, an autobiography called Paschatpat (Background), and numerous essays."^[5][6]

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.^[7]

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

1. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
2. BANAPHOOL RACHANABALI (VOL.16), MUKHOPADHYAY, BALAICHAND, Granthagar Pvt. Ltd. , Calcutta, 1955, p. 3
3. "Banaful ( of একশ বছরের সেরা গল্প)". Goodreads. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
4. "Wildfire and Other Stories by Banaphool". Purple Pencil Project. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
5. Spectrum of Bengali literature (modern period), Indiaheritage.org, Retrieved 1 May 2007.
6. Ananta Ghosh, Great writers Archived 2 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Bengali Association of Greater Chicago Newsletter, Volume 25: Issue 2 : April 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
7. India, 1999 Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Postbeeld.com, Retrieved 1 May 2007.

External links

• Balaichand Mukhopadhyay at Banglapedia
• "Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
• Works by Banaphula at Open Library
• Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay at the West Bengal Public Library Network
• Parabaas Profile