Krittibas
Sunil Gangopadhyay was born on 7 September, 1934 in Aamgram Village in Faridpur district, current day Bangladesh, to Kalipada and Mira Gangopadhyay. His early childhood was spent between rural Bangladesh and Kolkata, where Kalipada was employed as a school teacher. He then permanently moved to Kolkata at an early age and continued to spend his young life between Grey Street in Kolkata, and Maijpara, the ancestral home of his father.
His early schooling was at the Town School, with a stint at Birmohan Bidalyay in Maijpara during the second World War. His subsequent education, with a degree in Economics and a Master of Arts in Bengali, was done at Surendranath College, Dumdum Motijheel College, and City College, Kolkata, all under the Calcutta University system.
Sunil had three siblings – brothers Anil and Ashok, and a sister Kanika, all younger than him. He married Swati Banerjee on 26 February 1967, and has only one child, Shouvik. His daughter –in-law Chandreyee and grandson Oyon round up his immediate family.
Sunil Gangopadhyay passed away at 2:05 am on 23 October 2012 at Parijat, his South Kolkata residence. That day, Bengali literature lost one of it’s finest, a poet, novelist, short story writer, children’s writer, essayist, critic and journalist.
Literary Career
Sunil’s self proclaimed first love was always poetry; although he is widely admired as a poet, his career is defined more by his novels. He is a prolific writer who has authored well over 250 books. He has written in many genres such as children's fiction, short stories, travelogues, essays and critiques. works He is regarded as one of the most prolific and popular writers in Bengali since Rabindranath Tagore
As a poet, he was a leading part of a new generation of poets experimenting with form and themes. In 1953, he along with compatriots Deepak Majumdar and Anada Bagchi founded the Bengali poetry magazine Krittibas which became a defining standard of poetry over decades Krittibas.
His lucid style of prose was immensely popular. His most famous novels involved stories woven through the history of Bengal and are deeply researched, featuring many historical characters as part of the narrative. These novels – Sei Somoy, Pratham Alo and Purba Paschim are widely read even today.
His creation Kakababu, is one of the foremost figures of Bengali children’s literature. There are 37 Kakababu novels, of which many have been adapted to movies, telefilms, and television serials.
He has also written books and articles under several pen-names such as Nillohit, Sanatan Pathak and Nil Upadhyay. Nillohit represents a carefree forever 37 year old who is featured in over 50 novels/novellas.
