Sanjib Chattopadhyay (Bengali: 唳膏唰嵿唰€唳� 唳氞唰嵿唰嵿Ο唰嬥Κ唳距Η唰嵿Ο唳距Ο唳�) (born February 28, 1936 in Kolkata) is a Bengali novelist and writer of short stories. His style is characterised by use of short satirical sentences mixed with very lively language.
Childhood and education: Sanjib Chattopadhyay spent his childhood in the hilly terrain of Chota Nagpur Plateau under the care of his father after his mother died when he was five. They relocated to Calcutta and he was admitted to Victoria Institution school which he joined at grade seven. He later went to Scottish Church College, Calcutta where he studied chemistry.
Work: The subjects of his fiction are mostly families living in Calcutta city. Within the confines of these homes, he challenges the moral values of the fast-changing middle class of the city. Chattopadhyay frequently uses old men as his protagonists. These aged characters create the spiritual and philosophical edge found in his novels Lotakambal (The Blanket and Quilt) and Shakha Prasakha (Branches). His most famous novella Swetpatharer tebil (The Ivory Table) is an example of his characteristic style of story-telling which mixes tension, dilemma, curiosity, pity, humor, and satire. He has written fiction for children and continues to write for magazines and newspapers. Chattopdhyay current writing is related to Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Some of his major works apart from the above mentioned are: 唳Π唳Κ唳︵唳Σ唰� (At His Divine Feet) 唳曕唳唳ㄠ唳膏唳� (Cancer) 唳︵唳熰 唳氞唰熰唳� (Two Chairs) 唳班Ω唰囙Μ唳多 唳班唳栢唳� 唳 唳班Ω唰囙Μ唳多 唳唳� 唳嗋唳� 唳班Ω唰囙Μ唳多 唳む唳 唳嗋Π 唳嗋Ξ唳� (You And I) 唳忇唰� 唳忇唰� (One By One) 唳曕Σ唳苦唳距Δ唳� 唳嗋唰� 唳曕Σ唳苦唳距Δ唳距Δ唰囙 (Calcutta Is In Calcutta) Apart from that his notable juvenile literature includes 唳班唳曕-唳膏唳曕, 唳唳唳-唳唳溹Ξ唳距Ξ唳� series which are fun-filled and analyse various philosophical aspects of life through the eyes of children.
Awards: Chattopadhyay is the recipient of the Ananda Puraskar in 1981 and the Sahitya Academy Award for his book 唳多唳班唳曕唳粪唳`唳� 唳多唳� 唳曕唳� 唳︵唳� in 2018.
I don't know where to start but I came across this book when I was chasing a deadline and forgot to wish my father on his birthday. Might be unrelated and quite far-fetched, but the next day he was calm as day even though my mother kept teasing me or my grandma taunted. They reminded me (even though I remembered all of it clearly) that when I was not very old but old enough to go near gas burners, I used to try my juvenile attempts at cooking my father's favourite delicacies to tell him that I remembered. I never wished him a "happy birthday". In a conservative family as such, birthday or anniversaries are a hush-hush happy day. So, I used to tongue all my expression with those vain attempts and by acknowledging my gratefulness for that one special day. But here I am, twenty-six and could not remember his day when the day was just there! So, the next day he doesn't show his anger or sadness rather tells me an anecdote. A mythological one. Revolving round Narayana (Hindu god) and Narad (demigod and devotee of Narayana). So, like all other stories there was an once-upon-a-time but instead of kings and queens and dragons and princesses, there was a simple rustic peasant man. He used to toil hard all day but after each day's work he would wash himself up, have his food and before going to bed, chant "Narayana Narayana". Without a miss. So, one day when demigods were arguing about who is the most dedicated devotee of Narayana, Narad announced that he, and he alone was the most dedicated devotee of lord Narayana. None else could take his place because he takes Narayana's name all day and night. But to Narad's surprise, Narayana pointed at the peasant man working under scorching sun while herding his cattles to be the most dedicated devotee. Narad could not understand the logic behind this because he thought this person chants lord Narayana's name only twice a day while Narad has taken his lord's name for umpteenth time. Narad asked Narayana, "How is this possible? I chant your name all the time and how could you think that the peasant is your biggest devotee?" To which, Narayana asked Narad to testify his devotion. Since Narayana lives in tulsi (basil leaves), Narad has to go around a tulsi plant seven times with a bowl full of oil while chanting his lord's name. There is only one condition: not a single drop of oil should touch the ground. Narad smiled in his mind and thought that this was too easy a test for him to prove his devotion. He came up with a bowl filled with oil to its brink. Narayana asked him to start the procedure. Narad started chanting his lord's name and began to walk around the Tulsi plant. However, the bowl was slippery from the oil and it was full till its brink so walking with it and fulfilling the condition clouded Narad's attention. After two or three rounds, Narad was completely invested into saving the bowl full of oil. After seven successful rounds, Narad was overwhelmed with joy thinking that he has completed his target and that he was undoubtedly Narayana's best devotee because not a single drop of oil has left the bowl. Then Narayana asks, "Do you realize that you've stopped chanting my name long ago?". Narad comes to his senses and admits his mistake that he was completely lost in the thought that he has to save the bowl of oil. To which, Narayana replies, "This is why that peasant is my biggest devotee because no matter earthquake or thunderstorm, this person has never stopped chanting my name". And after saying this, my father takes a pause. In the silence between his letters, I have walked through a glass floor under which a river runs. And while taking one step to the other, I have forgotten to see the world around me and focused only on the dangers beneath me.
ACTUAL REVIEW: This book will remain special because my guilty conscience then sent this book to him. Even though he criticised it thoroughly(after a good read of 31 pages) how the author lacked grasp of weaving a close-knitted plot, I am pretty sure "the pause between the letters" hidden in this book will serve your purpose. It won't tell you that it's easy to survive but definitely give you a way to life! 馃専馃専馃専馃専馃専
I found this novel which reminds you about the values of life which we tend to ignore as our life goes on...... 唳呧Θ唳唳︵唳� 唳忇 唳曕唳多唳班 唳夃Κ唳ㄠ唳唳膏イ 唳溹唳Θ唰囙Π 唳唳侧唳� 唳多唳栢唳 唳溹唳椸唳侧 唳嗋Ξ唳班 唳唳侧 唳唳� 唳嗋Ξ唳距Ζ唰囙Π 唳溹唳Θ 唳氞Σ唳距Π 唳膏唳ム 唳膏唳ム