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Premendra Mitra

プレメンドラ・ミトラ

Premendra Mitra

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1904-09-04 （Varanasi, United Provinces, British India）
Died
1988-05-03 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India） age 83
Nationality
Indian
Languages
Bengali, English
Residence History
Varanasi (birth) → Uttar Pradesh (childhood) → Calcutta / Kolkata (primary residence) → Dhaka (periods of residence)

Career

Occupations
Poet, Writer, Film director, Screenwriter
Active Years
1920-1988
Influenced By
Rabindranath Tagore (indirect influence)
Influenced
Sunil Gangopadhyay (inspired by Premendra Mitra's characters)

Education

South Suburban School (Main)
Period: 初等～中等教育（年代不詳）
Country: India
Attended for school-level education. Exact graduation year unknown.
Scottish Church College
Period: 学部在籍（中途退学）
Country: India
Enrolled in a BA course but left prematurely.
Asutosh College
Period: 1920年代
Year of Graduation: 1925
Country: India
Enrolled around 1925; assisted research of Dinesh Chandra Sen.

Awards

Rabindra Puraskar
Organization: Government of West Bengal (Rabindra Puraskar)
Result: 受賞
Padma Shri
Organization: Government of India
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Mosha (The Mosquito)

1945 Short story / Mystery

One of the early Ghanada stories; a short tale in which Ghanada recounts one of his adventurous exploits.

AdventureTall talesHumor

Kuasha (The Fog)

1949 Novel / Mystery

A novel adapted into film; deals with mystery and human drama set against fog/shrouded surroundings.

Detective/mysteryUrban lifeHuman relationships
Adaptations
  • [Film] Kuasha (1949 film) / Premendra Mitra (1949)

Ghanada series

1945 Short story cycle / Adventure & Science fiction

A cycle of short stories in which middle-aged Ghanada tells exaggerated adventurous tales to his companions, often mixing humour with science and global settings.

ScienceAdventureExaggerated narration
Translations
  • Adventures of Ghanada (translated by Leela Majumdar and others)
  • Mosquito and Other Stories (Penguin Books India, 2004)

Shukre Jara Giyechhilo (Those Who Went to Venus)

Science fiction

One of his science-fiction works aimed at familiarizing children and adolescents with scientific ideas.

Popular scienceSpace

Bibliography

  • Prothoma
  • Somrat
  • Fhyan (poetry collection)
  • PonchoShor (The Five Arrows)
  • Benami Bandar (Unknown Harbour)
  • Putul O Protima (Doll and Clay Image of Goddess)
  • MayurPankhi
  • Mohanagar (The Great City)
  • Mosha (The Mosquito)
  • Kuasha (The Fog)

Adaptations

  • Kuasha (novel) → film (1949)
  • Multiple films written/directed by Mitra (e.g. Notun Khobor, Kalo Chhaya)

Translations of Works

  • Adventures of Ghanada (translated by Leela Majumdar and others)
  • Mosquito and Other Stories (Penguin Books India, 2004)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Humorous and often exaggerated narrative voiceDidactic yet accessible style for introducing science to young readersConcise, fast-paced prose in mystery/detective fiction
Recurring Motifs
Travel and exotic/global localesScience and invention (SF elements)Tall-tale storytelling by narratorsUrban life and interpersonal dynamics

Legacy

Premendra Mitra is regarded as a major Bengali-language writer and filmmaker, known especially for his Ghanada stories and children's science fiction. He is considered a pioneer of Bengali science fiction and influenced successive generations of writers and popular culture.

Academic Societies

  • Sahitya Akademi (referenced)

In Popular Culture

  • The character Ghanada is widely recognized in Bengali children's literature and popular culture

Quotes

  • For humanity to survive, human beings have to forget their differences and be united.
    Source: Works/critique (source not explicitly cited)

Trivia

  • Creator of the notable Ghanada series.
  • Considered one of the pioneers of Bengali science fiction.
  • Wrote and directed a number of films in addition to his literary work.