Sahitya Akademi Award to Bengali Writers
1 appearances
-
Edition 63 (2020) Winner
Mani Sankar Mukherjee
マニ・シャンカール・ムケルジー
Mani Sankar Mukherjee
Pen Names:
Sankar（Used as professional/pen name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1933-12-07 （Hindmotor, Hooghly district, West Bengal, India）
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- Bengali, English
- Residence History
- Hindmotor, Hooghly district → Howrah / Kolkata area, West Bengal
Career
- Occupations
- writer, novelist, essayist, researcher, Sheriff of Kolkata (honorary)
- Active Years
- 1950-
- Affiliations
- Sheriff of Kolkata (honorary)
- Influenced By
- Noel Frederick Barwell
- Influenced
- Satyajit Ray (film director who adapted works), Other film directors (e.g., Basu Chatterjee)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surendranath College (formerly Ripon College, Calcutta) | — | — | — | — | India |
Surendranath College (formerly Ripon College, Calcutta)
Country:
India
Worked as typewriter cleaner, private tutor and hawker while studying.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Bankim Puraskar | Gharer Moddhe Ghar | — | Bankim Puraskar awarding body | 受賞 |
| 2021 | Sahitya Akademi Award | Eka Eka Ekashi | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 2022 | ABP Ananda Sera Bangali (Sera'r Sera) | — | — | ABP Ananda | 受賞 |
Bankim Puraskar
1993
Work:
Gharer Moddhe Ghar
Organization:
Bankim Puraskar awarding body
Result:
受賞
Sahitya Akademi Award
2021
Work:
Eka Eka Ekashi
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
ABP Ananda Sera Bangali (Sera'r Sera)
2022
Organization:
ABP Ananda
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Chowringhee
1962 Novel (urban fiction)A novel set in an opulent Kolkata hotel that explores the lives, professions and class interactions of its inhabitants.
urban lifeclass and occupationsdesire and disillusionment
Adaptations
- [Film] Chowringhee (film) (1968)
Translations
- Chowringhee — English translation by Arunava Sinha
Kato Ajanare (The Many Unknowns)
NovelThe author's debut novel, inspired by his association with the barrister Noel Barwell.
human relationshipsmemory and reminiscence
Adaptations
- [Film (initiated/fragmentary production)] Kato Ajanare (film project) (1959)
Translations
- Kato Ajanare — English translation: The Great Unknown (partial translations exist)
Jana Aranya (The Middleman)
Novel / Short storiesDepicts the struggles of youth with employment and ethics in modern society; adapted into a film by Satyajit Ray.
employmentethicsurban realities
Adaptations
- [Film] Jana Aranya (film) / Satyajit Ray (1976)
Translations
- Jana Aranya — English translation: The Middleman (translated by Arunava Sinha)
Gharer Madhye Ghar
NovelA novel focused on family and interpersonal relations. Recipient of the Bankim Puraskar.
familyinterpersonal relationships
Eka Eka Ekashi
Autobiographical memoirAn autobiographical memoir recounting decades of the author's life and literary career. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award.
memoirliterary historypersonal history
Bibliography
- Jekhane Jemon (travelogue)
- Kato Ajanare (The Great Unknown)
- Nivedita Research Laboratory
- Abasarika
- Chowringhee
- Swarga Martya Patal (collection)
- Gharer Madhye Ghar
- Banglar Meye
- Simanta Sambad
- Mansamman (Man Samman)
- Eka eka ekashi
Adaptations
- Chowringhee (1968 film)
- Jana Aranya (dir. Satyajit Ray, 1976)
- Seemabaddha (dir. Satyajit Ray)
- Sheesha / Man Samman (dir. Basu Chatterjee, 1986)
Translations of Works
- Chowringhee — translated into English by Arunava Sinha
- Jana Aranya — translated into English (The Middleman)
- Kato Ajanare — translated into English (The Great Unknown)
- Gharer Madhye Ghar — some translations (e.g., Thackeray Mansion)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- realistic and detailed descriptionsocial realism set in urban and workplace environments
- Recurring Motifs
- hotels and professional milieus of the cityclass differences and ethical dilemmasmemory and reminiscence
Legacy
Sankar is an important popular writer in Bengali literature; his depictions of urban life and professional milieus have been frequently adapted for film and have had significant popular-cultural impact. He has received major recognitions including the Sahitya Akademi Award late in his career.
In Popular Culture
- Multiple film adaptations (including by Satyajit Ray)
- Chowringhee has achieved cult status
Quotes
-
First, I wanted to build a statue. It was not possible. I then wanted to name a road. Even that was not feasible. And then I decided to write a book about him.
Source: Interview (on impetus for first novel)
Trivia
- Full name Mani Sankar Mukherjee.
- Served as Sheriff of Kolkata (honorary position).
- Major works such as Chowringhee and Kato Ajanare have been adapted to films.
- Won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2021.