Sourav Mukhopadhyay | |
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| Native name | সৌরভ মুখোপাধ্যায় |
| Born | (1973-04-24)April 24, 1973 (age 52) India |
| Language | Bengali |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts |
| Alma mater | Narasinha Dutt College |
| Notable works | Prothom Prabaho, |
| Notable awards | Sandipan Chattapadhyay Sammanana |
Sourav Mukhopadhyay (Bengali:সৌরভ মুখোপাধ্যায়; born 24 April 1973) is aBengali author from India. He has written several Bengali stories and novels for both adults and children. He is mostly admired for his novelProthom Prabaho (Bengali: প্রথম প্রবাহ ), based onMahabharat Adi parba, published inDesh, an esteemedBengali languageliterary magazine published byABP Group.
Sourav was born inSerampore in 1973. He spent his childhood in Uttar Jhapardaha,Domjur, inHowrah district and living there till now. He completed his schooling from Makardaha Bamasundari institution in 1991. He became graduate in English fromNarasinha Dutt College in 1994. Mukhopadhyay started his career as an employee of state government and working as an English teacher in Higher Secondary School presently.[1]
Sourav's tryst with publishing began in 2003 when he wrote three stories, which were published simultaneously in three leading magazines in 2004.Bipannya (Bengali: বিপন্ন) was published inSaptahik Bartaman (Bengali: সাপ্তাহিক বর্তমান), after few monthsMerudandi inDesh andJoutuk inSananda.
Having a great acceptance from publishers as well as readers, Sourav started sending his short stories and articles to different magazines.[2] In 2005, Sourav won second prize at a competition for comic stories organized byDesh. By 2009, 20 of his short stories had been published.
In 2009, Sourav started writing his 1st novel,Granthi, which was published in Sharadiya issue ofDesh, 2010. According to the writer "This was a first-person account of four people of different age groups and at different stages of their lives, who recounted their relationships with women." His 2nd novel,Andhar Nadi was published in the Sharadiya issue ofPatrikain 2011, followed by the publishing of his political novel,Sankranti, in Sharadiya issue ofAnandabazar Patrika in 2012. Sankranti is based on theWest Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 2011 which was famous for the change in government in West Bengal after 34 years(AITMC won, resulting in the end of the 34-year rule of theLeft Front government). His 4th novelSaapludo, was published in Sharadiya issue ofUnish Kuri, 2013
In January 2014, Sourav's 5th novelDhulokhela started publishing in monthly issues ofDesh magazine regularly. The story has two protagonists- Kingshuk and Tamal and based on them there are two main issues in the novel. Tamal is associated with personal experience and the fight of a budding writer trying to establish him. On the other hand, Kingshuk is associated with the land movement which is based onSingur land movement. In this novel, Sourav strongly criticizes the mentality and the process of forcefully land acquisition byLeft Front government in Singur. After completion of the novel, it was highly appreciated by readers as well as critiques also. Ananda Publishers published it as a book in 2015.
In the Sharaidiya issue ofPatrika of 2015, Sourav's experimental novelJiban Athaba was published. It is a multilayered novel, enclosing the struggle, love, betrayal of modern Bengali society with the presence of the poetry and life of a poet. Sourav deconstructsJibananda das's poetry and represents him asJibanbabu, a character of the novel. Many ofJibananda's poems have been used in this novel.
In 2016 Desh Sharadiya, Sourav wrote his latest novel,Prothom Probaho. It is adeconstruction of the 1stParva ofMahavarata. The novel becomes controversial for the explicit description of sexuality. Sourav accused of "representing vulgarity in name of literature" by critiques as well as some writers.
Besides these novels, Sourav wrote down more than a hundred short stories in different commercial magazines in the Bengali language like Desh, Sananda, Unish Kuri, Tathyakendra,Saptahik Bartaman, Ajkal and many others. Some of his short stories likeShrabandhara,Prothom Jedin,Neel Ronger Gate have been praised by readers.
Sourav has also written two detective novels. The 2nd novel,Godhulite Mrityur Chaya was published inSukhi Grihokon, a monthly magazine. The novel is also included in theShotoborsher Shreshtha Rohosyo Uponyas part 3 edited byAnish Deb, published fromPatra Bharati.
Sourav Mukhopadhyay has also penned a lot of short stories and novels for children also.
His 1st story for children,E thief.com was published inAnadamela a Bengali children's magazine in April 2006.
Sourav's 1st novel for children wasCaptain Tomosoner Guptadhan(The treasure of Captain Tomson). It was also published inAnandamela 20 February 2012 issue. It was a historicaladventure fiction, based on the myth ofCocos Island and thePeru of the 19th century. After that, he wrote more novels for children until today.
Sourav Mukhopadhyay has claimed in the media that Padmanabha Dashgupta has copied the plot of the filmChaplin, released on 26 August 2011, from his story titledCharan Das Chaplin that was published in a Bengali children's magazine on July 5, 2009. The coincidences include how a character takes up the job of dressing up as a Chaplin performer to ward off poverty, the life-threatening illness of his son, and how the father celebrates the son's birthday.
Padmanabha Dasgupta totally denied the allegation saying that he finished the first draft of the script on December 21, 2007.Rudranil Ghosh (the lead actor of the film), Anindo Banerjee (director of the film) and many other people fromTollywood industry stood for Padmanabha Dasgupta.
None of the sides went to court for a legal step. However, as the release date of the story is before the release date of the film, it still remains a controversy.[14]
Sourav won second prize at a competition for comic stories organized byDesh. In 2010, he won first prize. in a similar competition, organized byKishore Bharati.
Sourav was awardedSandipan Chattapadhyay Sammanana (Krittibas Puroskar), for his novelProthom Probaho.[15]