Eminent Bengali author Shankar passes away at 92

Eminent Bengali author Mani Shankar Mukherjee better known by his pen name Shankar whose works transformed the mundane realities of urban life into timeless narratives and were adapted into films by Oscarwinning director Satyajit Ray died here on FridayHe died in a private hospital due to oldage ailments at the age of 92 He is survived by two daughtersThe Sahitya Akademi awardwinning writer best known for his iconic novel Chowringhee and a body of work that chronicled the aspirations anxieties and moral dilemmas of urban India had been ailing for some timeWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled his death calling him one of the brightest stars in Bengali literature whose demise marked an irreparable loss to the cultural worldIn a post on X she said his timeless creations from Chowringhee to Kato Ajanare from Seemabaddha to Jana Aranya had enchanted generations and brought to life the struggles of ordinary peopleBorn on December 7 1933 in what is now Bangladeshs Jessore district Mukherjee grew up in Howrah after his family moved to Kolkata before World War II The son of a lawyer his early life was shaped by modest means and a restless curiosity about the human condition traits that would later define his fictionBefore becoming a fulltime writer he worked as a clerk to Noel Barwell the last English barrister practising at the Calcutta High Court Barwells death left a deep imprint on the young MukherjeeWanting to honour his mentor but lacking the means to commission a statue or painting he chose instead to write a book That decision led to Kato Ajanare So Much Unknown first serialised in Desh magazine in the early 1960s and marked the birth of ShankarIf that book announced his arrival Chowringhee made him a household nameConceived as he would later recount on a rainsoaked day at a waterlogged Kolkata crossing when he gazed at the neon lights of the Grand Hotel the novel opened the doors of the fictional Shahjahan Hotel to readers Through unforgettable characters like the suave manager Marco Polo and receptionist Sata Bose Shankar offered an insiders view of the citys elite culture its business intrigues and hidden heartbreaksThe novel was adapted into a blockbuster Bengali film in 1968 and attained cult status It was translated into multiple Indian and foreign languages expanding Shankars readership far beyond BengalTwo of his other major works Seemabaddha and Jana Aranya formed part of Satyajit Rays acclaimed Calcutta trilogyRay known for his global cinematic legacy had personally called the young writer after reading Seemabaddha in a Puja annual asking him not to sell the film rights before informing him The resulting films brought Shankars sharply observed corporate and middleclass narratives to national and international audiences with Seemabaddha Company Limited and Jana Aranya The Middleman winning accolades at international festivalsAnother of his novels Man Samman was adapted into the Hindi film Sheesha by Basu Chatterjee while filmmakers like Ritwik Ghatak also attempted cinematic interpretations of his novel Kato Ajanare Over time Shankar became one of the rare Bengali authors whose fiction travelled seamlessly from page to screenYet despite his popularity he occupied a distinct literary space during decades dominated by stalwarts such as Sunil Gangopadhyay Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Samaresh MajumdarHis contemporaries often noted his discipline wit and generosity towards writers across generationsShirshendu Mukhopadhyay described him as a prolific author with a sharp sense of humour and deep respect for fellow litterateursShankars oeuvre was not limited to urban dramas He wrote extensively for younger readers and produced bestselling memoirs that blended nostalgia with social commentaryHis later works included deeply researched writings on Swami Vivekananda notably exploring both the spiritual and human dimensions of the monks lifeWhen some critics objected to his portrayal of Vivekanandas everyday habits his love for tea music and cooking senior monks of the Ramakrishna Mission defended his approach praising him for showing a human side of the towering figure he had once saidIn 2021 he was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his autobiographical work Eka Eka Ekashi His books have been translated into English Hindi Malayalam Gujarati French and Spanish ensuring his voice reached readers across linguistic boundariesShankar remained an acute observer of ambition and vulnerability of the clerk who dreams the executive who compromises the receptionist who survives the monk who doubtsWith his passing Bengal loses not merely a bestselling novelist but a chronicler of its postIndependence urban soul one who turned raindrenched pavements hotel lobbies and corporate boardrooms into enduring literatureHis death marks the end of an era but the neon lights of Chowringhee and the moral crossroads of Jana Aranya will continue to glow in the imagination of readers across India and 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