Apu, Bibhutibhushan And Me

When I've read first 'Pather Panchali' child edition in school in early 70s, I came to know that a film also made baaed on this book. 'Aam Antir Bhepu' (আম আঁটির ভেঁপু) was also a chapter of this book we had to study in school. I had a scope soon to watch the film 'Pather Panchali'. But, the original novel was yet to come to me.

.    I've read the original 'Pather Panchali' book borrowing from library. We had a vast library in school and I used to love the story books of that library instead my books for studies. Every Saturday, after the leave, the teacher used to call the names and gave us a book to brought it to home to read on Sunday. By this way, I've read many popular story books written for children.

.   Gradually, I became fan of author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, not only for his 'Pather Panchali', but 'Aparajito' and many other novels including his famous short story books. I could relate me with Apu - the central character of Pather Panchali and Aparajito. I liked the narration of Nature even it was futile or meaningless for common people. 

.. But, the imaginative way the author established Nature - it was unique in Bengali literature. The joy, the sorrow, the happiness, the grief, the goodness, the innocence, the fear and tenacity - Apu had, I felt within, and loved this character very much. Since then, curiosity grew within my mind to know more about the author, the writer of Apu. 

Gradually I had collected research works done on Bibhutibhushan. I came to know that Bibhutibhushan never went to Africa, but he wrote 'Chander Pahar' book based on desert, forest and mountains of Africa, which astonished us. He had a soft heart sympathetic always for the penniless and poor, although they had a kind heart. 

.  Bibhutibhushan himself was from a poor family in a village of Bengal, and thus, he inherited a kind heart too. He used to love the nameless tiny flowers of roadside and the futile trees of playgrounds. He loved to walk and thus toured many hilly and forest areas of Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand. When he became middle aged, he became father of a son and seen the God in his son. He then became devoted to God. Unfortunately, he became fell ill and departed us at the age of only 56.

..  We are fortunate that, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray choose the timeless classic 'Pather Panchali' of Bibhutibhushan as his debut film, and he wasn't stopped there - he had made 'Apu Trilogy' by adopting another Apu book 'Aparajito' of Bibhutibhushan and made three all time classic movies - "Pather Panchali", " Aparajito" and "Apur Sansar". Later, in the year 1973, he made " Ashani Sanket" - a movie based on by the novel of Bibhutibhushan of the same name. 

..  This 12 September is the 128th birthday of my most favourite author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay and thus remembering him and thanked God that I got scope to read his immortal books.