Literary works of Satyajit Ray



Satyajit Ray (1921–1992), a Bengali film director from India, is well known for his contributions to Bengali literature. He created two of the most famous characters in Feluda the sleuth and Professor Shanku the scientist. He wrote several short novels and stories in addition to those based on these two characters. His fiction was targeted mainly at younger readers, though it became popular among children and adults alike.

Most of his novels and stories in Bengali have been published by Ananda Publishers, Kolkata; and most of his screenplays have been published in Bengali in the literary journal Ekshan, edited by his close friend Nirmalya Acharya. During the mid-1990s, Ray's film essays and an anthology of short stories were also published in the West. Many of the stories have been translated into English and published.

Feluda stories
Feluda, whose real name is Pradosh Chandra Mitra, is a fictional Kolkata-based private detective. He is usually accompanied by 2 sidekicks: Topshe (his cousin–Tapesh Ranjan Mitra) and Lalmohan Ganguly, usually described as Lalmohan Babu (who himself writes under the pseudonym of Jatayu), a bumbling writer of crime fiction. Satyajit Ray wrote thirty-five Feluda stories, most of which were extremely popular, and made two of the Feluda stories into films: Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) (1974) and Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God) (1978).

Professor Shanku stories
Professor Shanku (Professor Shonku), or Trilokeshwar Shanku, is a fictional scientist appearing in a series of science-fiction books. He lives in Giridih beside the river Usri. He has a male servant named Prahllad and a cat named Newton living in the house. He was a child prodigy and achieved several academic distinctions. He has his own laboratory in his house, where he does research for many new and fantastic inventions. He is world-renowned for the armory of these diverse inventions. The adventures of Professor Shanku are set in several countries throughout the world.

Tarini khuro stories
Tarini khuro (Tarini Uncle) is an aged bachelor (khuro is an old Bengali term meaning uncle) who can tell interesting stories based on his weird experiences. Many of these stories border on being horror stories or spooky stories, while some of the stories depict the smartness and quick wit of Tarini khuro.

Bankubabur Bandhu
Bankubabur Bandhu (Banku Babu's Friend or Mr. Banku's Friend) was a Bengali science fiction story Ray had written in 1962 for Sandesh, the Ray family magazine, which gained popularity among Bengalis in the early 1960s. What differentiated Bankubabur Bandhu from previous science fiction was the portrayal of an alien from outer space as a kind and playful being, invested with magical powers and capable of interacting with children, in contrast to earlier science fiction works, which portrayed aliens as dangerous creatures.

Several science fiction films were inspired by the story, including Ray's own script for The Alien (which was eventually cancelled in the late 1960s), Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Rakesh Roshan's Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), which itself inspired the Indonesian television series Si Yoyo. The story of Bankubabur Bandhu itself was eventually adapted into a television film by Satyajit's son Sandip Ray alongside Kaushik Sen in 2006.

Other short stories
Satyajit Ray penned many short stories not based on any famous characters. These stories, which used to be published as collections of twelve stories, were mostly urbane and were very unassuming until the very last line or last paragraph, where suddenly a new revelation left the reader amazed. Many of these stories dealt with the way trivial incidents change the course of one's life, while some other stories were chilling horror stories. The language of the stories was very straightforward and lucid.

Ray also translated some short stories (mostly adventure stories) from English and a collection of stories named Brazil-er Kalo Bagh was published. He also translated Ray Bradbury's 'Third Expedition' from Martian Chronicles as 'Mongol-i Shorgo' (Mars is Heaven).

Other books

 * Ekei Bole Shooting
 * Apur Panchali
 * Toray Bandha Ghorar Dim
 * Mollah Nasiruddin-er Galpo
 * Brazil-er Kalo Bagh
 * Pikoor Diary O Onnanyo
 * Jakhon Chhoto Chilam
 * Sujon Harbola
 * Protikriti
 * Bishoy Chalochitro
 * Our Films Their Films
 * Kanchenjungha (film script)
 * Nayak (film script)
 * Sakhaprosakha (film script)
 * My Years with Apu: A Memoir
 * Deep Focus

12 Series

 * Ek Dojon Gappo
 * Aaro Ek Dojon
 * Aaro Baro
 * Ebaro Baro
 * Bah! Baro
 * Eker Pithe Dui
 * Jabor Baro

Short stories

 * ankliya
 * Pterodactyl-er Dim
 * Bonkubabu'r Bondhu
 * Master Ansumaan
 * Anko Sir, Golapi Babu O Tipu
 * Shibu O Rakkhos-er Katha
 * Spot-Light
 * Rontur Dadu
 * Sujon Harbola
 * Taposher Jonaki
 * Raton O Lokkhi
 * Pikoo'r Diary
 * Mayurkonthi Jelly
 * Arjosekhor-er Janmo O Mrityu
 * Kaagtaruya
 * Bahuroopi
 * Sahodeb Babu'r Portrait
 * Brown Saheb-er Baari
 * Sadaanand-er Khude Jagot
 * Professor Hiji-bij-bij
 * Baatik Babu
 * Bhakto
 * Bishful
 * Load Shedding
 * Mr. Shasmol-er Shesh Raatri
 * Pintu'r Dadu
 * First Class Kamra
 * Dhappa
 * Maanpatro
 * Apodartho
 * Sadhon Babu'r Sandeho
 * Lakhpoti
 * Needhiram-er Ichchha Puron
 * Kanayi-er Kathaa
 * Gangaram-er kapaal
 * Nitai O Mahapurush
 * Hauee
 * Protikriti
 * Norris Shaheb-er Bunglow
 * Kutum Katam
 * Ganesh Mutshuddi'r Portrait
 * Notun Bondhu
 * Shishu Saahityik
 * Mohim Sanyal-er Ghatona
 * Nitai Babu'r Moina
 * Sahojaatri
 * Duyi Bondhu
 * Shilpi
 * Akshaye Babu'r Shiksha
 * Proshonna Sir
 * Abhiraam
 * Sobuj Manush
 * Khagam

Anthologies

 * Golpo 101 (One Hundred and One Stories)
 * Sera Satyajit (Best of Satyajit)
 * Aro Satyajit (More stories by Satyajit)
 * Feluda Samagra 1 & 2
 * Shanku Samagra
 * Prabandha Sangraha

Poetry
Satyajit Ray translated and wrote some limericks that were published in a collection–Toray Bandha Ghorar Dim (A bunch of Horse-Eggs!). He was also the translator of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. In translation, the poem is renamed 'Joborkhaki'.

Mullah Nasiruddin
A collection of very short stories based on Mullah Nasiruddin (a fictional character from the Middle East known for his witty and comic character) was collected by Satyajit Ray and published as Mullah Nasiruddiner Galpo (Stories of Mullah Nasiruddin).

Fatik Chand
Fatik Chand is a dramatic mystery about the adventures of a kidnapped Calcutta schoolboy, written in Bengali. The book was made into a film in 1983 entitled Phatik Chand.

Others
Sujan Harbola (Sujan the Mimic) is a collection of fables. Ekei Bole Shooting is a collection of Satyajit Ray's experiences and reflections during the making of his films. Jakhon Choto Chilam is a memoir dealing with his childhood days. Our Films, Their Films is an anthology of film criticism. Bishoy Chalachitro is another book by Ray on films.

Individual films

 * Apu Trilogy