Manash (Subhaditya Edusoft): Sukumar Roy : His Great Nonsese World of Abol Tabol Part-5

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Sukumar Roy : His Great Nonsese World of Abol Tabol Part-5

Sukumar Roy`s Four Poems From Abol Tabol

Sukumar Ray with His famous creations of Abol Tabol (3D picture created by me (Manash Kundu) in 3D Max)

Sukumar Ray:

(1887–1923) was a Bengali humorous poet, story writer and playwright who mainly wrote for children. As perhaps the most famous Indian practitioner of literary nonsense, he is often compared to Lewis Carroll. His works such as the collection of poems "Aboltabol" (Bengali: আবোলতাবোল)("Gibberish"), novella "HaJaBaRaLa" (Bengali: হযবরল), short story collection "Pagla Dashu" (Bengali: পাগলা দাশু; "Crazy Dashu") and play "Chalachittachanchari" (Bengali: চলচিত্তচঞ্চরী) are considered nonsense masterpieces equal in stature to Alice in Wonderland, and are regarded as some of the greatest treasures of Bengali literature. More than 80 years after his death, Ray remains one of the most popular of children's writers in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Sukumar Ray was the son of famous children's story writer Upendrakishore Ray (Ray Chowdhury) and the father of legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray and grandfather of famous Bengali filmmaker Sandip Ray.

Life of Sukumar Roy:

In 1906, Ray graduated with Hons. in Physics and Chemistry from the Presidency College, Kolkata. He was trained in photography and printing technology in England at the School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography, London, and was a pioneer of photography and lithography in India. While in England, he also delivered lectures about the songs of Rabindranath before he (Tagore) won the Nobel Prize. Meanwhile, Sukumar had also drawn acclaim as an illustrator. As a technologist, he also developed new methods of halftone blockmaking, and technical articles about this were published in journals in England.

Book Cover of Collection of all Writings of Sukumar Roy

Upendrakishore started a publishing firm, U. Ray and Sons, which Sukumar and Subinay helped to run. While Sukumar went to England to learn printing technology, Upendrakishore purchased land, constructed a building, and set up a printing press with facilities for high-quality halftone colour blockmaking and printing. He also launched the children's magazine, "Sandesh" (Bengali: সন্দেশ). Very soon after Sukumar's return from England, Upendrakishore died, and Sukumar ran the printing and publishing businesses and the Sandesh (magazine) for about eight years. His younger brother Subinoy helped him, and many relatives pitched in writing for "Sandesh".

Apart from the cultural and creative activities, Sukumar Ray was also a young man who was a leader of the reformist wing in the Brahmo Samaj. The Barahmo Samaj is the monotheistic unitarian branch of Hinduism launched by Raja Rammohan Roy following the philosophy of the monotheistic Hindu scripture Isha-Upanishad of 7th Century BC. Sukumar Ray wrote a long poem "Atiter Katha" (Bengali: অতীতের কথা), which was a popular presentation of the history of the Brahmo Samaj—it was published as a small booklet to introduce the rationale of the Brahmo Samaj to children. Sukumar also campaigned to bring in Rabindranath Tagore, the most famous Brahmo of his time, as a leader of the Samaj.

Death:

Sukumar Ray died on September 10, 1923 of severe infectious fever, leishmaniasis, for which there was no cure at the time. He left behind his widow and their only child, Satyajit. Satyajit Ray would later become the most well known of Indian filmmakers and shoot a documentary on Sukumar Ray in 1987, 5 years before his own death.

Book Cover of Sukumar Roy`s Abol Tabol

Abol Tabol:

Sukumar Roy`s one of the best literally creation was "Abol Tabol" . Abol Tabol was unique journey towards nonsense world with a childish simplicity and intellectual insight. "Abol Tabol" can only compared with the "Alice in The Wonderland" . Different unique characters like Hansjaru, Kathburo, Bombagarer Raja can transformed readers to the unique beautiful world of Abol Tabol Where anyone can freely and lovingly lost their soul and mind after facing regular hardcore working life.

Here I created some of 21 characters and animations in 3D Max from 21 poems of Sukumar Roy`s Abol Tabol which I Gradually post here in a Four Poem Series.