|
Young World
Sleuth from Calcutta
NIMI KURIAN
|
Feluda, Tapesh and Lalmohan Babu invariably stumble upon one mystery after the other...
|
Satyajit Ray, more popular for his award winning movies created an endearing sleuth, Feluda. Originally published in Bengali, the books have been translated into English by Gopa Majumdar and brought out by Penguin.
Pradosh C. Mitter, called Feluda by his cousin Tapesh, is much like Holmes. Ray wrote a total of 35 Feluda stories between 1965 and 1992. Mysteries and problems seem to present themselves to him on a platter. Ably assisted by his cousin Tapesh, whom he endearingly calls Topshe, and always accompanied by Lalmohan Babu (also known as Jatayu) a writer of crime fiction, the trio unravel many a mystery. Tapesh, much like Watson, narrates the stories.
The Emperor's Ring was the first novel to feature the master sleuth Feluda. While on holiday in Lucknow, a priceless Mughal ring is stolen. Following his nose and the many deductions he makes, Feluda unravels the mystery. In The Curse of the Goddess, Feluda and his gang of three are off on a holiday to Hazaribagh and once again they stumble on an adventure.
In The House of Death there is a missing manuscript and then a dead body turns up in an abandoned house. Feluda is always calm, taking stock of the situation and assessing people. In the end, he apprehends the culprit having found him out by simple logic. The Mystery of the Elephant God is centred on Varanasi during the Durga puja when the statuette of Ganesh goes missing. And it's Feluda to the rescue.
Feluda is an interesting detective to follow and his methods are simple. His assistant Tapesh is lovable and his observations realistic. The idea of Feluda was born when Ray revived a children's magazine Sandesh started by his father. It was in the pages of Sandesh that Feluda came to life and popularity. And today with the translations children all over can enjoy the antics of Feluda.
The Adventures of Feluda: The House of Death, The Curse of the Goddess, The Mystery of the Elephant God by Satyajit Ray, translated from Bengali by Gopa Majumdar published by Puffin Books; Rs. 99 each.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
|
