SUNIL GANGOPADHYAY [1934-2012]
Sunil Gangopadhyay was an Indian poet and novelist. Born in Faridpur, Bangladesh, Gangopadhyay obtained his Master’s
degree in Bengali from the University of Calcutta, In 1953 he with few of his friends started a Bengali poetry magazine Krittibas.

Later he wrote for many different publications.

Gangopadhyay created the Bengali fi ctional character Kakababu and wrote a series of novels on this character which
became legendary in Indian children’s literature. In 1982 he received Sahitya Akademi award in 1985 for his novel Th ose Days (Sei Samaya). Gangopadhyay used the pen names Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak, and Nil Upadhyay. He was the founder editor of Krittibas, a seminal poetry magazine started publishing from 1953, that became a platform for a new generation of poets experimenting with many new forms in poetic themes, rhythms, and words. Author of well over 200 books, Sunil was a prolifi c writer who has excelled in diff erent genres but declares poetry to be his “fi rst love”. His Nikhilesh and Neera series of poems (some of which have been translated as For You, Neera and Murmur in the Woods) have been extremely popular. Based on the works of Gangopadhyay Satyajit Ray made two fi lms Pratidwandi and Aranyer Din Ratri, Sabuj Dwiper Raja (1979) directed by Tapan Sinha, Kakababu Here Gelen? (1996) directed by Pinaki Chaudhuri, Ek Tukro Chand (2003) directed by Pinaki Caudhuri. Sunil Gangopadhyay passed away on 23 October 2012 at his South Kolkata residence, following a massive heart attack. Indian President Pranab Mukherjee condoled the death of Gangopadhyay saying–Gangopadhyay had enriched Bengali literature through his unique style. He was one of the best intellectuals among his contemporaries. Th e vacuum created by his death cannot be filled.

An anecdote about Sunil Gangopadhyay doing the rounds is that he had gift ed his fi rst novel to an associate, saying that
if the book was not readable it could at least come of use when pushed under a wobbly desk. His books instead landed up in best-seller lists.

We hope that his soul rest in peace and his work will be appreciated and cherished by generations to come.