Eminent Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay dies of a heart attack

One of India’s most renowned authors and Sahitya Akademi president, Sunil Gangopadhyay (78) or Sunil Ganguly died of a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning in his Kolkata residence.

Sunil Gangopadhyay, who was extremely popular contemporary writer in Bengal, was born in 1934, in Faridpur district (now Bangladesh).  He was associated with Bengal’s largest publication house Ananda Bazar group. Gangopadhyay was the founder editor of Krittibas (1953), an influential poetry magazine which later became a platform for new poets.

He had authored more than 200 books including short stories, novels, plays, travelogues and children’s books. His best-selling novels include ‘Pratham Alo’, ‘Purbo-Paschim’, ‘Kakababu series’ Ranu O Bhanu. However he always claimed that poetry was his first love. His Nikhilesh and Neera series of poems are hugely popular in Bengal. He used the pen-names ‘Nil Lohit’, ‘Sanatan Pathak’, and ‘Nil Upadhyay’.

For his historical fiction Sei Somoy (Those days) he received the Indian Sahitya Akademi award in 1985. He also won the Bankim Puraskar in 1982 and the Ananda Puraskar in 1972 and 1989.

Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray made two critically acclaimed films on Gangopadhyay’s two novels ‘Pratidwandi’ and ‘Aranyer Din Raatri’.

With his sudden demise Bengal lost a great poet and novelist.

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