Hemendra Kumar Roy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hemendra Kumar Roy
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| Born | 2 September 1888 Kolkata
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| Died | 18 April 1963 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Writer |
Hemendra Kumar Roy (born September 2, 1888 – died April 18, 1963) was a famous Indian writer. He wrote in the Bengali language. He is well-known for helping to create children's literature in Bengali.
Roy was also a pioneer in Bengali detective fiction. He created popular characters like the detective duo 'Jayanta-Manik' and the adventurers 'Bimal-Kumar'. His stories often featured Jayanta, his helper Manik, and police inspector Sunderbabu. Hemendra Kumar Roy also translated famous books into Bengali, including the Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyám. He also translated Alice in Wonderland into Bengali, calling it 'Ajab Deshe Amala'.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps as a Writer
Hemendra Kumar Roy was born in Kolkata in 1888. His family was well-off. His father, Radhikaprasad Roy, was a talented musician. He played the esraj, a string instrument. His father often performed at the famous Star Theatre in North Kolkata.
Hemendra Kumar Roy got some of his artistic talent from his father. His very first story was called Amar Kahini. It was published in a magazine called Basudha in 1903. In 1916, he joined a group of writers. They published their work in the Bharati journal. He also wrote many scary stories for children.
Becoming a Famous Children's Author
In 1925, Hemendra Kumar Roy became the editor of a magazine called Nachghar. He also helped edit other literary magazines, like Rongmoshal. Over the next few decades, Hemendra Kumar Roy wrote more than 80 books for children.
He was very important in creating detective, horror, and science-fiction stories for young readers in Bengali. In 1930, his first detective story was published in Mouchak magazine.
Meet His Famous Characters
Hemendra Kumar Roy is best remembered for creating two popular duos:
- Bimal-Kumar: These are adventure heroes. Their adventure story Jokher Dhan is one of his most famous works for children.
- Jayanta-Manik: These are detective heroes. A recurring character in their stories was Inspector Sunderbabu. He was a friendly police officer who loved to eat.
Roy believed in supernatural things. He often used ghosts and mysteries in his adventure and detective stories. In his book Ratrir Jatri, he introduced new detective characters. They were Hemanta Choudhury and his friend Robin.
Beyond Children's Books
Besides writing for children, Roy also wrote many essays, short stories, and novels for adults. He adapted stories from foreign authors into Bengali. He was also a painter and a choreographer for plays. He wrote a book of song lyrics called Jaubaner Gaan (meaning 'The Song of Youth'). Many of these songs were set to music and sung by famous Bengali singers. Even Kazi Nazrul Islam composed music for Roy's lyrics.
One of his short stories, Sindur Chupri, was translated into German. It was included in a collection of short stories. He also created a comic series called Tara Teen Bondhu (meaning 'Those Three Friends'). This series had seven short stories. The three main characters, Atal, Patol, and Nakul, became very popular with children and young people.
His Stories on Screen
Many of Hemendra Kumar Roy's works have been adapted into films and television shows:
- His story 'Dersho Khokar Kando' (meaning 'The Deeds of 150 Boys') was made into a film.
- Abar Jokher Dhon and Ratrir Jatri were adapted for television.
- His story Nishithini Bibhisikha was made into a Bengali movie called Jighansha in 1951.
- The superhit Hindi film Bees Saal Baad (1962) was also based on Nishithini Bibhisikha.
- In 1939, a movie named Jakher Dhan was made. It was based on his novel of the same name. This film was a very popular thriller in Bengali literature. A TV show based on the same story was also aired in the 1990s.
- Another Bengali movie called Jawker Dhan was released in August 2017.
