Syed Mustafa Siraj facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Syed Mustafa Siraj
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Syed Mustafa Siraj
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| Born | 14 October 1930 Murshidabad, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | September 4, 2012 (aged 81) Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Pen name | Iblis |
| Occupation | |
| Language | Bengali |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Berhampore College |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1962–2012 |
| Notable works | Aleek Manush, Neel Gharer Nati (1966), Colonel Niladri Sarkar, Amartya Premkatha (1988), Trinabhumi, Inspector Bramha, Bhautik Galpa Samagra, Tara Ashariri |
| Notable awards |
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| Spouse | Hasne Ara Siraj |
| Children |
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| Parents | Syed Abdur Rahman Ferdausi (father) Anwara Begum (mother) |
Syed Mustafa Siraj (born October 14, 1930 – died September 4, 2012) was a famous Indian writer. He wrote in the Bengali language. In 1994, he won the Sahitya Akademi Award. This award was for his novel Aleek Manush, which means Mythical Man. Many people think this is his most important work.
In 2005, one of his short stories was made into a movie. The story was "Ranirghater Brittanto", and the movie was called Faltu. Syed Mustafa Siraj wrote a lot! He wrote about 150 novels and 300 short stories. He also created a very popular detective character. This character is named Colonel Niladri Sarkar, also known as "Goenda Colonel" (Detective Colonel).
Contents
Life and Writing Journey
Early Life and Influences
Syed Mustafa Siraj was born in 1930 in a village called Khoshbaspur. This village is in the Murshidabad area of India. He grew up in a family that loved books and reading. His home had many books. He learned about several languages, like Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. His mother was a poet, and she really encouraged him.
When he was young, he was involved in politics that focused on helping ordinary people. He also joined a folk drama group called Aalkaap. He was part of this group for six years, from 1950 to 1956. In the group, he played the flute. He also taught folk dance and drama. He traveled to many rural areas in West Bengal, performing all night. These experiences later helped him write his stories.
Becoming a Writer
After a while, he decided to stop performing. He felt like he wanted to do something different with his life. So, he started writing poetry and short stories. Later, he moved to Kolkata. There, he became a serious writer. He quickly became famous for his short stories.
Some of his early famous stories include "Inti, Pisi O Ghatbabu" and "Bhalobasa O Down Train". "Bhalobasa O Down Train" was his first story published in a well-known magazine called Desh in 1962. He also worked as a journalist for a Bengali newspaper for many years.
Famous Works and Awards
Syed Mustafa Siraj wrote many novels and short stories. His first novel was Neel Gharer Nati (1966). This book was about a village performer. It was praised by many critics. His most famous novel is Aleek Manush (Mythical Man). This book won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1994. It also won the Bankim Puraskar. Aleek Manush has been translated into eleven different Indian languages.
He also won the Narasimha Das Memorial Award. This was for his novel Amartya Premkatha (1988). Some of his novels, like Nishimrigaya (1970) and Krishna Bari Phereni (1980), were made into Bengali films. His short story "Ranir Ghater Brittanta" was also made into the film Faltu in 2006. This film was later chosen for the National Film Awards.
Other important novels he wrote include Trinabhumi, Kingbadantir Nayak, and Uttar Jahnabi. Trinabhumi was translated into all major Indian languages. Many of his short stories have also been translated. These include "Mrityur Ghora" and "Rakter Pratyasha". They have been translated into languages like Hindi, Urdu, and Tamil.
Colonel Niladri Sarkar: The Detective
Syed Mustafa Siraj is well-known for creating the detective character Colonel Niladri Sarkar. Colonel Sarkar is the hero who solves mysteries and finds criminals. These stories are very popular with readers of all ages.
Colonel Sarkar is a retired army officer. He is a bit unusual but very smart. A journalist named Jayanta usually tells the stories. Jayanta often goes with the Colonel on his adventures. Sometimes, a retired police officer named Mr. K.K. Halder also joins them. Colonel Sarkar loves collecting butterflies and studying birds. He smokes pipes and has a long, white beard. He is also cheerful and likes to use Bengali sayings and nursery rhymes.
Writing for Young Readers
Syed Mustafa Siraj first became famous for writing for adults. He wrote many novels and short stories for them. Later in his life, he started writing for children too. He did this because there was a big demand for children's books in Bengali.
Books Translated into English
Not many of Syed Mustafa Siraj's works have been translated into English.
- In 2004, a professor named Nivedita Sen translated some of his popular children's stories. These stories featured the detective Colonel Niladri. The collection is called The Colonel Investigates.
- In 2012, Nivedita Sen also translated a collection of 10 short stories called Die, Said the Tree and Other Stories.
- In 2005, his famous novel Aleek Manush was translated into English as Mythical Man.
Movies Based on His Books
Several movies have been made from Syed Mustafa Siraj's stories:
- Faltu (2006)
- Chandragrohon (2008)
- Brihonnola (2014)
- Teenkahon (2014)
- Dharmajuddha (2021)
