Kolkata: Noted litterateur and Sahitya Akademi President Sunil Gangopadhyay died in the early hours of Tuesday in Kolkata. He was 78 and is survived by his wife Swati and son.
The contemporary Bengali writer was one of India’s literary giants. His voluminous work spanned poetry, novels, short stories, essays and children’s fiction, but he always referred to himself as a poet, first and foremost.
Speaking to Gulf News, Swati said that the poet had become very weak as he was suffering from cancer over the last few years, and was unable to eat food. “Though he was suffering, he was not bedridden. He continued to work and even this year he had written a number of stories for the Puja specials,” she informed.
“He fell down in the bathroom around 1.30am. By the time the doctor came in, he was no more,” said Swati. Gangopadhyay’s body has been kept at a funeral parlour till his cremation on Wednesday. The last rites will be conducted as soon as his son arrives from Boston, family sources said.
Born on September 7, 1934, in Faridpur district of Bangladesh, the poet and novelist was a connoisseur of Bengali literature. The author of short stories, novels, plays, critical commentary, travelogues and children’s literature had always maintained that poetry was his first love. His Nikhilesh and Neera series of poems are hugely popular. Gangopadhyay, who used the pen names such as Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak, and Nil Upadhyay won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1985 for his extensively researched novel Sei Samay. His notable and best-selling works also include Pratham Alo and Purbo-Paschim. He was the winner of the Bankim Puraskar in 1982 and the Ananda Puraskar twice — in 1972 and 1989.
His novels Pratidwandi and Aranyer Din Raatri were adapted into feature films by the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
A pall of gloom descended on India’s cultural capital as many rued the loss of one of the doyens of modern Bengali literature. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mourned Gangopadhyay’s death. “His contribution to Bengali literature is unquestionable and his death is a great loss for Bengal,” Banerjee said.
Dada Saheb Phalke award winner and noted actor Soumitra Chatterjee recalled his days with the poet. “I had known Sunil for very many years. He was primarily a poet and then a author. Even few months ago while he was battling this disease he had written poems. No one will be able to replace this humongous loss.”