Saptapadi of Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay is our latest audio book. This novel, first published in 1958, is remembered as a cinema following its huge box office success with Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen in the caste in 1961. The movie is still equally popular for its romantic presentation. The novel Saptapadi is not really so romantic.
The hero of Saptapadi, Kalachand Gupta comes to Kolkata for higher studies. He has brought with himself his rustic dialect and simplicity. At the same time he is strong and robust, brave and wild, always full of energy with a daredevil attitude towards life. He soon wins applause with his vigour and skill in football, acting and even surgery. Kalachand becomes Krishnendu. He falls in love with Rina Brown for whom he renounces his family, society and his religion. But Rina refuses him. She tells him point-blank that if he quits his god for her, he would quit her for a more beautiful woman.
Rina’s refusal has a strong impact on Krishnendu. Rina disappears from his life. Krishnendu accepts Rina’s words. He had already become a Christian, of course, for Rina. Now be becomes a devotee of god and dedicates his life to his service as a doctor. He joins the church and builds a dispensary in a remote village.
Rina comes back a few years later. But now this is a completely different Rina. This time Krishnendu reappears in Rina’s life as a saint. He returns her to normal life of dignity.
Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay seems rather too harsh on the hero of Saptapoadi. Why should Krishnendu fall a victim to leprosy and be exiled?
About Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay
Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay (July 23, 1898 – September 14, 1971) IS ONE OF THE GREATEST novelists of Bengali literature. His novels, particularly written in the backdrop of his native area, Labhpur of Birbhum have the solidity of a complete novel. When we read his masterpieces like Ganadebata or Hansuli Banker Upakatha, we have a total grasp of the locality and its inhabitants, their manners and customs, their dialect along with their socioeconomic condition.
The duration of Saptapadi is about 3 hours and 48 minutes. Members may collect besides Saptapadi, audio version of Hansuli Banker Upakatha from our library. We shall soon release Sandipan Pathshala. Keep checking our web catalogue of audio books for new issues.