Bengali Literature Icon Mani Sankar Mukhopadhyay Passes Away at 92

Renowned Bengali writer Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Sankar, passed away at the age of 92 at a private hospital in Kolkata. The Sahitya Akademi award-winning author was undergoing treatment at Peerless Hospital, where he breathed his last around 1 pm. His demise marks the end of an era in Bengali literature.

Sankar was best known for his iconic novels Chowringhee, Seemabaddha, and Jana Aranya, which captured the complexities of urban life in Kolkata. First published in 1962, Chowringhee portrayed the struggles and ambitions of a young man navigating the elite social circles of the city. The novel’s vivid depiction of life at the Shahjahan Hotel made it an enduring classic.

Several of his works were adapted for the screen, further cementing his legacy. Seemabaddha and Jana Aranya were famously adapted into films by acclaimed filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Earlier, noted director Ritwik Ghatak had begun working on a film based on Sankar’s debut novel, though the project remained incomplete due to financial constraints.

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Through his writings, Sankar immortalised Kolkata, portraying both its glamour and its struggles with remarkable depth. His works often reflected the aspirations and hardships of the common man, resonating with generations of readers. In addition to fiction, his research-based writings, including works on Swami Vivekananda, were widely appreciated.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed profound grief over his passing, describing it as an irreparable loss to the cultural world. In a message shared on social media, she remembered him as one of the brightest stars of Bengali literature whose creations will continue to inspire readers for years to come.

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