


It was Shankar Roy Chaudhary and his relentless yearning for adventure that instilled a gnawing wanderlust in us Bong kids, much before Christopher McCandless made it fashionable. Shankar Roy Chaudhary, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay Feluda’s whip smart demeanour and dynamic personality, as he’s constantly working on his ‘Mogojastro’, make him the super sleuth we Bangalees worship and will do so for ages to come. Feluda, Satyajit Rayīengal’s very own Sherlock Holmes, the image of brooding hottie Prodosh Mitter smoking his Charminar cigarettes, while going about unravelling mysteries is one that will induce happiness without fail. Gora’s impelling attitude coupled with his optimism and orthodox beliefs, will make you oscillate between feelings of appreciation and repugnance for him. While on the exterior he might exude arrogance and a burning need for self assertion, he is an extremely sympathetic and patriotic person and cannot stand injustice. The protagonist is a man of contradictions, with a very nuanced personality.

One of the most complex and highly-acclaimed novels penned by Tagore, Gora is a philosophical study of human emotions. Here is a list of some of the most popular and iconic characters in Bangla literature which will tug at your heartstrings with sheer nostalgia. From hilarious comic strips, science-fiction, adventure-travel, murder mysteries – Bengali literature traverses all genres.
