সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায়ের পাঁচটি প্রেম কাহিনী

In creating uniqueness, Sunil Gangopadhyay is both a pioneer and an eclectic when it comes to selecting themes for his novels. His stories are not confined to the familiar middle-class life. He has sourced material for his novels from history, the recent past, and even the distant realms of mythology. This wide-ranging approach has enriched his creative world, offering readers a diverse and multi-faceted experience.

In this book, the author has compiled five love stories, drawing from myths and folklore. Each story revolves around love, an undeniable thread that runs through human existence. Although love is born from the mind and body, it exists far above natural instincts. Therefore, even after the death of an individual, love remains immortal, and humanity accepts love as eternal. The conflicts, sorrows, joys, and pains of mythological characters such as Radha and Krishna, Nala and Damayanti, Shakuntala and Dushyanta, or even the Western figures Tristan and Isolde, continue to resonate in the modern age. The author retells these timeless love stories with extraordinary creative skill. Despite their mythical origins, the characters feel familiar, becoming more real and alive, grounded in our world of flesh and blood.

When recreating these stories, the author deliberately avoids the overwhelming sense of the supernatural and the devout fervor often found in myth and medieval folklore. Yet, this careful omission does not diminish the essence of the original stories; in fact, it enriches them further. For instance, in the love story of Radha and Krishna, the Krishna portrayed is never a god. By setting aside his many divine acts, the author focuses on the Krishna of Vrindavan, who is like any ordinary person—a mischievous cowherd and a lover deeply enamored by Radha’s beauty. The author has crafted this rich narrative, inspired by ancient poems and myths, using his own language.

This approach is consistent in all the other stories as well. Through the beauty of his writing, each story becomes as eternal and indescribable as love itself—timeless, yet relevant to the present. This collection of love stories includes: Sonali Dukkho (Golden Sorrow), Damayanti, Radha-Krishna, Shakuntala, and Swapnavasavadatta.