Rachana Samagra 3 by Sambhu Mitra [Hardcover]

Shambhu Mitra's Rachanasmagra (Collected Works) has previously been published in two volumes. Now, the third volume is out. The first volume, released in January 2014, includes his essays, stories, and plays written between 1942 and 1962. The second volume, released in January 2017, covers his works from 1962 to 1972, including essays, stories, and plays, with several important and necessary writings in the appendix. The third volume begins with his writings from 1973 and concludes with his final work, Natak Raktakorobi (The Play Raktakorobi), published in 1991. This volume contains not only essays but also stories, plays, and transcripts of his lectures. Together, the three volumes encompass fifty years of Shambhu Mitra's literary output. His works are arranged chronologically, allowing readers to trace the evolution of his thought and ideas. For readers and theater students alike, Shambhu Mitra Rachanasmagra is a priceless treasure.

Shambhu Mitra was born in 1915 in Bhabanipur, Kolkata, into an ordinary family. However, what is remarkable is that his passion for theater began in childhood. From his school days, he had an immense interest in recitation and acting. He jokingly referred to it as "the orbit of the planets"! Alongside this, he had an unusually intense curiosity about learning different subjects. Otherwise, why would a 19 or 20-year-old be reading Freud?

After his father retired, the family moved to Lucknow and Allahabad, and Shambhu Mitra went with them. With his father’s permission, he returned to Kolkata. It was then that theater became his life. He gained experience in regular theaters, formed close friendships with Maharshi Manoranjan Bhattacharya, and developed a bond with Shishir Kumar Bhadhuri. Along with this, he delved into a wide range of subjects. His thirst to understand theater led him to read not just plays or theater-related books, but also works on science. Moreover, he read poetry and performed recitations, many of which he had memorized. To keep himself fit for theater, he also practiced various forms of exercise.

All of this was for the theater. That is why, in his later years, at the age of eighty, he could say, “Everything I have done, everything I have read, everything I have thought, has been for the theater.” In 1985, he made his last stage appearance. Even after that, he continued to recite and read plays, earning the immense love of ordinary audiences. For them, the many honors he received—the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Padma Bhushan, the Magsaysay Award, the Desikottama Award, honorary doctorates from various universities—seemed insignificant. That is why, in his final will, he paid tribute to those countless admirers.

He passed away in 1997.