Feluda Rahasya by Prasenjit Dasgupta [Hardcover]

When one thinks of a Bengali detective, the image of a 6 feet 2 inches tall, sharp-nosed young man comes to mind. He keeps a diary written in Greek letters, in the English language. Not just a Colt 32 revolver, his real weapon is his intellect. His friend, a writer of thrillers, has modeled his detective Prokhor Rudra after him. Despite Soumitra Chatterjee embodying the role for the last fifty years, Bengalis have not fully understood this familiar figure. Thus, he remains shrouded in mystery—our beloved Feluda.

There is no end to the puzzles surrounding the life of the clever and adventurous detective Felu Mitra, which is why this book exists. From Feluda's humor to his interest in the racecourse, nothing is left out in this book. Reading it, one can truly visualize Pradosh Chandra Mitra, the private investigator residing at Rajani Sen Road in South Kolkata, nicknamed Felu. Feluda is indeed aided in his detective work by his cousin brother, Topshe. Joining their adventures is the writer friend Lalmohan Ganguly, who writes under the pseudonym Jatayu. Topshe narrates Feluda's stories in a novelistic style. From the first publication in 1965 till 1997, Topshe wrote a total of 35 complete and 4 incomplete adventure stories of Feluda. This book is a comprehensive analysis—examining how much of Feluda's detective work is influenced by indigenous and foreign elements. It delves into various unexplored aspects of the real-life Feluda, Topshe, and Jatayu's lives. Much like William Baring-Gould did for Sherlock Holmes, 'Feluda Rahasya' attempts to see Feluda fifty years after his inception. The book includes villains, child characters, collectors, female characters, police, and other detectives. It explores sociology and psychology, details related to murder, reasons behind some unfinished writings, and even Feluda's mistakes.