Durbin by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay [Hardcover]

"For over two years, 'Durbin' has been published serially in the weekly magazine Desh, a powerful and sensitive creation by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. Set against the backdrop of the latter part of the second decade and into the 1980s, the novel captures all the changes in social life through an astonishingly curious and vast narrative.

The story spans three generations, starting with the first generation represented by the zamindar Hemkant. At the beginning of this novel, we see a bucket from Hemkant’s well fall into the water, and this seemingly trivial incident leads Hemkant to contemplate death. The first section of the novel revolves around the widower Hemkant and a strong-willed priest’s daughter named Rangamoyi, exploring their secret love story and other related family narratives.

The second generation’s protagonist is Krishnakant. Blessed with god-like beauty and a strong character, the young Krishnakant stands in stark contrast to his father, Hemkant. Motivated by the Swadeshi movement, Krishnakant’s journey into celibacy and his radical transformation after the partition of India forms the core of the second section.

The third and final generation is represented by Dhruv, a confused and rebellious young man at the turn of the twentieth century. His relationship with his wife Remi is peculiar—sometimes love, sometimes neglect, and at other times intense animosity. Yet, Remi's love remains unwavering despite a hundred blows. The final part focuses on Dhruv’s struggle to reconcile his relationship with Remi and his father's (Krishnakant's) celibate dedication to the nation, highlighting his sense of failure in finding that essence.

Not only does this novel tell the personal stories of three protagonists, but it also encompasses a multitude of diverse and intriguing subplots within its vast framework. 'Durbin' is marked as an unforgettable creation for its significant representation of the Swadeshi movement, the partition, and the tumultuous days and nights following independence.

Just as 'Durbin' brings the distant close, it also shows how a lens can distort perspective. In naming the novel, there is subtlety, and in its narrative style, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay brings forth innovation. This dual-layered novel uniquely intertwines the past and present in an exceptional manner. It has been awarded the Anand Puraskar."