Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (born September 15, 1876, Debanandapur [now in West Bengal], India—died January 16, 1938, Calcutta [now Kolkata]) was one of the most celebrated Bengali writers of the 20th century, known for novels such as Parineeta (“Married Woman”; 1914), Devdas (1917), Charitraheen (“Characterless”; 1917), Srikanta (1917–33; published in four parts), Pather Dabi (The Right of Way; 1926), and Sesh Prashna (The Final Question; 1931). His novels, adapted into more than 40 films across various Indian languages, continue to attract readers and viewers. Known especially for his psychological insights and nuanced portrayals of Bengali society, particularly of Bengali women, Chattopadhyay’s popularity extended beyond Bengal. He was awarded the Jagattarini Gold Medal by the University of Calcutta in 1923 and an honorary doctorate by University of Dacca (now in Bangladesh) in 1936.

Personal life and experiences

Chattopadhyay was the second child of Motilal Chattopadhyay, a scholar and failed aspirant of literary success, and Bhubanmohini Devi. His early life was marked by financial hardships. Despite the distress, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s literary sensibilities and inclinations were nurtured, influenced in no small part by his father’s literary pursuits, as he later acknowledged:

[My father] tried his hand at short stories, novels, plays and poems….I vividly recall the many hours I spent in my childhood reading his unfinished writings again and again….I passed many sleepless nights brooding over the end of those stories. Perhaps because of this I started writing stories at the age of seventeen.

His mother molded his personality through her quiet fortitude and self-sacrifice—qualities often reflected in his female characters. Financial trouble forced his family to move to Bhagalpur in Bihar. Although Chattopadhyay passed the entrance exam (equivalent to a secondary school certification exam) in 1894, his inability to pay the fee prevented him from taking the university exam. In 1900 Chattopadhyay took up a position with the Banaili Estate in Bihar, later working as an assistant to the settlement officer in the Santhal district settlement.

Chattopadhyay moved to Burma (Myanmar) in 1903 in search of employment. He worked in Pegu ( Bago) before securing a position at the Burma Public Works Accounts Office in Rangoon (Yangon), where he remained for nearly a decade. During this time a personal episode profoundly shaped his life. His neighbor’s daughter, Shanti Chakravarty, was trapped in a difficult marriage and sought his help. Chattopadhyay married her in 1906, but tragedy struck when she and their infant son died of plague in 1908. In 1910, at the request of a friend, he married his friend’s daughter Mokshada, a 14-year-old widow, whom he later renamed Hiranmoyee. He taught her to read and write. Chattopadhyay returned to Howrah near Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1916 and began publishing prolifically.

Early literary life

Chattopadhyay’s early literary inspirations were stalwarts such as Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, whose works he read voraciously. Inspired by them, he wrote his first story “Kashinath” while he was still in school. His early novels exhibit thematic parallels with Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s, particularly Devdas, which echoes the emotional descent of the protagonist in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Chandra Shekhar (1877). Tagore’s influence is evident in Charitraheen and Chandranath (1916), both of which explore the theme of moral conflict akin to Tagore’s Chokher Bali (Eyesore; 1903).

In 1903 he penned the short story “Mandir” (“The Temple”), submitting it for a competition under the name of his uncle, Surendranath Ganguli. The story won the literary prize Kuntalin Puraskar in 1904. His novella Barodidi (“Elder Sister”; 1907) was published without his knowledge in the literary magazine Bharati in 1907. He was not credited as its author. Though the novella created a stir in Bengali literary circles, for narrating the story of a widow’s forbidden love, it was not until his association with the magazine Jamuna, edited by Phanindranath Pal, that Chattopadhyay began to receive sustained literary recognition. Pal went on to publish Barodidi as a book in 1913. Other early short stories such as “Bojha” (“The Burden”) and “Balyasmriti” (“Recollections of Childhood”) also appeared in print without his knowledge or consent. These unsolicited publications nonetheless helped lay the foundation for his growing renown as a writer. Chattopadhyay himself contributed the novella Ramer Sumati (“Ram’s Good Sense”) and the essay “Narir Lekha” (“Writings of Woman”) to Jamuna.

Access for the whole family!

Bundle Britannica Premium and Kids for the ultimate resource destination.

Subscribe

After settling in Howrah in 1916, Chattopadhyay began writing in earnest. He frequently published under various names, including his own, his sister’s (Anila Devi), and the pseudonym Anupama. The rights of one of his early novels, Biraj Bou (“Biraj, the Housewife”; 1914), were sold for a modest fee of 200 Indian rupees. In 1918 this novel was adapted for the stage and performed at Star Theatre, one of the most prestigious venues in Calcutta.

Over the next few years his works were translated into Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, French, Italian, and other languages. The first English translation of his work, Srikanta (part 1), was published by Oxford University Press in 1922. That same year the first film adaptation of one of his works, the silent movie Andhare Alo (The Influence of Love), was released, initiating a long legacy of cinema inspired by his storytelling.

Literary approach and major works

Chattopadhyay was a firm believer in editorial rigor and the necessity of refining rough drafts. Unlike many of his contemporaries who focused on intricate plotting, he built his narratives around deeply drawn characters, constructing their personalities before determining the storyline. Reflecting on his method, he once remarked:

I first decide upon the characters, listing them numerically. It is no problem with me to start a story or to delineate the characteristics of the principal persons in a story.…One has to polish his writings. It cannot come as incessant flow.

The novel Parineeta (1914) centers on the childhood friendship and unspoken love between Lalita, an orphaned girl, and Shekhar, the son of a wealthy landlord. Their relationship is complicated by class tensions, caste prejudices, and family politics. When Shekhar’s father arranges a different match for him, the emotional conflict between love and societal duty drives the plot. It critiques the rigid caste and class hierarchies of contemporary Bengali society and portrays the resilience and dignity of women navigating these constraints. While the portrayal of women, especially Lalita, could sometimes be seen today as overly idealized and self-sacrificing, such a focus on the inner lives of women was strikingly progressive for its time and marked a shift in Bengali literary consciousness.

Devdas (1917) narrates the tragic tale of unfulfilled love between Devdas and Paro and the pain of separation. Their love is thwarted by societal norms, leading to lifelong regret and suffering for both. The four-part series Srikanta (1917–33) delves into the protagonist’s wanderings and philosophical musings, offering a semi-autobiographical glimpse into Chattopadhyay’s experiences. Pather Dabi (1926), known for its revolutionary themes, was banned by the British colonial government for its seditious content that actively called for armed resistance against British rule.

His last major novel, Sesh Prashna (1931), centers on Kamal, an independent and unconventional woman who unsettles the conservative milieu of an orthodox Bengali town with her forthright views on love, marriage, chastity, and national identity.

Adaptations and legacy

Few Indian writers have left as profound a mark on Indian cinema as Chattopadhyay, whose novels—steeped in emotional depth, social critique, and intricate character studies—have been adapted into some of the most celebrated films in Indian history.

The 1955 adaptation of Devdas, directed by Bimal Roy, remains one of the most iconic Indian films. It starred Dilip Kumar, Suchitra Sen, and Vyjayanthimala.

Nearly half a century later, in 2002, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali reinterpreted the novel, presenting an opulent, visually grand spectacle starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Madhuri Dixit. Known for its lavish sets, elaborate costumes, and evocative music, the film reintroduced Devdas to a new generation. The film won multiple awards, including the Filmfare Award for best film in 2003.

Another of Chattopadhyay’s acclaimed works, Parineeta, was adapted into a 2005 film directed by Pradeep Sarkar, starring Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan, and Sanjay Dutt.

Beyond these widely recognized adaptations, his lesser-known stories have also been translated to screen. Swami (“Husband”; 1977), based on his novel of the same name, was directed by Basu Chatterjee and featured Shabana Azmi, Vikram Makandar, and Girish Karnad. Apne Paraye (“Our Own and Others”; 1980), based on his novel Nishkriti (“Deliverance”; 1917), examined family dynamics and the long-term impact of misunderstandings, themes that recur across Chattopadhyay’s literature.