Detective stories, as the genre of popular fiction that involves some mystery, intrigue, passion and suspense are known, have always been a craze among the reading community. The more these books keep you in the clutches of suspense, the more you are thrilled. In tandem with the popularity these books gain, their "heroes" or the sleuths, who are involved in theses plots, become synonymous with humans with courage and intelligence. Some fabulous examples being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.
Most of us are familiar with only these sleuths from the West. However, there exists an Indian super sleuth, whose name can be reckoned with them. He is none other than the young and charming "Feluda", a product of India’s greatest creative genius ever, Satyajit Ray.
Many of us know Satyajit Ray as a filmmaker only. In fact, Ray was a multifaceted man - a filmmaker of highest order, an adman and one of the best authors in Indian fiction, especially in children’s literature. Though his stories appeared in Bengali language only, English translations are available for most.
The character Pradosh Chandra Mitter a. k. a. Feluda first made his appearance in 1965 in a story titled “Danger in Darjeeling”, as an amateur sleuth. The adventures of Feluda are presented as a narrative through his young cousin Tapesh Ranjan Mitter, otherwise called Topshe. Later in 1971, Lalmohan Ganguli, who writes popular thrillers under the nom de plume Jatayu, joins them.
The trio garnered immense fame and appeared in many stories that are full of thought and action by Feluda with support from the other two. The stories were published in a Bengali Children’s magazine called “Sandesh”, revived in 1961 by Satyajit Ray himself.
In 1988, the English version of the Feluda adventures was published, translated from Bengali by Chitrita Banerjee. Another translator for the series has been Gopa Majumdar. These translations are easy to read and appeal to both children and adults.
There are in total 34 stores in Feluda series, appearing in seven releases – beginning in 1965 with “Danger in Darjeeling” and ending in 1992 with “Robertson’s Ruby”. While Feluda brings brain and action to the adventures, Topshe gives the narration and Jatayu carries the humor element. The trio, who named themselves ‘The Three Musketeers’, is a never-to-be forgotten team of Bengali or rather Indian fiction.
Some titles in Feluda series:
- Danger in Darjeeling
The Emperor’s Ring The Mystery of the Elephant God The House of Death The Royal Bengal Mystery