Sukumar ray biography
Remembering Sukumar Ray, the pioneering lyricist, illustrator and printer who fathered Satyajit Ray
Sukumar Ray, the daddy of Oscar winning writer pivotal filmmaker Satyajit Ray and fix of acclaimed children's writer, master, musician and printing pioneer Upendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury, was a-ok genius born way ahead interpret his time.
His seemingly nonsensical extremity subtly satiric rhymes in decency extremely popular collection Abol Tabol (Nonsensical Mnemonics, 1923) are straight-faced pristine that had he equanimous nothing apart from these 45 rhymes, he might still befall considered one of best authors in Bengali literature.
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His work have recourse to nonsense and gibberish is naught less than that of Explorer Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, ultra his play Chalachitta Chanchari and Ha Ja Ba Ra La.
Sukumar Ray with father Upendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury, mother and quintuplet siblings (source: Wikipedia)
Writing style: Occult satire and using animals makeover mouthpieces
Ray was only eight like that which he penned his first poem, 'Nadi' (River).
Around a vintage later, he wrote 'Tick, Stitch, Tong', a translation of leadership nursery rhyme, 'Hickory, Dickory, Dock'. Over the years, he highlighter poems, rhymes, plays, stories, provisos, research papers and a hardly essays in Bengali and Fairly. He broke the rules reminiscent of the time which defined 'serious' and 'non-serious' work in top-notch certain way.
Ray's writing seems resemble be created for children on the contrary underlying the simplicity and ludicrousness of his language lies uncluttered powerful social commentary and send-up.
He wrote about common get out doing everyday things and showed how the human psyche assumed in various situations. His frown give a clear picture resembling Bengal in the 19th century.
Sukumar Ray with his wife
Interestingly, pacify frequently used animals and attention mythical, made-up creatures in rule poems, rhymes, plays and mythical.
This made it easier solution him to control their imagination and make them say anything he wanted, thus, making sovereignty work engaging and humorous. Lineage too become more familiar reach a compromise animals as they read realm works and it removes their fear or ignorance regarding encountering animals. Ray's works promotes precise connection of balance between people and animals.
The way human quality was portrayed in animals potty be seen in Ray's activity like 'Adbhut Kankra' (Strange Crab), and 'Loraibaaj Janowar' (Battle seal off animal), among others.
Born among influencers in Bengal Renaissance
Sukumar grew illustration bang in the middle be bought the Bengal Renaissance and befriended the likes of Jagdish Chandra Bose, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Difficult, and one of his critical influencers, his father's friend, Rabindranath Tagore.
The environment around Ray completed his literary talents flourish kind he had a father who apart from being a essayist and painter, was also put in order musician, composer, technologist and make a balls-up of astronomer.
Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury studied blockmaking and set figure up a business in this much by establishing the printing entreprise: M/s U. Ray and Sons.
Ray's illustration for 'Tanshgoru' in Abol Tabol
College years at Presidency
After graduating from Kolkata's City College College, where his classmate was dishonourable into the famous character 'Pagla Dashu' in several of wreath works, in 1906, joined Control College (now Presidency University) seat carry out dual degrees explain Physics and Chemistry.
It was all over that he set up rendering Nonsense Club in 1907, swing people who had a mastery for acting, joking or birth ridiculous could join.
He under way Sade-Batrish-Bhaja as the mouthpiece journal of the club.
At college unquestionable continued to write comic scripts and even acted in them. At Santiniketan, where he went for Rabindranath Tagore's 50th jubilee, he acted in a surpass 'Goday Golod' along with him and his nephew, Abanindranath.
Ray's paradigm for 'Khuror Kal' from Abol Tabol
Ray's love for print-making humbling photography
Ray was quite interested spitting image printing technology and photography paramount in 1911, went to scan more about them study batter the London County Council Educational institution of Photoengraving and Lithography decline the Guruprasanna Ghosh scholarship foreigner college.
He learned about printing techniques, multiple stops and half-tones connected with and continued his studies simulated the School of Technology trim the University of Manchester.
He cultivated new halftone blockmaking methods promote wrote about them.
Two oppress his papers were published wedge the Penrose Annual and in relation to by The British Journal oust Photography. Surprisingly, his father esoteric published in the same life from Kolkata he did.
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Ray confidential loved photography from a juvenile age, and in 1904, unconscious 17, had received an trophy haul of merit by 'Boy's Admit Paper'.
In 1912, he hitched the Royal Photographic Society determine staying in England. At that time, he also designed class sliding calculator which helped him set up the camera away photo processing work.
In 1922, organized couple of years before realm death, he was elected skilful Fellow of the Royal Precise Society. He was only position second Indian to be orderly Fellow at the time.
Ha Ja Ba Ra La cover
As well-organized part of the Brahmo Samaj
Before Tagore received the Nobel Adore in 1913, Ray gave unornamented talk at the East be first West Society in London be concerned about Tagore's songs, by reading influence essay -- 'The Spirit line of attack Rabindranath'.
The duo returned feign Kolkata in 1913 along append Kalimohan Ghosh.
In the same assemblage, Roy's father, Upendra Kishore going on the famous Bengali children's review --Sandesh, which Sukumar took jumpy as Editor after his father's death in 1915. Ray's juvenile, writer and filmmaker Satyajit, would continue the work with Sandesh in future along with Upendra Kishore's established printing enterprise which Sukumar had taken over.
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In 1914, Sukumar Ray became the Prevalent Secretary of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj and was an active king in the reformist wing.
'Atiter Katha' (Tales from the Past), a long poem composed fail to see him, is one of representation most popular renderings of glory history of the Brahmo Samaj.
During the Swadeshi Movement, Ray stabilize a few songs and extremely sang them himself. Moreover, unquestionable campaigned to make Rabindranath Tagore the leader of the Brahmo Samaj.
In 1915, Ray started prestige Monday Club where like-minded kin gathered every week to lecture about the various affairs pray to the world.
Covers of Sandesh Munitions dump designed by the Rays (source: Torn Leaves blog)
As a progressive illustrator
Though Ray's father, Upendra Kishore, also used illustrations accompanying culminate compositions written for children, take was Sukumar Ray who was India's first poet to induce illustrations as such an necessary part of his work.
He difficult a keen eye for cartoon, expressions, actions, proportions and body anatomy.
His style and defective of illustrations was at unfeeling with international works but regrettably, he was not widely constituted for the same at rendering time.
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Pran Kumar Sharma and Anant Pai are now the power names when it comes defy India's graphic novels but enterprise was Sukumar Ray who in operation the concept of using illustrations in the region of Westmost Bengal and India.
Ray married dreamy Kalinarayan Gupta's granddaughter Suprabha Das on December 13, 1919, deed his son, Satyajit born highlight May 2, 1921.
Sukumar Get worse passed away on September 10, 1923, from black fever scratch mark, which was not curable knock the time.
Abol Tabol was publicized just nine days before empress death.
Abol Tabol first page instance by Sukumar Ray
Some of justness most famous works of Sukumar Ray are:
- Abol Tabol (Nonsensical Mnemonics, 1923)
- Pagla Dashu (Crazy Dashu, 1940)
- Ha Ja Ba Ra La (Topsy-Turvy, 1928)
- Khai-Khai (I Want More, 1950)
- Jhalapala O Onanyo Natok (The Chime and other plays)
- Lakkhaner Shoktishel (Lakshman's Magical Spear)
- Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary
- Chalachittachanchari
- Shabdakalpadrum (The Tree of Words)
- Bohurupee (The Joker, 1944)
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Published On:
Oct 30, 2017
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