Stories from the 1970s - II

Short stories from the 1970s – II

Ghanada turns mythologist with the Mahabharat phase.

Story names permanently overshoot the two-syllable limit.

1974 – Shanti Parbey Ghanada

1975 – Keechak Badhey Ghanada

1975 – Bharat Juddhey Pnipre [Mahabharatey Nei]

1975 – Gul-E Ghanada

1975 – Timitaran Ghanada / Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij

1976 – Khandabdahey Ghanada

1977 – Kurukshetrey Ghanada

1978/ Earlier – Ghanadar Phnu

The longest epic’s no match for our tall tale teller.

Like his namesake Krishna, Ghanada knows all the who, what, where, when of the Pandav secrets. And how the embarrassing bits were censored.

Premendra wrote more such stories, all entitled Mahabharatey Nei (Missing from the Mahabharat). Of course, Ghanada was missing too.

Shanti Parbey Ghanada

(Ghanada on Mahabharat’s Episode of Peace), 1974

Shanti Parbey Ghanada from Sharodiya Kishore Bharati, 1974

Artist: Surya Roy

First Published: November 1974, Sharodiya Kishore Bharati

Illustration: Surya Roy

First featured in the book: Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij, 1983

Illustrations: None

First story of Ghanada’s Mahabharat phase.
Surya Roy’s smart, lean, clean-shaven hero, last seen in Knata (1971), appears once more.

Shanti Parbey Ghanada from Mahabharatey Ghanada

Artist: Tutu Sarkar

Keechak Badhey Ghanada

(Ghanada on the Slaying of Keechak), 1975

First Published: April – May 1975, Kishore Bharati

Illustration: Surya Roy

First featured in the book:

Duniyar Ghanada, 1976

Illustrations: Goutam Roy

Keechak Badhey Ghanada from Kishore Bharati, April – May 1975

Artist: Surya Roy

From Ghanada’s Mahabharat phase.
Surya Roy’s headpiece bore an intentional likeness to Shanti Parbey Ghanada from the year before.

Keechak Badhey Ghanada from Mahabharatey Ghanada

Artist: Tutu Sarkar

Keechak Badhey Ghanada from Duniyar Ghanada, 1976

Artist: Goutam Roy

Bhharat Juddhey Pnipre [ Mahabharatey Nei ]

(Ants in the Mahabharat War), 1975

First Published: July 1975 / Asharh 1382, Anandamela

Illustrations: Sudhir Moitra

First featured in the book: Ghanadar Phnu, 1978

Illustrations: Dhruba Roy

A bespectacled Mahabharat-addict Ghanada.

Artist: Sudhir Moitra.

From Bharat Juddhey Pnipre, 1975

From Ghanada’s Mahabharat phase.
First of Sudhir Moitra (1931 – 2006)’s two Ghanashyam ventures in Anandamela.

Anandamela, Year 1 Issue 3, July 1975

Cover: Kushal Chakraborty

Bharat Juddhey Pnipre from Anandamela, July 1975

Artist: Sudhir Moitra

Bharat Juddhey Pnipre from Ghanadar Phnu, 1978

Artist: Dhruba Roy

From Aphuronto Ghanada (1976)

Artist: Ajit Gupta

From Mahabharatey Ghanada

Artist: Tutu Sarkar

Gul-E Ghanada

(Fibs à la Ghanada), 1975

First Published: 1975, Anandamela Pujabarshiki

Illustrations: Sudhir Moitra

First featured in the book: Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij, 1983

No illustrations

Third Ghanada tale of 1975 deviates from the Mahabharat series.

Sudhir Moitra (1931 – 2006) maintains a continuity of sorts with Bharat Juddhey Pnipre from a few months ago.
Gul-E Ghanada was christened Hashir Phowara in an eponymous mixed anthology, with an unrelated illustration to match!
In this tale, Ghanada orders a new armchair for the chit-chat room from a local fair

Ghanada From Gul-E-Ghanada.

Artist: Sudhir Moitra

Gul-E Ghanada from Anandamela Pujabarshiki, 1975

Artist: Sudhir Moitra

From Ghanadar Shongi Shathi, 1986

Artist: Amal Chattopadhyay

From Shera Shankalan Gul Galpo, 2003
Editor: Abhijnan Roychowdhury
Artist: Gautam Dasgupta

From Hashir Phowara, 2005
Editor: Sanjib Mukhopadhyay
Artist: Unknown

Timitaran Ghanada / Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij

(Ghanada’s Jibber-Jabber), 1975

First Published: 1975, Sharadiya Jugantar 1382

Illustrations: Subrata Tripathi

First featured in the book: Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij, 1983

Illustrations: None

First published eight years before being renamed and incorporated in the eponymous book Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij (1983).
Artist Subrata Tripathi’s hero appears to follow the Ajit Gupta prototype.

Timitaran Ghanada from Sharadiya Jugantar, 1975

Artist: Subrata Tripathi

Khandabdahey Ghanada

(Ghanada on the Khandab Fire), 1976

First Published: 1976, Agomoni, Dev Sahitya Kutir Puja annual

Illustrations: Ajit Gupta [Probably]

First featured in the book: Ghanadar Phnu, 1978

Illustration: Dhruba Roy

List of Artists in Agomoni, 1976

From Ghanada’s Mahabharat phase.
Our hero appears in a Dev Sahitya Kutir Puja annual after Tawl, six years ago.
The style of illustration & calligraphy leads us to suspect Ajit Gupta as the artist of Khandabdahey Ghanada in Agomoni. However the annual credits Gupta only as the jacket designer.

Agomoni, Deb Sahitya Kutir Puja annual, 1976

Cover: Ajit Gupta

Khandabdahey Ghanada from Agomoni, Deb Sahitya Kutir Puja annual, 1976

Artist: Unknown

Khandabdahey Ghanada from Ghanadar Phnu, 1978

Artist: Dhruba Roy

From Ghanadar Shongi Shathi, 1986

Artist: Amal Chattopadhyay

From Mahabharatey Ghanada, 2003
Artist: Tutu Sarkar

Kurukshetrey Ghanada

(Ghanada on the Kurukshetra War), 1977

First Published: 1977, Mondira, Dev Sahitya Kutir Puja annual

Illustrations: Ajit Gupta [Probably]

First featured in the book: Ghanadar Phnu, 1978

Illustration: Dhruba Roy

Kurukshetrey Ghanada.

From Mondira, Deb Sahitya Kutir Puja annual, 1977.

Artist: Ajit Gupta [?]

From Ghanada’s Mahabharat phase.
As in Khandabdahey Ghanada, Ajit Gupta‘s trademark hero rubs shoulders with mythological men in this headpiece reused in Ghanadar Shongi Shathi, 1986.
A sensational cover on the same theme shows Ghanashyam wielding the mace himself.