রূপকথা নয়

by Suchitra Bhattacharya

Rupkatha Nay

174 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Her writing focuses on contemporary social issues. She is a perceptive observer of the changing urban milieu and her writing closely examines the contemporary Bengali middle class. Crisis in human relationships and the changing values of the present era along with degeneration of the moral fibre of the society in the backdrop of globalisation and consumerism are depicted in her prose. Exploitations and sufferings of women regardless of their social or economic identities find a distinct voice in her writing. While she is famous for her writing on women's issues, she does not consider herself as a feminist. She took up many odd jobs in her early youth and finally joined the public service which she left in 2004 to become a fulltime writer. Her long career is reflected in many of her stories and novels.

Over the past two decades, Suchitra has written about 24 novels and a large number of short stories in different leading Bangla literary magazines. Some of her acclaimed novels are Kachher Manush (Close to Me), Dahan (The Burning), Kacher Dewal(The Wall Of Glass), Hemonter Pakhi(Bird of Autumn), Neel Ghurni, Aleek Shukh(Heavenly happiness), Gabhir Ashukh (A Grave Illness), Uro Megh(Flying Cloud), Chhera Taar, Alochhaya(Shadows Of Light), Anyo Basanto(Another Spring), Parabas, Palabar Path Nei, Aami Raikishori, Rangin Pritibi and Jalchhobi among others. Her novels and short stories have been translated into many Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi and English. She also writes novels and short stories for children. Her novel Dahan was made into a movie by famous Bengali director, Rituparno Ghosh.

Reviews

[Munny Munny]

রূপকথা নয় সত্যিই বাস্তবে কত মেয়েদের জীবনে ঘটে যায় এমনটা।প্রতিটি মেয়েই কোথাও না কোথাও নিজের ছায়া খুজেঁপাবে গল্পটিতে। অন্থ বিহীন পথ চলাই জীবন!!

[Farzana Raisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

আসলেই রূপকথা নয়। বাস্তব দুনিয়াতেও চিকুরের মতো মেয়েরা বড্ড বেশি একলা।

[Sutapa Bhattacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chikur is a norm-defying, liberated, outgoing young woman. She believes in living in the moment. She carries no inhibition and no baggage, and accepts things as they are. She left her husband and her in-laws' house because they could not accept her being herself. Her mother is worried about her well being. She lives at her parents' house with her football-crazy father, continuously worried mother, her son and her deceased sister's daughter are her companions at her. Seldom other so called normal people understand and accept her for who she is, but that does not bother her much.

Suchitra Bhattacharya's portrayal of characters and events are very real-life. As the title suggests, this book does not depict a fairy tale (Rupkatha Noy means Not a Fairy Tale). Here all the characters are gray, with their human virtues and flaws. There is not happily ever after here. I could feel for the protagonist Chikur. The society has so many rules and regulations for women to follow. I wonder how many of us secretly fantasize to just let go and be free like Chikur? It's true that freedom comes with a price. One perhaps have less number of friends and sympathizers. One perhaps have to go through ugly divorce proceedings and custody battles, and give up their job and the right to keep their own children with them. But perhaps being free is worth paying the price.

Chikur's characters, like every other minor and major character in this novel, is not without flaw. For example, her negligence of her mother's physical and emotional well-being is appalling. She never tried to bridge the communication gap she had with her, and realized that only after her mother's death from cerebral attack. Her flaws make her more human and more relatable.

Chikur in Bengali means hair. It's not commonly used as a name. I wonder if this was a conscious choice on the author's part. Was the image of free-flowing hair blowing in wind the inspiration behind the free-spirited Chikur's name?

[Towkir Ahmmed Rigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

আসলেই উপন্যাসটা কোন রুপকথা নয়! তবে পড়তে গিয়ে মাঝে মাঝে মনে হচ্ছিল রুপকথা হলে মন্দ ছিল কি?!

[Pritha · Rating 3 out of 5]

চিকুর মেয়েটি উত্তাল! বাঁধা-ধরা কোনো নিয়ম তার পছন্দ না, অন্যায়ের সাথে সে আপোষ ও করে না৷ তাই নিজের পছন্দে হুট করে বিয়েটা করে নিলেও রায়বাড়ির বাঁধা নিয়মে সে বাঁধা পড়তে পারে না, ছেড়ে চলে আসে উপলকে৷ তারপর তার জীবনকাহিনী এগিয়ে চলে নিজস্ব গতিতে...

গল্পটা যেন হঠাৎ করেই শেষ হয়ে যায়। কাহিনী তাড়াহুড়া শেষ করে ফেলায় বেশ বিরক্ত হলাম শেষ দিকে এসে!

[অলকানন্দা · Rating 4 out of 5]

সুচিত্রা ভট্টাচার্যের অন্যতম একটি আন্ডাররেটেড উপন্যাস এটি। উপন্যাসের নামের সার্থকতা প্রবলভাবে নিহিত মূল চরিত্রের চিত্রায়ণের মাধ্যমে। সত্যিই চিকুরের জীবনটা রূপকথা নয়৷ যারা মুক্তমনা, স্বাধীনচেতা, নিয়মের শৃঙ্খলে যারা আবদ্ধ হতে চায়না মোটেও, তাদের জীবন কি আসলেও রূপকথার মতো হয়? "অতঃপর তাহারা সুখে শান্তিতে বসবাস করিতে লাগিলো"-- এরকম একটি হ্যাপি এন্ডিং এর স্বপ্ন দেখা কি খুবই অপরাধ ছিলো চিকুরের?

[Anish Bhowmik · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10