Durgeshnandini
(Daughter of
the Feudal Lord)
 |
| Aatish acted as Usman Khan, a notable character in Durgesh Nandini |
Author: Durgeshnandini is a Bengali historical romance novel written by Indian writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (who also gave us Vande Matram – India’s national song) in 1865. Even it is the first Bengali novel written by him as well as the first major Bengali novel in the history of Bengali literature.
Story: Durgeshnandini is a story of the love triangle
between Jagat Singh, a Mughal General and son of Raja Man Singh, Tilottama, the daughter of Birendra Singh, a feudal lord of
south-western Bengal in Mandaran and Ayesha, the daughter of a rebel Pathan leader against whom Jagat Singh was
fighting. The story is set in the backdrop of Pathan-Mughal conflicts that took place in
south-western region of modern-day Indian state of Paschimbanga (West Bengal)
during the reign of Akbar.
In a nutshell, Jagat Singh met Tilottama and fell in love with each other. While they were preparing for a marriage ceremony, Katlu Khan, a rebel Pathan leader attacked Mandaran. Birendra Singh died in the battle and Jagat Singh was imprisoned along with Birendra’s widow Bimala and their daughter Tilottama. Katlu Khan’s daughter Ayesha saved Tilottama from her father’s lust, but Ayesha herself fell in love with Jagat Singh. Later, Bimala avenged her husband’s death by stabbing Katlu Khan. In the meantime, Man Singh signed a pact with the Pathans and they set Jagat Singh free. But Ayesha’s lover Osman, a chivalrous Pathan General, challenged Jagat Singh in a duel which Jagat Singh won. Realizing that Jagat Singh who was a Hindu prince would never marry a Muslim woman, Ayesha gave up hope for him, but she eventually helped Tilottama to get married to Jagat Singh. Overall the story transports one to the eras of kings and nobles, of honour, courage and valour.
Usman Khan: Usman Khan is one of the notable characters in the historical novel and was a brave man having great leadership qualities. However, he was shown to possess desperation character when he challenges Jagat Singh for his love which in any way can't be considered as an act of wisdom or pride. He was shown to be a gray character having did various evils in his past life but deep inside heart having love for Katlu’s daughter.
Films Adaptation: Two Bengali films were made based on the novel so far:
·
1927: Durgesh Nandini, starring Durgadas Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee,
Ahindra Choudhury, Indira Devi, Sita Devi, directed by Priyanath N. Ganguly.
· 1951: Durgesh Nandini, starring Manoranjan Bhattacharya, Chhabi Biswas,
Bharati Devi, Chandrabati Devi, Kamal Mitra, directed by Amar Mullick.
TV Serial: Four time National Award Winner and Padma Shri awarded Mr. Tarun Majumdar, a renowned Bengali Indian film director who is notable for his depiction of Bengali culture and society directed the serial and telecasted on ETV Bangla channel. Atish Kumar Bhattacharya aptly portrayed Usman Khan in the shows and proved his mettle by showing his depth involvement with the character and acts like as if for that period of time. No doubt, he got the appreciation from the noted senior actors Mr. Soumitra Chatterjee, Mr. Tapas Paul, Ms. Locket Chatterjee and many more during the shoot in the studio.
Compiled & Edited by:
AKB
Ardent follower of Actor Aatish
Source of Info:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durgeshnandini
2. rinistudytable.blogspot.com/2012/08/durgeshnandini-as-novel.html
3. News/digital media
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