Parineeta (Hindi)

About the Book

Set in Calcutta, India, in the early twentieth century, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Parineeta is a bittersweet tale of love, which explores social issues related to religion and class and how they affect a woman’s dignity and self-respect. When Shekhar Roy, the son of a rich and an unscrupulous businessman, and Lalita, the orphan girl who lives with her poor uncle, secretly exchange garlands, they consider themselves man and wife. Being neighbours, their families have shared a warm and friendly relationship. But Shekhar, knowing that his father will never accept this marriage due to the differences in status and religion, is unable to accept it. What will become of their love and marriage? Will they ever be together?

About the Author
Born on 15 September, 1876 in West Bengal, Saratchandra Chattopadhyay began writing in his early teens. The author of numerous Bengali novels, short stories, and even plays, his works have been translated in many languages across India. He achieved instant fame after his first novel Badi Didi was published in 1907 in Bharati. The quality and nuance of his writing made some readers conjecture that the author of this work was the celebrated Rabindranath Tagore writing under a pseudonym. This novel was then adapted into a TV series. Saratchandra Chattopadhyay has penned phenomenal works such as Charitraheen (1917), Srikant (1917), and Shesh Prashn (1931). His novels like Parineeta (1914) and Devdas (1917) have earned the status of classics in Bengali literature and found their way into popular culture when they were adapted into films. Some of his other notable works adapted into films, Manjhli Didi (1967) and Swami (1977), earned filmfare awards. Considered one of the most prolific writers of the early twentieth century, Saratchandra Chattopadhyay breathed his last on 16 January, 1938.