A storyteller living in complete freedom of his imagination narrated his early years in Kolkata during a virtual session.
Kunal Basu, author of several novels in English, including The Miniaturist, Kalkatta and Sarojini’s Mother, and a few in Bengali, addressed a Bengal Club Library Talk session, held in association with The Telegraph on October 2.
Basu spoke to Sayan Mukherji, a club member. Excerpts from the conversation
Born in a study
Basu was born on May 4, 1956, to Sunil Kumar Basu, litterateur and publisher, and Chhabi Basu, author and actress.
“My birth was very uncharacteristic,” said Basu.
His mother was racing to finish a manuscript when she “felt the stirrings” of Basu’s arrival. But she had a deadline to meet and continued writing. “But I wasn’t willing... Very early on the morning of the fourth, I decided to come. The birth was hastily organised on the floor of my parents’ library..,” said Basu.
His father eventually found a doctor “who came and tidied us up”.
Exceptional household
“It was an exceptional household,” Basu said of his home.
It was frequented by his parents’ friends — filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay, and authors and political figures.
“The house was full of conversations, debates and discourses. I was quite a sickly child while growing up, spending long hours in bed. I would eavesdrop on the conversations and in that process acquired a sense of the world.”
Career of compulsion
Mukherji asked Basu, an alma mater of South Point, about his favourite subject.
Basu said he wanted to be a painter but ended up studying science.
“My lack of self-awareness and lack of mentorship in my early years propelled me to a career which was not a career of my choice,” he said.