The poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a pioneer of Bengali literature, was born on this day. This year marks the beginning of his 200th birth anniversary. His restless life is remembered almost as much as his brilliant works.
Born to a Hindu family, Dutt was sent to study at Hindu College, with the family hoping that he would eventually become a barrister. The exposure to western literature and culture made Dutt reject his own traditions. He aspired to write in English and also converted to Christianity. His early compositions were all in English, but none was published in the British journals that he sent them to.
Disinherited by his father for converting to Christianity, he settled in Madras for a few years. The realisation slowly dawned on him that a poet can only find success when he writes in his mother tongue. He turned to writing in Bengali and authored some of the most memorable works in the language.
Sarmistha (1858), his first play, is based on an episode from The Mahabharata. Tilottamasambhav (1860) is a narrative poem based on a story from Hindu mythology. Meghnadbadhkavya (1861), his most famous work, is an epic poem.
Deeply influenced by Milton, Dutt reworks the story of Ramayana in it, making Meghnad, son of the demon Ravan, its hero, subverting the usual narrative of Ramayana with Ram as its hero. Dutt experimented with literary forms relentlessly, introducing to Bengali blank verse (amitrakshar chanda) and the sonnet, both Petrarchan and Shakespearean.
He left for England to study law eventually and returned to practise at Calcutta High Court. He passed away in 1873.