Latest news with #Feluda
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Feluda, Topse & Jatayu take to the streets for Thalassemia awareness on International Thalassemia Day in Kolkata
A unique thalassemia awareness campaign unfolded on the eve of International Thalassemia Day, featuring the beloved detective Feluda and his companions KOLKATA: On the eve of International Thalassemia Day, Kolkata witnessed a unique awareness campaign where Bengal's most beloved detective, Feluda, along with his trusted companions Topse and Lalmohan Ganguly (Jatayu), stepped out of the pages of fiction and onto the streets to spread a powerful social by the Serum Thalassemia Prevention Federation , the street play titled Feludar Baithakkhana was staged at the Kolkata Press Club on May 7, capturing the attention of passersby with familiar characters and an urgent message: thalassemia is preventable through awareness and informed disease, an inherited blood disorder with no known cure, can be avoided if carriers are identified before childbirth. Highlighting the importance of such preventive action, the performance cleverly wove medical facts and emotional appeal into a conversational narrative between Feluda and his companions—drawing curiosity, engagement, and applause from the crowd.'This campaign is about using familiar and beloved figures to make people stop, listen, and think,' said Sanjib Acharya, Secretary of Serum Thalassemia Prevention Federation and the creator of the play. 'If the audience doesn't connect, the message is lost. Feluda helps bridge that gap.'The campaign carries a special emotional weight this year, as Feluda turns 60—marking six decades since Satyajit Ray introduced the iconic sleuth.'If Ray were alive, I believe he would have appreciated how his creation is being used for a life-saving cause,' said Acharya. Previous awareness efforts using Ray's characters have even received the nod of approval from Sandip Ray, son of the legendary day also saw the conferring of the Jiban Debota Samman to several dedicated healthcare workers for their service in the field of thalassemia its blend of nostalgia, creativity, and public health messaging, the initiative stood out as a memorable way to engage citizens in a critical issue. The Serum Thalassemia Prevention Federation, which runs awareness campaigns throughout the year, continues to stress that while the government has its role, widespread public participation is vital in ensuring no child is born with thalassemia.
The Print
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Print
No plans for another film on Satyajit Ray sleuth ‘Feluda' now: Son on director's birth anniversary
He has been planning the two-part film on 'Feluda' and 'Shonku' since the maestro's centenary year in 2021. Sandip said he has a long-term plan to make a two-part film featuring both 'Feluda' and 'Professor Shonku', a scientist and inventor, but added that it will take some more time. Kolkata, May 2 (PTI) On Satyajit Ray's 104th birth anniversary, his son and acclaimed filmmaker Sandip Ray said he does not have any immediate plans to direct another feature film on the maestro's immensely popular fictional detective 'Feluda'. He made one film on the inventor, 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' (Professor Shanku and El Dorado, 2019). 'I think with several projects on 'Feluda' adapted for OTT platforms, a little more space should be given to Feluda at present (as far as the big screen is concerned). Rather, I wish to direct a film based on Bengali short stories now,' he said. Sandip's Feluda films are 'Bombaiyer Bombete' (Thugs of Bombay, 2003), 'Kailashey Kelenkari' (Crime in Kailash, 2007), 'Tintorettor Jishu' (Jesus of Tintoretto, 2008), 'Gorosthaney Sabdhan' (Be careful in cemetery, 2010), 'Royal Bengal Rahashya' (Royal Bengal tiger mystery, 2011), 'Badshahi Angti' (The royal ring, 2014), 'Double Feluda' (2016), 'Hatyapuri' (Murder in Puri, 2022), and 'Nayan Rahasya' (The mystery of Nayan, 2024). He has also made TV films based on the 'Feluda' stories. Sandip was interacting with reporters at the legendary director's residence at 1 Bishop Lefroy Road in south Kolkata. He had earlier made non-sleuth fictional feature films like 'Nishijapon' and 'Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy', which explored the impact of a natural disaster on vacationing middle-class urban families and presented a collection of spooky ghost stories by several leading Bengali authors. Asserting that the Feluda-Shonku project will be taken up one day, he said, 'As earlier planned during the centenary year celebrations of my father, we hope the project incorporating two popular fictions—Feluda and Professor Shonku—in two parts will certainly happen one day.' Meanwhile, hundreds of Ray lovers and film enthusiasts thronged the master filmmaker's house, visiting his study and drawing room, where his garlanded photo was kept, to pay floral tributes. Readers of the heritage Bengali children's magazine 'Sandesh', associated with Ray's family since its inception, also gathered at the residence, as the study and drawing room were opened to Ray's countless fans and followers for the occasion. Sandip and Ray's daughter-in-law, Lolita Roy, welcomed the visitors, including several prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry and members of Sandip's production team. PTI SUS NN MNB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
No plans for another film on Satyajit Ray sleuth 'Feluda': Son on director's 104th birth anniversary
Kolkata, On Satyajit Ray's 104th birth anniversary, his son and acclaimed filmmaker Sandip Ray said he does not have any immediate plans to direct another feature film on the maestro's immensely popular fictional detective 'Feluda'. Sandip said he has a long-term plan to make a two-part film featuring both 'Feluda' and 'Professor Shonku', a scientist and inventor, but added that it will take some more time. He has been planning the two-part film on 'Feluda' and 'Shonku' since the maestro's centenary year in 2021. He made one film on the inventor, 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' . "I think with several projects on 'Feluda' adapted for OTT platforms, a little more space should be given to Feluda at present . Rather, I wish to direct a film based on Bengali short stories now," he said. Sandip's Feluda films are 'Bombaiyer Bombete' , 'Kailashey Kelenkari' , 'Tintorettor Jishu' , 'Gorosthaney Sabdhan' , 'Royal Bengal Rahashya' , 'Badshahi Angti' , 'Double Feluda' , 'Hatyapuri' , and 'Nayan Rahasya' . He has also made TV films based on the 'Feluda' stories. Sandip was interacting with reporters at the legendary director's residence at 1 Bishop Lefroy Road in south Kolkata. He had earlier made non-sleuth fictional feature films like 'Nishijapon' and 'Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy', which explored the impact of a natural disaster on vacationing middle-class urban families and presented a collection of spooky ghost stories by several leading Bengali authors. Asserting that the Feluda-Shonku project will be taken up one day, he said, "As earlier planned during the centenary year celebrations of my father, we hope the project incorporating two popular fictions—Feluda and Professor Shonku—in two parts will certainly happen one day." Meanwhile, hundreds of Ray lovers and film enthusiasts thronged the master filmmaker's house, visiting his study and drawing room, where his garlanded photo was kept, to pay floral tributes. Readers of the heritage Bengali children's magazine 'Sandesh', associated with Ray's family since its inception, also gathered at the residence, as the study and drawing room were opened to Ray's countless fans and followers for the occasion. Sandip and Ray's daughter-in-law, Lolita Roy, welcomed the visitors, including several prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry and members of Sandip's production team.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- New Indian Express
The Beast Within: Rudraneil Sengupta's take on crime, and justice
She was spreadeagled on iron spikes—bare feet dangling, stomach impaled, head thrown back like a paused scream. In the sweltering April sun of Delhi's Hauz Khas, a teenage girl's body was suspended on a boundary wall. A haunting image etched into Inspector Kumar's mind—and now into the reader's—in the opening chapters of Rudraneil Sengupta's chilling debut crime novel, The Beast Within (Westland). Sengupta has years of experience reporting on sports along with three years of reporting on crime stories. He is the author of the non-fiction wrestling chronicle Enter the Dangal . 'As a reporter, you're just stating facts. Fiction allows you to dive into detail, into motivations, into systems,' he says. Growing up in Kolkata, Sengupta was drawn to detective fiction—from Sherlock Holmes to Satyajit Ray's Feluda. 'I was obsessed,' he recalls. Later, inspired by Japanese author and fellow journalist-turned-novelist Hideo Yokoyama, he saw fiction as a way to tell deeper truths. Journalism gave him access, but fiction gave him freedom—to connect dots, add nuance, and explore the emotional and societal aftermath of crime. Although inspired by his real-life experience with the Delhi Police while working on this novel, it is primarily a work of fiction. 'I relied heavily on the notes I took while working with the force and the conversations I had recorded,' Sengupta says. 'A lot of the book draws from those transcripts and lived moments.' At the core of The Beast Within is Inspector Kumar—a Crime Branch officer navigating Delhi's bureaucratic maze, quietly battling cynicism, and driven by an inner moral compass. He's no superhero, and Sengupta isn't interested in vigilantes. 'If you're a good officer, you try your best to solve a case—but you can't just go rogue. That won't get you anywhere,' he says. Kumar is an amalgamation of many officers Sengupta encountered during his reporting. His realism—the frustrations, limitations, quiet rebellion—is what makes him interesting. 'A good protagonist in crime fiction needs that inner drive to keep going, against all odds. That's Kumar.' Crime behind the crime What elevates this novel is that the crime isn't just about whodunit. It's about what the crime reveals. The victim, Sengupta points out, is someone no one would miss.'She is someone who has no one to look out for her, and nobody cares about. She could have disappeared just like that, without a trace, and no one would have known — and that is a reflection on society.' The novel becomes a lens to examine caste, class, religion, and the invisible systems that decide whose pain matters. Sengupta's years reporting in Delhi informed this narrative. 'Everyday discriminations—your caste, where you're from, your religion, your economic status—shape how power works, and how justice plays out when a crime happens,' he says. In the age of clicks and virality, even crime has become entertainment. True crime content has exploded online, often spotlighting real victims and tragedies. And Sengupta is critical of the voyeuristic turn the genre has taken. 'The line between awareness and entertainment has collapsed across society," he says. "With social media and the way we consume content now, it's extremely invasive—and pretty mindless.' While researching the book, he rode the metro to observe the scenes he was writing. 'What struck me was that 90 percent of people were just glued to their phones. No one looks around anymore. I was probably the only one noticing things. That felt strange—and very telling.' Ultimately, The Beast Within asks the most urgent question: Who gets believed, who gets protected, and who gets forgotten? 'It's not just Delhi or India—it's everywhere,' Sengupta says. 'But in India, caste adds another layer. Class and economic divides exist globally, but here, these hierarchies are sharper, harder to escape.' With this novel, Sengupta doesn't just tell a crime story—he dismantles the silence that surrounds certain victims. And in doing so, he forces us to confront the beast not just within the pages, but within ourselves.
