The name Michael Madhusudan Dutt first crossed my path within the pages of 'Autobiography of an Unknown Indian' penned by Nirad C. Chaudhuri. In this literary work, Chaudhuri held the poet in high esteem, stating, 바카라The greatest exponent, and also the greatest martyr, of Bengali humanism was Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a great scholar and the first great poet of modern Bengal.바카라 Upon finishing Chaudhuri's book, I delved into the magnum opus of Michael Madhusudan Dutt (MMD) that catapulted him to fame and acclaim. This work, titled 'Meghnadhbadh Kabya,' showcased Meghnad, the son of King Ravana, as its central hero, placing Ravana and Meghnad on a higher pedestal than Rama and Lakshmana. The composition's unique perspective sheds light on a different dimension of the epic narrative.
In the present day, there are scarce literary offerings that delve into the life and creations of Madhusudhan Dutt. One such book, released in recent years, is 'Betrayed By Hope: A play on the life of Michael Madhusudhan Dutt.'
The book 바카라Betrayed By Hope바카라 is a play-script in five acts, co-authored by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal, that draws from the letters exchanged by Madhusudhan Dutt 바카라 a prominent figure in Bengali literature with his friends and acquaintances throughout his life.
These letters serve as a testament, offering readers insight into the tumultuous journey of MMD both within and without바카라 windows to his internal struggles and external challenges. Letters are the reflections of a man바카라s soul. In them, the traces of a person바카라s thoughts, emotions, and character lay bare in their truest form. Thus, these letters provide an intimate glimpse into MMD's transformation and turbulence over the years.
At the heart of the book lies an epigraph featuring an English translation of Michael Madhusudhan바카라s poignant poem. In the poem, he laments the pursuit of distant foreign lands while overlooking the treasures present in his homeland's soil and the whispered secrets of his mother tongue. The allure and adoration for England바카라the country he had come to love through its literary masters and everything English blinded him to these invaluable elements. The book바카라s introductory paragraph captures this sentiment, stating: 바카라Michael Madhusudhan Dutt바카라s journey, of alienation and a return to selfhood, is one many writers and poets have travelled before and after him바카라 To quote T.S. Eliot, 바카라To return where we began and see the place for the first time.바카라바카라
'Betrayed By Hope' encompasses Michael Madhusudhan Dutt바카라s tragic life, poetry, aspirations, love life, longing to return to his land, and early and tragic death.
The narrative of the play is guided by the Sutradar named Rubina Rahman, an imaginary character brought to life by the authors, who interjects her own perspectives on MMD바카라s life and actions. She is a PhD student from Dhaka, Bangladesh, who has chosen MMD as her research topic, and thus, she digs deep into a sheaf of material consisting of MMD바카라s works- translations, poetry, and letters to his friends and mentors.
The character building of the Sutradar is also an interesting one, as the authors in the 바카라Note on the Sutradar바카라 comment: 바카라The Sutradhar바카라s confused identity, in a way, reflects MMD바카라s own negotiations with different cultural and linguistic legacies.바카라 When the character of MMD showers praise and expresses admiration for Lord Byron, the Sutradhar questions why he doesn바카라t consider his Bengali legacy and what he was trying to escape.
The paradox of MMD's journey is encapsulated in his dual identities. While he embraced European culture and the English language, he was compulsively drawn to the epics and legends of his Hindu heritage. In one of his letters, he confessed his burning desire to go to England: 바카라You know my desire for leaving this country is too firmly rooted to be removed. The sun may forget to rise, but I cannot remove it from my heart.바카라
MMD's life is marked by his rebellion against parental wishes, resulting in his transformation from Madhusudhan Dutt to Michael Madhusudhan Dutt. Born into affluence, his inheritance became entangled in legal disputes after his parents' demise, pushing him to take various odd jobs for survival.
His financial struggles and yearning for England are vividly expressed in his letters, revealing a man torn between aspiration and reality. In a letter to his friend, he confesses his poor financial condition: 바카라For I am as poor as a good poet ought to be!바카라 And again at another place: 바카라I am badly off and have hardly anything to jingle in my pocket.바카라
Dutt바카라s journey epitomises the depths of misfortune. He became so enamoured with European culture and the English language that he willingly relinquished his Indian heritage. In his youthful poet days, he penned the lines:
바카라I sigh for Albion바카라s distant shore,
Its valleys green, its mountains high;
Tho바카라 friends, relations I have none
In that far clime, yet oh! I sigh
To cross the vast, Atlantic wave,
For glory, or a nameless grave바카라
Ironically, despite his longing for foreign shores, he encountered a tragic irony. Upon his passing away in 1873, just a few days after his life partner Henrietta's demise, MMD was denied a Christian burial. The book's introduction poignantly notes: 바카라He died a broken man in 1873, a few days after his life partner Henrietta did. Michael Madhusudhan Dutt was refused a Christian burial. Literally in a no-man바카라s land of religion and identity, he was at last laid to rest in the Lower Circular Road cemetery in Calcutta.바카라 In his pursuit of foreign allure, MMD found himself tragically rejected by the very faith he seemed to embrace. His ultimate resting place mirrors this complex intersection of religious and personal identity, encapsulating the poignant paradox of his life's journey.
Throughout the narrative, Dutt바카라s character is vividly portrayed through an array of adjectives, portraying him as a multifaceted individual: poet extraordinaire, a maverick genius, a brilliant student, a Romantic poet, a true polyglot, a paradoxical and Promethean poet, visionary, provocateur, catalyst of Bangla literary culture, a forgotten poet, a pretentious Anglophile, a moonstruck poet, the prodigal son of Bengal, a single-minded fellow, insufferable man, The great votary of English literature, a remarkable risk taker, the eternal romantic, the eternal profligate, an unapologetic Anglophile, a meteoric writer and a creature of hope.
Undoubtedly a literary genius, the letters shed light on MMD바카라s command over numerous languages, including Bangla, Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian, Tamil, Telugu, Greek, Latin, German, French, Italian, and English. However, it seems that he remained an enigma to himself throughout his entire life. His aspiration to emulate the English way of life took precedence over understanding his own authentic desires. In pursuit of this, he made immense sacrifices, disregarding the expectations of everyone around him. While he may have achieved success in the realm of literature, his personal life was marred by profound failures. He forsook his first wife, Rebecca, and even abandoned his children from that marriage. Later, he repeated this pattern by leaving his second wife, Henrietta, and their children in Versailles, facing the challenges of life on their own.
A particularly poignant passage from the book features the Sutradhar posing a pertinent query that resonates not just with Madhusudhan Dutt but with all writers and poets who seem to lead multiple existences.
바카라It puzzles and perplexes me바카라where does the individual sign off? Where does the writer take over? Do we judge the man or the literary genius? Or are they both too deeply intertwined to be ever dissociated?바카라
바카라Betrayed By Hope바카라 weaves together the threads of Michael Madhusudhan Dutt바카라s multifaceted life, blending his creative passions, personal aspirations, yearning for home, and the complexities of his relationships. Through the lens of his letters, the play illuminates the inner workings of a remarkable yet flawed individual, highlighting the power of personal correspondence to unveil the essence of a person's soul.
