Banned Bengali book on desire, adultery back in English

New Delhi: Banned when it was first published in Bengali over 40 years ago on charges of obscenity, bestseller ‘It Rained All Night’ is back in an English version.Bold, explicit and shockingly candid, ‘It Rained All Night’ (originally ‘Raat Bhore Brishti’) by Buddhadeva Bose and translated by Clinton B Seely is an unforgettable tale of desire, adultery, jealousy and love.

Banned when it was first published in 1967, ‘It Rained All Night’ went on to become a best-seller. And now, Penguin India has come out with the English version. Maloti, an attractive middle-class Bengali girl, marries bookish college lecturer Nayonangshu only to find him insecure, sexually timid and unable to satisfy her. She discovers passion in the arms of the confident, earthy journalist Jayanto whose love provides her solace from the demands of her wifely duties. Maloti and Jayanto’s growing intimacy does not go unnoticed by Nayonangshu, but his pride restrains him from reaching out to his wife. Bose was convicted in 1970 after a trial that lasted a year and a half which included 70 days of hearing. But this particular chapter of Bose’s life story had a satisfyingly happy ending. The conviction, upon appeal, was overturned in Kolkata’s High Court. According to Seely, there was some recognition from the government as well. "From a much grander perspective and more importantly, during the gala public celebration of his 100th birthday at the end of November 2008, in recognition of a lifetime of literary achievement by one of India’s finest writers, first and foremost in Bangla but also in English, the government of India issued a Buddhadeva Bose commemorative 500p postage stamp," Seely said. Bose was one of the most versatile Bengali writers of the 20th century. Editor-publisher of the revolutionary poetry magazine ‘Kavita’, he was the author of over 200 titles including novels ‘Tithidore’ and ‘Moner Moto Meye’, collections of poems ‘Damoyanti’ and ‘Morche Pora Pereker Gan’ and the story collection ‘Bhashao Amar Bhela.’ PTI