Review 

Durgesh Nandini 

by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
translated by B.M. Bhalla

Bankim Chandra's Story Durgesh Nandini is a heroic romance built up in medieval Bengal-the Mughal Rule in India. It is a tale of instant attraction and infatuation of two young hearts who face various ups and downs before finally getting together. The novel was written in 1865 to bring revolution in the state of Bengal which was then going through socio-cultural and intellectual transformation under the impact of British ideas. It fulfilled its purpose- depicting the effect of foreign interruption on evolution and continuation of ancient tradition and revolutionizing Bengali Literature .

At the starting of story the Mughals were at a war against Pathans. Raja Man Singh was sent to eradicate Pathans from Bengal. The mainstream starts from Jagat Singh-son of Raja Man Singh - and Tillotamma-daughter of Virendra Singh, Chieftain of Mandaran -meeting and falling in love with each other. During their second meet- planned by Bimala, Tilotamma's maid-Mandaran was attacked by Pathan General Usman Khan, the king beheaded and Jagat Singh, Bimala and Tilotamma taken captive. Jagat Singh was injured severely in defense. Daughter of Pathan king Ayesha nurses Jagat and falls in love with him during the process. Bimala was revealed to be the widow of Virendra Singh. She and Tilotamma were kept in Katlu Khan's-the Pathan king-harem. Usman was helping Bimala within his limits. She wrote a letter for Jagat Singh which Usman promised to deliver but only after he has read it-as the rule states. He finds that Bimala has saved his life in childhood and thus promises escape of one person from harem. Bimala choses it to be Tilotamma and herself assasinates Katlu Khan thus taking her revenge. During his last breaths Katlu Khan establishes peace with Man Singh and releases Jagat. Usman Khan-in love with Ayesha-challenges Jagat for a dual who defeats him and allows him to escape in lieu of his help during his imprisonment. Ayesha knowing she could never marry Prince eventually helps him in his marriage with Tilotamma. Overall the story transports one to the eras of kings and nobles, of honour, courage and valour.

The notable characters in the story are Prince Jagat Singh, Tilotamma, Bimala, Usman Khan and Ayesha. Prince Jagat Singh is shown to be young yet his matchless bravery and rare military leadership defines his heroic character. In spite of this he was a soft hearted man showing love and affection wherever he can. However, he has been shown to have manly pride as well where he decided to never see Tilotamma again when she was taken to harem. Tilotamma has been shown as a sixteen year old girl-an epitome of tenderness and beauty which is yet to flourish. Bimala is the strongest character in the story. She has been shown to be witty and having a matured beauty of a lady. Her character had many layers which can be discovered through multiple readings and it rejects discrimination on any grounds and any social barrier. Ayesha is another strong character of the story. She possesses the wit of Bimala and beauty of Tilotamma. Her love has been shown as pure and self sacrificing. Usman Khan was another brave man having great leadership qualities. However, he was shown to possess desperation character when he challenges Jagat Singh for his love which in any way can't be considered as an act of wisdom or pride. Abhiramswami signified male and cast dominance in the society. He was shown to be a gray character having did various evils in his past life but deep inside heart having love for his daughter. Also Bimala was shown to be kind-hearted having kept no grudge against her father in spite of all his deeds. Then there were other characters as well who contributed towards novel. Vidyadiggaja signified foolishness and induced comedy element in the story, Virendra Singh signified arrogance and Katlu Khan signified the lust of power.

Considering the narrative style, the story is written in third person with the narrative interacting with readers directly in between. At the start of many chapters narrative arouses the curiosity of readers by discussing the questions yet to be answered. During the reading, at every point there was something missing from the background story which was revealed at subsequent stages . This creates the thrill in reading. The introduction of characters has been done by giving their complete background and the elements in their character and finally how they link to present situation. However, for the Bimala's character suspense was kept about his background-adding to the strength her character had in the story. Narrative at various places has also compared physical beauty with elements of nature which develops a mesmerisation for those women. The actual geographical location of places and verses like "you can still see some traces" connects the story to reality of the battle taken place. The translator however has borrowed only proper nouns from original text, but-by describing the exact feelings of verses- has succeeded in achieving the aim of Bankim Chandra to a good extent. The title Durgesh Nandini means daughter of the lord of fort. Tilotamma and Ayesha both can be considered as this.

The beauty of the novel lies in the romance shown in three different generations with different setups and people thus exploring a larger timeframe and providing opportunity for multilayered study. Overall the story is a perfect heroic romance i.e. the one where valorous men defy death to remain true to their commitments and women sacrifice their lives in fidelity and devotion, the values that they cherish in their lives.  The storyline, characters and narrative together have brought the cultural motivation, revolution and the thrilling interest that I personally enjoyed throughout the novel and which motivates me to read further Bengali literature.