On 10th September 1923, popular Bengali playwright, story writer and poet Sukumar Ray passed away in Moshua (now in Bangladesh). He was the son of famous Bengali writer, painter and musician Upendrakishore Ray and the father of celebrated Indian film maker Satyajit Ray.
Sukumar Ray is remembered for his humorous poems such as “Aboltabol”, his collection of short stories “Pagla Dashu” and his play “Chalachittachanchari”, which has even been compared to the Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Even eighty years after his death, Ray remains one of the most popular children’s writers in India and across the border in Bangladesh.
Sukumar Ray was born o 30th October 1887 in a Brahmo family in Kolkata. Born at a time when the Bengal Renaissance Movement was at its peak, Ray was raised in an environment which promoted literary talent. Ray’s father Upendrakishore Ray was a short story writer, painter and musician. Upendrakishore was also a close friend of Rabindranath Tagore, who had a great influence on young Sukumar. Sukumar Ray studied the technology of block making and set up his own block making business along with his brother Subinay.
In 1906, Ray graduated from the Presidency College with honours in Physics and Chemistry. He later trained in photography and printing technology in London at the School of Photo Engraving and Lithography. Ray returned to be a pioneer in photography and lithography in India. Following this Ray soon gathered acclaim as an illustrator and as a technologist he developed new methods of halftone block making. Technological articles written by him were published in journals in England.
Following this Ray’s father Upendrakishore started a publishing business, names U. Ray and Sons which Sukumar and his brother Subinay helped him run. Upendrakishore bought land, set up the publishing business with facilities for high quality halftone block making and printing facilities while Sukumar was away in England. Following this Sukumar also set up Sandesh, a children’s magazine. Soon after Sukumar’s return from England, Upendrakishore passed away and Sukumar continued running the printing and publishing business, along with running Sandesh for eight years. Relatives of the Ray family also contributed to the magazine to keep it running. Apart from this Sukumar Ray was also leading the reformist movement of the Brahmo Samaj and is remembered for penning a poem named “Atiter Katha”, which was essentially the history of the Brahmo Samaj. This poem was published in a book to introduce an understanding of the Brahmo Samaj to young children.
Sukumar Ray was married to Suprabha Devi and together they had a son, Satyajit Ray who went onto become India’s most popular film makers.
Sukumar Ray died on 10th September 1923 after suffering from an infectious fever for which there was no cure in those days.
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