Kallol

"Kallol" ( _bn. কল্লোল) refers to one of the most influential literary movements in Bangla literature, which can be placed approximately between 1923-1935. The name "Kallol" of the "Kallol group" derives from a magazine of the same name (which translates as the sound of waves in Bangla). "Kallol" was the main mouthpiece for a group of young writers starting their careers around that time including Premendra Mitra, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Buddhadeb Basu. A number of other magazines that followed "Kallol" can also be placed as part of the general movement. These include "Uttara" (1925),"Pragati" (1926), "Kalikolom" (1926), and "Purbasha" (1932).cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = 'Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath', Sukanta Chaudhuri edited: "Calcutta, The Living City", Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ]

History

In 1921, Gokulchandra Nag, Dineshranjan Das, Sunita Debi, and Manindralal Basu set up the "Four Arts Club" at Hazra Road in Kolkata to discuss and practice literature, fine arts, music, and drama. The four members published an anthology of short stories in 1922 named "Jhorer Dola" ("The Sway of the Storm").cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ] The group had envisioned publishing a regular monthly literary magazine but vitriolic attacks from the conservative Tagore loyalists forced them to disband. cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ]

Dineshranjan Das and Gokulchandra Nag were able to establish a magazine and a literary circle in 1923, which they named "Kallol". The regular "adda", or literary discussion, would be held at Dineshranjan's house at Patuatola Lane, Kolkata.

Influence

The "Kallol" circle was perhaps the first conscious literary movement to embrace modernism in Bengali literature.cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ] However, the general literary atmosphere was not entirely receptive of such a radical break from the critically and popularly acclaimed humanism of Tagore.cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ] Another major literary establishment of the day, "Shanibarer Chithi," began a famous literary feud with the young "Kallol" members which lasted for years. Tagore himself joined the debate and published a few essays in "Kallol" where he mentioned that he appreciated the literary effort, but found that the demand for realistic literature was just flaunting "poverty combined with the unrestraint of lust".cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ] He described the literary squabbles of the day in "Shesher Kabita", where the protagonist Amit Ray, is a modernist, who abhors Tagore's humanism but espouses it later. The "Kallol" members, on the other hand, heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, did not deny that they loathed an idealist's version of a "higher" individual.cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ] The discussions of the "Kallol" circle provided ideas for many of the progressive writers of the age. Although not often associated with the circle, Tarashankar Bandopadhyaya participated in many of the discussions.cite book
last = Ray
first = Pratap Kumar
year = 1995
title = The Calcutta Adda IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 248 ]

Perhaps, one of the greatest achievements of the "Kallol" group was in establishing a new generation of writers and thinkers in Bengal. When writing for "Kallol", Nazrul was only twenty-five, Premendra Mitra under twenty, and Buddhadeb Basu fifteen.cite book
last = Ghosh
first = Tapobrata
year = 1995
title = Literature and Literary Life in Calcutta:The Age of Rabindranath IN Sukanta Choudhury edited: Calcutta, The Living City, Vol II
publisher = Oxford University Press
location = Calcutta
pages = 229-230 ] Nazrul would establish a rebellious streak in Bangla poetry, Mitra, a Chekhovian grasp of the short story and Basu would inspire a generation of poets with his little magazine group "Kabita".

Authors belonging to the Kallol group

* Gokulchandra Nag
* Dineshranjan Das
* Achintyakumar Sengupta
* Premendra Mitra
* Buddhadeb Basu
* Nazrul Islam

References