Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (12 September 1894 – 1 November 1950) was an Indian Bengali author and one of the leading writers of modern Bengali literature. His best known work is the autobiographical novel Pather Panchali (The Song of the Road), which was later adapted (along with Aparajito, the sequel) into The Apu Trilogy of films directed by Satyajit Ray.
The 1951 Rabindra Puraskar, the most prestigious literary award in West Bengal, was posthumously awarded to Bibhutibhushan for his novel, Ichhamati.
The Bandyopadhyay family originated in the Panitar village near Basirhat, located in the North 24 Parganas district of modern-day West Bengal. Bibhutibhushan’s great-grandfather, who was an Ayurvedic physician, eventually settled at Barakpur village, near Gopalnagar, Banagram(now-Bangaon), North 24 Parganas.[2] However, Bibhutibhushan was born in Muratipur near Kalyani Ghoshpara, Nadia, at his maternal uncle’s house. His father, Mahananda Bandyopadhyay, was a Sanskrit scholar and story-teller (Kathak) by profession. Mahananda and his wife Mrinalini had five children, of whom Bibhutibhushan was the eldest.
Bibhutibhushan’s childhood home was at Barakpur village, near Gopalnagar Police Station in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas.
The writer studied at Bongaon High School, one of the oldest institutions in British India and was considered a consistently talented student. Following a first division placement in the Entrance and Intermediate Arts examinations, Bibhutibhushan completed his undergraduate degree with Economics, History and Sanskrit at the Surendranath College (then Ripon College), Kolkata. He was admitted to the master’s degree (MA) and Law classes, but could not afford to enroll for the postgraduate course at the University of Calcutta and joined teaching profession in a school at Jangipara, Hooghli.
Prior to becoming a writer, Bibhutibhushan worked in a variety of jobs to support both himself and his family.
His first job was as a teacher, but Bibhutibhushan also served as a travelling publicist for Goraksini Sabha, and later as a secretary for Khelatchandra Ghosh, a role that included the management of his Bhagalpur estate. Bibhutibhushan became involved with Khelatchandra, a prominent name in music and charity, tutoring his family, and also taught at the Khelatchandra Memorial School.Bibhutibhushan eventually returned to the geographic area where he spent his childhood, accepting a job as teacher at the Gopalnagar School which he continued alongside his until his death.While staying at Bhagalpur he wrote Pather Panchali and also published.
Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay died on 1 November 1950, with the cause of death identified as a heart attack. Death occurred whilst the author was staying in Ghatshila.