Why every child deserves a cousin like Feluda!

If you were lucky enough in your childhood, you must have had that one person who was a hero in your eyes — he was the coolest person you knew, the kind who not only had the whole world figured out but also gave you undivided attention, befriended you even though you were young. For many, he was that bachelor choto mama or kaka who often lived in the guestroom of the house. For others, he was a cousin — like Feluda is to Topshey!

Feluda, Satyajit Ray's iconic detective series, continues to be immensely influential among children. One of Bengali literature's most memorable characters, Pradash Chandra Mitra (nicknamed Felu) is a detective, accompanied by his assistant and cousin, Tapesh Ranjan Mitra (nicknamed Topshey), and also sometimes by his friend and crime writer, Lalmohan Ganguli. Together, the "three musketeers" travel, embark on adventures, and of course, solve mysteries.

Topshey is the Bengali version of Dr Watson, although he is merely around 14 years old while his Felu-dada is 27. We see Feluda through the eyes of his cousin and assistant Topshey, as he is the narrator of the stories.

What fascination and love he has for this cousin-brother! In the novel Badshahi Angti, Topshey says how some people may think of Feluda as "aadh-pagla (half-mad)" or "khamkheyali (care-free)", but "there are not many who are as intelligent as Feluda".

He continues to talk about the various abilities of his cousin, skills which would capture the imagination of any child or adolescent: card tricks, hypnotism, ability to write in both right hand and left hand. 

As a detective, Feluda's incredible observational power by which he deduces so many things is paralleled with that of Sherlock Holmes. Although Feluda relies mostly on his grey cells to solve crimes, he also carries a .32 Colt revolver. Just imagine if you had a cousin like that when you were young, with whom you could tag along in adventures and travels.

Feluda is Topshey's window to the world. The teenager gets to meet interesting people, confront mysteries and puzzles, and explore exotic places — be it the vacations where somehow a case gets thrust upon Feluda or the instances when they have to travel somewhere in order to solve a crime. Travel is a recurring and dominant theme in several Feluda stories.

Adventures, mysteries, and a fascinating older cousin-brother!

To illustrate further, in another book, Darjeeling Jomjomat, Topshey comments that Feluda is a "khoruche lok" who is not into saving money, who is interested in vintage books, which he buys a lot of.

In fact, there are not many things Feluda is not interested in or is not knowledgeable about. Given all these, it is no wonder the impact and influence this cousin has on the boy. The readers too, who themselves are usually of Topshey's age, have a lasting impression of Feluda when growing up.

Photo: Collected / Priyansu Das / unsplash

I remember the countless hours I spent hooked to the books. Feluda has been a role model. It should be mentioned here that the only thing which ought not to be imitated from him is his habit of smoking — the cigarette brand Charminar that Feluda used to enjoy have become closely associated with him forever.

Other than that, Feluda is the perfect hero for a child.

Looking back at my own life, I often wonder whether there was any real-life character like him in my childhood. To answer that, I have to mention my cousin -- let's call him Russell dada.

The adults in the family probably despised Russell dada, as he dropped out of college and was unemployed for a long time. I remember how I used to peek into and enter Russell dada's den — the smallest room in his house — where books of every kind occupied the most space, a microscope and magnifying glass sat in one corner, a large tape recorder in another.

Broken household appliances lay around, which he was trying to "study" or repair. Vintage coins and other antics were scattered here and there. Stating the obvious, he instilled inquisitiveness in me, much like Feluda did for Topshey. 

For me, this curly and ruffled haired man with thick glasses was that "aadh pagla" cousin. He had all the answers in life. I could ask "deep" questions without been shot down by adults. Yes, he would recognise me as a child, but he would nevertheless take me seriously. One fine day, when I declared I wanted to be an astronaut, he explained in detail how I could apply for the job at NASA when I grow up.

I did not become an astronaut; grew up to be a journalist and teacher instead. But my love for Russell dada or Feluda did not wane away. Late at night, when I am checking piles and piles of exam papers of my students, Feluda audiobooks are always playing in the background. 

Indeed, other than children as audience, there is a huge "nostalgia market" of Feluda, with movie adaptations and the more recent web series adaptations been made. Apart from younger audiences, for adults it is the nostalgia factor that draws many of us in. 

This also shows how much of an impact Feluda had in our childhood, the fictional character as well as the Feluda-type person in real life. Without him, our childhood would have been incomplete. Hence, I say — every child growing up deserves a Feluda in his/her life.