OVERWHELMING PRESENCE OF ‘CALCUTTA’ AND ITS CONSEQUENT SOCIO- POLITICAL EFFECT IN SARADINDU BANDYOPADHAY’S ‘BYOMKESH BAKSHI STORIES’

This paper seeks to reiterate the very presence of ‘Calcutta' and the rise of Englishness among the newly educated Indians through the detective lens of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. The paper emphasizes on the new face of Calcutta as a city, particularly concerning the rise of cocaine, crimes, mess baris, babu culture through the characters in Saradindu Bandyopadyay's “Picture Imperfect and other stories”. The paper, would analyze the iconoclastic attempt of introducing an Indian version of detective fiction by Bandyopadhyay. The translated version of “Picture Imperfect and other stories” by Sreejata Guha, has been studied closely for developing this paper with major focus on “The Inquisitor”, the first story in the series. The paper also shows how Calcutta here as a whole, plays a crucial role in developing a hero as such. A key inquisition within this paper is how culture is 'formed', how values are 'created', and how both are regulated by elements such as power and social institutions. The research also seeks to establish how these socio-cultural factors direct and influence the author's representation of the characters, their moral choices, and demeanour.