Anuradhar Dex by Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury, the most romantic Assamese novel.

Anuradhar Dex(অনুৰাধাৰ দেশ) A Novel dear to my heart
Anuradhar Dex is one of my favourite novel and there will be hardly any novel reader in Assamese who is not basked in reflected glory of the success of this novel. And perhaps it is one modeern romantic novel that becomes a classic. Anuradhar Dex is written by an Engineer on the basis of his experience while working in an Oil Company of India. It is really watchable to see how he has turned this experience into the corner-stone to build up the story of  a romantic novel.


The novel Anuradhar Dex is a mix  of techniques that were new to Assamese novel. So the impact of the novel while it was being published was immense. The novel was published in Prantik magazine during the 80s. The overwhelming response by the readers made it a huge success and in no time it was published as a book.  Mr Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhuri had been  writing the novel episode-wise and was sending it like that to the magazine. The editor of Prantik Magazine Dr Saikia sir was very much concerned about the next episode that he repeatedly insisted the writer about completion of the the novel. Because at that time the novel  became the USP of sorts for  Prantik Magazine. So mad enquiry aboyt the novel would make the editor of Prantik take such a step.

Another anecdote which I have read in an autobiographic essay(or may be in an interview, not sure now) of the writer Phanindra KumarDev Choudhury is that when he was writing the novel and it was being published in Prantik he used to receive thousands of fan-letters(good old days!!). One of the woman fan of him used to suggest him possible twists and turns of the story and expressed her disagreement in some cases. The writer use to write back to this fan and this gradually grows up into a liking and then love. As the story of the novel progressed the bonding of the  two also strengthened. And at the crux  of the events,  the writer and his friend (fan) tied the knot(that to in a romantic as well as dramatic backdrop) for life. The name of Dev Choudhury's wife is Asima dev Choudhuri who married Phanindra Dev Choudhuri against the wish of her family and supported the writer. I am sharing this anecdote completely out of respect for this great writer who despite busy life could pen this incredibly beautiful novel. A person with intense passion for writing and strong emotional background can only do this.

That Dev Choudhury is a passionate human being, which not only reflects in his first novel Anuradhar Dex, or in his love story of his life. It also reflects in his great effort to publish a National Dictionary in Assamese, Jatiya Kosh.  He has also compiled Assamese prose written in a era as Exa Basarar Axomiya Gadya Sahitya, which is a collectible for every literature student of Assamese.

Anuradhar Dex story in a nutshel

Though the subject matter of the novel is cospolitan love, the innovative treatment of the story gives it a fresh appeal. Also love beyond the border of states was a rare topic in those days because people were not so high flying during 80's.  Anyways Oil company engineer Arunabh gets posting in a remote and otherwise boring port town Paradweep, and out of sheer boredom he tries to find out his   his classmate of Banaras University Anuradha Saha. Anuradha was not at all appealing for her unflattering physique as well as appearance. But the depth of her heart could win people very easily. Till now Arunabh  is ditched in love for once by his sweetheart Rupali, who is already married. Although the protagonist of this novel is Arunabh readers are not deprived of the first person narration of all the intricately designed characters who are bonded through a thread that is Arunabh.

This time Arunabh couldn't miss his  true feelings of love for Anuradha. Time being the greatest  conspirator, it places  Arunabh in a position of  the father of Rupali's lovechild...

We see in the story that the hero is prone to but human  follies but honest expression transcends him for an ordinary person to a great human being. And readers are hoodwinked to trust and love the protagonist Arunabh.  Arunabh like every man feels lust and he treats it like that and sees no sin in it. In his love, in his infatuation and in his loveless surrender we readers  like to be with him and support him.

For Assamese novel readers Anuradhar dex is a must read. Writer Dev Choudhury would be remembered even if he had written Anuradhar Dex only. But as I have mentioned earlier, Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury has contributed lot more to Assamese literature. Apart from the collections of Assamese prose from thee beginning he has published several other collections of Short stories, and also articles. I also like Dev Choudhuri's Mrityur Lekha Premar Lekha, Premar Dinar Prastab etc.