Pratul Mukhopadhyay passes away at 82, Bengali music icon gone forever
Mukhopadhyay's powerful compositions like 'Ami Banglay Gan Gai' and 'Dinga Bhashao Sagore' are deeply etched in the hearts of his admirers.
The renowned Bengali-language singer Pratul Mukhopadhyay was a creative artist and songwriter. He was the writer and singer of the famous Bengali songs Ami Banglay Gan Gai and Dinga Bhashao Sagore. His father, Prabhat Mukhopadhyay, hailed from Barisal, Bangladesh, and settled in a house at Motijhil in Chinsurah.
Pratul was affectionately known by his nickname, Panu Da. He played football with his friends on the Motijhil ground just opposite his house, which was initially a one-storey building but was later raised to two storeys.
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A very talented student of Hooghly Collegiate School, he consistently stood first in his class. He was married to Sorbani Mukhopadhyay at Bhudeb Bhavan. In the seventies, he moved to a residence in Kolkata.
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The locals of Motijhil in Chinsurah still have vivid memories of Panu Da’s activities. One of his relatives, Shuk Ranjan Gangopadhyay, said, “Pratul was a brilliant student and was very fond of mathematics. On the floor of the verandah of a nearby house, Panu Da would solve maths problems across the entire floor.”
Pratul took great interest in social activities. Under his guidance, Saraswati Puja, Durga Puja, and other social functions were organised. He named the football ground Green Check Ground. Under his direction, the club staged a play called Baro Bhoote. His younger brother, Pradip Mukhopadhyay, who was an excellent artist, drew the different scenes for the play.
However, the house where Pratul spent part of his life was sold off 50 years ago.
Kishore Chattopadhyay, one of Pratul’s former neighbours, recalled: “At that time, there was no electricity in Pratul’s house, but ours had power. Pratul would come to our house and solve difficult maths problems on the floor. Sometimes, he even studied under the light of an electricity pole in the ground. Pratul was blessed with a natural talent for art and culture and was a gifted actor. Even after they moved to Kolkata, we invited Pratul to a club function years later.”
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