Who is the best detective- Feluda, Byomkesh or Kiriti?

Over the years, West Bengal has made rich contributions to the treasure of Indian literature. Indian literature is incomplete without Bengali literature. Great novelists, playwrights, poets and story writers have enthralled the audience with their masterpieces. Whether we are a child or a grown-up, book reading has been an intrinsic part of our lives. And when it comes to “detective” stories, there is no looking back.

The popular tales of mysteries, suspense and adventure keep you tied to the edge of your seta till you decipher the mystery. This nerve-wracking experience turns your blood cold and this has made Bengali detective literature surpass all odds.

Bengali detective literature remains incomplete without Feluda, Byomkesh, Kiriti, Kakababu, etc. But what has made them so popular? Another question that comes to mind is who is the best among Feluda, Byomkesh and Kiriti?

This is rather a relative question and depends on the individual perception of a reader. All the books are available in our Kolkata book store online named OCS. So, you can easily make an online book purchase in Kolkata from OCS if you are an avid reader.

Feluda or Pradosh Chandra Mitra is a private investigator. He is a tall and handsome Bengali sleuth with a professional approach. He is assisted by his cousin Topshe and the writer, Lal Mohan Ganguly or Jatayu. He is a desperate young sleuth who is not afraid of pulling the trigger. His main weapon is “Mogojashtro” or the brain. He has an unbeatable charisma and analytical intelligence. With his 6’feet tall stature, he seldom makes mistakes and solves crimes like police. There is hardly anything that Feluda doesn’t know. Feluda Samagra by Satyajit Ray by Ananda publishers online is a collection of 35 mysterious stories of Feluda. He is portrayed as a real-life superhero without any flaws. According to Satyajit Ray, he wanted Feluda to be a teenager’s idol. Despite being a strongly built man with athletic skills, he solves crime with his analytical and observational skills. He is displayed as a great admirer of Sherlock Holmes.

On the other hand, Byomkesh Bakshi, a character developed by the famous Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandopadhyay, proclaims himself as “satyanweshi” or the seeker of truth. He is more human than Feluda, braver and agile. He has his dilemmas like any ordinary man. He has an intelligent personality and is portrayed as a common Bengali man with sharp intellect and oratory skills. You can make an online book purchase in Kolkata of Byomkesh Samagra by Ananda publishers online from OCS with 36 mystery stories that will leave you open-mouthed. There are times when Byomkesh is depressed and at times he shows his excellent sense of humour. He is never a mere detective and his sheer analytical skills never overshadow his feelings. Byomkesh is literature, whereas Feluda is a superhero. According to Byomkesh, humanity is more important to him. There are instances when he feels sorry for a murderer and lets him flee. He can be seen as “the boy next door” rather than a hardcore detective. He is sidekicked by his friend Ajit and is portrayed as a tall and lean man. He has an addiction to smoking and drinking tea and has a solid grasp of Bengali literature. The plots are excellent and are different from one another. Grab one from our Kolkata book store online.

Nihar Ranjan Gupta composed his first detective story ‘Kalo Bhromor’ where he introduced his detective Kiriti. There are about 80 stories based on the adventures of Kiriti. Kiriti is portrayed as a dashing detective with 6’2 feet in height, a long coat and cap, with a pipe in his mouth. He is quite different from Byomkesh and mostly carries a magnifying glass with him. He solves crimes with his assistant Subrata Roy. His stories of adventures and mystery are still popular. But later, the stories became and the plots became quite similar with no variations. This made the stories a bit boring. Although ‘Kalo Bhromor’ is always appreciated, the flow of writing has made Feluda and Byomkesh more interesting. Moreover, Kiriti was more British in nature and not like a typical Bengali man, which made him detached from the Bengali audience.

However, the stalwarts cannot be compared. Whether it is Feluda, Byomkesh or Kiriti, they form an indispensable part of Bengali literature and are beyond comparison. Each has his own shade of personality that sets him apart from the other. For a young mind, Feluda is better. As we grow, we come to understand the depth of Byomkesh and Kiriti. All the characters have dark and complex aspects that we often tend to overlook. However, we as readers are here to enjoy reading. So grab any of your detective fiction from our Kolkata book store online.