Tenida

Tenida (টেনিদা)
Tenida character
Tenida as depicted on the cover of the comprehensive collection "Tenida Samagra".
Created byNarayan Gangopadhyay
Portrayed byChinmoy Roy
Subhasish Mukhopadhyay
Kanchan Mallick
Voiced bySabyasachi Chakrabarty
In-universe information
Full nameBhajahari Mukhejjee
NicknameTeni (টেনি), Bhaja (ভজ)
GenderMale
OccupationStudent
ReligionHinduism
NationalityIndian (Bengali)
ResidencePataldanga, Kolkata
Height6 feet 2 inches
Friend(s)Pyalaram (Kamalesh Banerjee)
Kyabla (Kushal Mitra)
Habul (Swarnendu Sen)

Bhajahari Mukhujjee (Bengali: ভজহরি মুখার্জী), commonly known as Tenida (Bengali: টেনিদা) or Teni (see Tenida for da), is a fictional native of Potoldanga in Calcutta, who appears in a number of short stories and larger works of the Bengali author Narayan Gangopadhyay. The leader of a group of four young lads who lived in the neighbourhood of Potoldanga, Tenida was depicted as the local big-mouthed airhead, who, although not blessed with academic capabilities, was admired and respected by the other three for his presence of mind, courage, and honesty as well as his vociferous appetite. Descriptions of Tenida's nose also make frequent appearances in the text, being described as "a large nose resembling Mount Mainak". The narrator of the stories is Pyalaram, who seemed to share his leader's frailty in academic exertions. The other two characters who formed an integral part of the quartet were Habul Sen, who speaks with strong East Bengali accent (Dhakai) and Kyabla, the cleverest among the four.[1]

The stories of Tenida are basically two types.[2] (i) Tenida narrates fabricated stories of his so-called heroism[3] (ii)Tenida & Pyala[4] or all the four are involved in hilarious adventures where the gang goes through interesting situations but solves the mystery at the end.[5] The short stories were extensively based in Calcutta and its suburbs, but the Charmurti traveled to Hajaribag,[6] Duars,[7] Darjeeling[8] where their pleasure trip turned into a series of mysterious incidents.

The suffix da used after his actual nickname Teni is short for dada(elder brother) which is used to initiate conversations with an elderly male stranger in colloquial Bengali. The shorthand, used after a person's name, is a mark of respect and acknowledgment of seniority. He is the leader of the gang. He is an indigent Bengali Brahmin. In the earlier novels, he is shown as a timid person.[9] However, in the later novels, he is portrayed as a brave person.[10] In the story entitled as "Kombol Niruddesh" (Bengali: কম্বল নিরুদ্দেশ ), it is mentioned that he knows Boxing and Judo.In the same story, Tenida knocked down a man of 112 kg weight with a single swirl.[11]

  1. ^ Kotamraju, Priyanka (23 May 2014). "Gangs of Potoldanga". @businessline. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  2. ^ Tenida Treasury blog : https://tenida-treasury.blogspot.in/p/tale-types.html
  3. ^ "Tenida ar Yeti-Sabar Prio Tenida"
  4. ^ Bhajahari Film Corporation
  5. ^ "Jhaubanglar Rahosyo"
  6. ^ "Charmurti"
  7. ^ "Charmurtir Abhijan"
  8. ^ "Jhaubanglar Rahoshyo"
  9. ^ "Charmurti", "Charmurtir Abhijan"
  10. ^ "Kombol Niruddesh", "Tenida Aar Sindhughotok"
  11. ^ "Kombol Niruddesh".