Ama Samayara Manisha | Devdas Chhotray | Book Review by Kedar Mishra

In Odisha, there are two kinds of readers. One kind does not read at all. The other reads abundantly. And “Ama Samayara Manisha” by Devdas Chhotray is meant for those who read deeply and endlessly. It is a new book published by Ketaki Foundation. Those who have read Devdas Chhotray’s prose, especially Lal Machha and Five Ways to Kill Rama, already know that he writes poetry within stories and stories within poetry.

There is an unusual magnetic quality in his writing, a kind of flowing magnetism. The prose of Devdas Chhotray is like liquid magnet, it keeps pulling you towards the sea, towards the horizon. He is celebrated for his creative storytelling. He is a remarkable narrator, and he knows how to tell a story beautifully.

But in this book, “Ama Samayara Manisha”, Devdas Chhotray has not merely told stories, but lived life itself. Because in life we encounter many people. We meet countless human beings. Among them are the famous, the unknown, and those who exist somewhere in between. In this book, Devdas Chhotray tells the stories of all such people.

He writes about Girish Karnad, the renowned actor, director, and playwright. You will find him in these pages. You will also encounter Ramakanta Ratha, and read about the days he spent living in Chunabhati Lane of Cuttack. From the foul-smelling surroundings and the stark reality of that lane, one begins to imagine how the seed of a poem like Chandramaara Chudi might have entered Ramakanta Rath’s poetry.

In this book, you will also meet Kailash Lenka, the Socrates of Cuttack. You will see Gopinath Mohanty, the sage-like figure of Odia literature, returning home from a book fair carrying armfuls of books.

You will meet many such people here. Because every person Devdas Chhotray encountered in his life has, in some way, become a story in this book.

Every human being carries a story within them. And every meeting with another person leaves behind a story of its own. Whenever you meet someone you deeply cherish, a new story is created each time between you and that person. Most of us cannot express those stories. Devdas Babu can.

If you wish to understand his extraordinary way of speaking to people, recognising them, observing them, and truly knowing them, then read “Ama Samayara Manisha”. In its simple, fluid prose, you will discover flashes of poetry everywhere. That quality exists in almost all his books, but here his narrative voice feels distinct. Because here you encounter real human beings, not imaginary characters like Rama of Ramaku Maribara Panchati Uapaya, nor Kalpana of Lal Machha. Every character here is real, living, truthful. Yet inside every real human being there exists an unwritten story.

And to discover those stories, one must read Devdas Chhotray’s “Ama Samayara Manisha”.