The novel tells the story of a forgotten albeit dramatic chapter from Manipur's history, drawing out characters who were otherwise hidden behind old, forgotten records and historical documents.
Malloban is set in North Calcutta in the winter of 1929. The eponymous protagonist, a lower-middle-class office worker, lives in College Street-a locality known for its bookstores, publishing houses, and universities-with his wife Utpala and their daughter Monu. The novel unfolds through a series of everyday scenes of dysfunction and discontent: bickering about bathrooms and budgeting, family trips to the zoo and the movies, a visit from Utpala's brother's family which displaces Malloban to a boarding house, and the appearance of a frequent late-night visitor to Utpala's upstairs bedroom. Meanwhile, the daughter Monu bears the brunt of her parents' unlove.Arguably the most beloved poet in modern Bangla after Tagore, Jibanananda wrote a significant number of novels and short stories discovered and published after his death. Malloban is his most popular novel.
