My Take - Adarsha Hindu Hotel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

Dream Big – This phrase represents the essence of the novel Adarsha Hindu Hotel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. The protagonist Hazari Devsharma Chakroborty is a cook at Bechu Chakroborty’s hotel in Ranaghat. He is a man of humble means but that does not deter him from dreaming big. His most cherished dream is to have his own hotel which he wishes to name Adarsha Hindu Hotel.
He is a diligent, honest, hopeful man who does not shy away from labouring hard in order to fulfil his dream. The novel emphasises that industriousness is the key ingredient for staying young at heart. The novel is extremely well written with a tight woven plot and well-developed characters. Each and every character takes a life of their own with their own dreams, aspirations and struggles. Interestingly, Hazari gets the requisite financial support to fulfil his long cherished dream only from the women characters. It might be because since the women had no official right over their own money which can be snatched away from them by their male guardians, they judged that their money would be safer in the hands of Hazari, who promised to pay them the interest on their principle. However, their decision to financially help Hazari was not entirely dictated by monetary purpose, they shared a strong emotional bond with him as well.
There were a few things that I didn’t like in the novel. Hazari’s self-effacing servitude is one of them. Hazari is undoubtedly a kind, honest, upright man. However, his extreme large-heartedness bordering on naivety especially with his scheming, cruel erstwhile employers, Bechu Chakroborty and Padma jhi is infuriating. There were instances when his extreme humility and obeisance for his erstwhile employers even when they insulted him, wrongly accused him and schemed against him came off as stupid. One does not have to be a gullible idiot in order to be labelled as kind and humble. Also, there were a few inconsistencies regarding the background of Naren. When he is introduced the readers are informed that he had studied till class 4th, comes from an extremely poor family and was ready to work as a servant at a hotel in Calcutta. But later when he re-enters the story as Hazari’s favoured manager, the readers are informed that he had passed matriculation examination and belongs to a well-to-do family. Also, once while Hazari was reminiscing about his colleagues after he was dismissed from Bechu Chakroborty’s hotel, Naren was mentioned as Ratan’s nephew rather than Banshi’s nephew. I was disheartened to see such a great author committing silly errors, perhaps ironically reiterating that “no one is perfect.”
It was an inspiring and morally uplifting novel. Through a heart-warming story it urges the readers to dream big, listen to their hearts and work hard to fulfil the dreams without ever losing hope.
My rating - 4 ⭐

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