About the Book

Just at the stroke of the half-hour, the floor under our feet shook, and in that very instant, the sphere exploded into a thousand bits and scattered on the floor. Then, from the ruins was heard an eerie, disembodied voice declaiming, 'I know what comes after death!'

In this last volume of Professor Shonku's escapades, the brilliant and benevolent scientist travels around the world once more to face near-death situations. Each nerve-wracking experience is faithfully recorded in his diary. We learn of Shonku being outwitted by his own invention, the Tellus computer; his helplessness when his arch-rival in Rome deliberately misplaces his wonder drug, Miracurall; and the thrilling discovery of a three-and-a-half-thousand-year-old sparkling diamond necklace and papyrus in an ancient tomb in Cairo. Join the incredible Shonku on his many exhilarating adventures accompanied by his two long-time friends, his feline companion Newton, and his faithful retainer, Prahlad.

Presented in a brilliant translation by Indrani Majumdar and the late author, this volume brings alive the wildly imaginative world of the weird and wonderful Professor Shonku.

Editorial Reviews

The volume begins with an escapade translated by Ray himself and the concluding and introspective adventure in this book begins at his cozy house in Giridih but the action starts to unfold from Jharkhand and takes readers to London and Berlin with a nail-biting finish. - Outlook

The stories are in the format of a diary and so the reader has the comfort of knowing that the professor got through whatever adventure he went through.... For those who cannot read the original, translations like these will help to keep readers hooked to Ray's magic with words.- The Hindu

Popular page-turners come back on digital platforms in new ways...with illustrations in the book by Ray himself, this sure makes for a collectors' edition, albeit on your electronic reading devices.- Telegraph

On his 99th birthday, fans of legendary film director Satyajit Ray could not have asked for more - his final volume of Professor Shonku's escapades which has been translated into English with a portion by the master himself was launched on May 2. - Times of India

Get ready for adventures with Professor Shonku to celebrate Satyajit Ray's birthday...[the book] has been translated by Ray and Indrani Majumdar for the first time in English from the original collection of Shonku adventures featuring stories that are funny, imaginative, and exciting. - Indian Express

Satyajit Ray at 99: An extract from The Final Adventures of Professor Shonku- Indian Express

Shonku's Date With History... Satyajit Ray's beloved creation, Professor Shonku, revives the spirits of Adolf Hitler, Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah, and William Shakespeare- Reader's Digest

'The Final Adventures of Professor Shonku' released on Satyajit Ray's 99th birthday- Deccan Herald

About the Author

Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray (1921-92) was one of the greatest filmmakers of his time. In 1992, he was awarded the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In the same year, he was also honored with the Bharat Ratna. Ray was also a writer of repute, and his short stories, novellas, poems, and articles, written in Bengali, have been immensely popular. He has published several books in Bengali, most of which became bestsellers. He is also the author of the famous Feluda stories, the translations of which have been made available by Penguin.

Indrani Majumdar

Indrani Majumdar is a researcher firmly rooted in the Bengali culture. Her explorations have included studying the various facets of Satyajit Ray's work, as well as translating several texts from Bengali into English and vice versa. She lives and works in Delhi.