Who among the following pioneering Bengali women serialised her autobiography Amar Katha between 1910 and 1913 ?
- A.Binodini Dasi
- B.Rashsundari Debi
- C.Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
- D.Kailashbashini Debi
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Binodini Dasi. Binodini Dasi, a leading actress of the Bengali stage, wrote Amar Katha ("My Story"), which first appeared in parts between 1910 and 1913 and was published as a book in 1913. She joined the theatre as a child and acted in more than eighty roles, working closely with Girish Chandra Ghosh, and she was famous for playing Chaitanya. Her autobiography describes her career and the social prejudice faced by women performers, and it is one of the earliest autobiographies by an Indian actress. Option B is wrong because Rashsundari Debi wrote Amar Jiban (1876), the first full autobiography in Bengali, about a housewife who taught herself to read in secret. Option C is wrong because Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain is known for Sultana's Dream (1905), a feminist utopian story, and for her school for Muslim girls. Option D is wrong because Kailashbashini Debi wrote on the condition of Hindu women in the nineteenth century, not Amar Katha. Exam tip: Amar Katha = Binodini Dasi (actress); Amar Jiban = Rashsundari Debi; Sultana's Dream = Rokeya Hossain.
Practice Questions
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