Misir Ali

Misir Ali (মিসির আলি) is a very popular fictional detective (of sorts), the protagonist in a series of novels by leading Bangladeshi author and playwrite, Humayun Ahmed. None of the novels have, as yet, been translated into English.

Professional life

By profession he is a part-time lecturer of Psychology at the University of Dhaka. (The author was formerly Professor of Chemistry there.) It has been established he holds a Ph.D in Abnormal Psychology and has published several papers on the subject. While none of the stories have concentrated on his "day job," his colleagues and his workmates treat him with great respect, and through some of his students, the reader gets to know he is quite a powerful lecturer and rather good at what he does. He does not have a private practice.

Although a strict rationalist, Misir Ali has a special interest in the paranormal, and thereby hang the tales. Misir Ali believes that there is a rational explanation behind everything, does not believe in the supernatural, but does believe in the human capacity for making things happen and deluding ourselves and others. He reluctantly accepts cases of people claiming to be suffering from problems brought on by the paranormal, and using his logical skills and knowledge of the human psyche, provides satisfactory solutions.

Misir Ali never advertises his interest in the field. Most of his patients contact him after having read of his previous successes, or by word of mouth from friends and other patients. Once, however, Misir Ali is made aware of apparent parapsychological events, he takes steps to investigate matters until they are resolved.

Interested in the inner world of the mind that lives behind the body, Misir Ali's credo is "Close your eyes and try to see." It is he who will literally close his eyes and see what is inside the mind on the way to solving the incredible mysteries presented to him.

Personal life

Almost all of the Bengali readers are well aware of the enigmatic nature of Misir Ali.

The appearance of Misir Ali may be a mystery itself. His physical description is not fully given anywhere in the books. It is said that he is a middle-aged. It is also often stated that he is tall, thin, and wears heavily powerful glasses. It has been stated multiple times in the stories that he has strangely intelligent eyes.

In some Bangladeshi teleplays, Misir Ali is portrayed as bearded or with a moustache. Whether he really has beard or moustache may be a questioned. It's been confirmed by the author himself in one of his autobiographies that Misir Ali has a headful of hair, thick-framed glasses, and unshaven stubble. These are the only constant aspects of his appearance.

It is interesting that in a series where Misir Ali is the main and, essentially, only recurring character and looks intimately at other peoples' lives, not much has not been revealed about Misir Ali's own personal life. Never in the books have his parents or siblings, or their existence, been discussed. If anyone asks, a very rare occurrence, he tends to avoid questions regarding his personal life.

Misir Ali lives a very simple life, yet there are some peculiarities in the way he lives.

In most of the books he is found in a newly rented house, with one or no servant to help him with the household errands. Although Misir Ali often rents a new house, the reasons have never been established. One may argue that he tries to avoid socializing too much by changing houses, as those he rents from tend to become fascinated by him, hold him in high regards, and often invite him to dinner and social functions.

Whenever he receives a letter, he habitually reads it at least three times. This enables him to find out more about the writer.

Misir Ali has never been married, and the books do not hint such may happen in the near future. Though some of his female students, in particular one by the name of Nilu, who was main character in one of the books and has recurring small appearances in the series, have expressed their interest, Misir Ali has never reciprocated the feelings. (Misir Ali was shown married to Nilu at the end of one of the books. However the author regretted what he had done and later showed that they had never married.)

The cases

It should be noted that the books have done their best to highlight, which perhaps no other writer in Bengali fiction has attempted, an in-depth psychoanalysis of the human mind. According to Humayun Ahmed, the creator of this character, Misir Ali is the most logical of persons. Misir Ali believes that nothing can happen without reason . To him, there is a rational explanation behind everything. Being a professor of a subject that deals with the human mind, he is interested in the way that mind works. And he tries to explain every unusual thing that he confronts with his wisdom and logic. In each book, a new mystery finds Misir Ali, though he is reluctant to take cases. But he will get himself involved in the mystery. As the mystery is solved, the readers will often get a plausible explanation of cases because logic is always the centerpiece of all his theories.

Selected Books

• Misir Ali'r Choshma (Misir Ali's Glasses)
• Devi (The Goddess)
• Nishithini (The Night)
• Brihonnola (The Eunuch)
• Kohen Kabi Kalidash (So Says the poet Kalidas)
• Ami Ebong Amra (I and We)
• Amiy Misir Ali (I am Misir Ali)
• Misir Alir Omimangshito Rohossho (The unfinished cases of Misir Ali)
• Tondrabilash
• Onish
• Nisshad
• Bagh Bondi Misir Ali
• Himur Ditiyo Prohor (Himu's Second Dawn)
• Dorjar Opashe
• Bhoy [Story] (Fear)
• Horton Ishkapon (Hearts Spade)
• Shopnoshongini [Story](Dream Mate)
• Misir Ali Omonibush 1 & 2(Misir Ali Collection 1 and 2)

External links

• An article on Misir Ali
• Library of Congress Entry on Humayun Ahmed
• Resource for most of the books by Humayun Ahmed
• Bangla Rabindra collection of tagore, rabindranath
• Toothpique Productions: short films, series and animations directed by his son, Nuhash Humayun