BONKU BABU'S FRIEND – Satyajit Ray
A. "No one had ever seen Bonku Babu get cross. To tell the truth, it was difficult to
imagine what he might say or do, if one day he did get angry."
1. What is Bonku's full name? Why had no one seen Bonku Babu lose his temper?
→ Bonku Babu’s full name is Bonkubihari Datta. Introduced early in the story as the kindly,
unflappable geography and Bengali teacher at Kankurgachhi Village Primary School for
twenty-two years, Bonkubihari affectionately called Bonku Babu by his students and
friends becomes the perpetual butt of jokes. From mischievous pupils who draw
caricatures of him on the blackboard or glue his chair, to village elders who hide his
umbrella or smear dirt in his paan, no one ever witnessed him lose his temper. The
narrative emphasizes that it is “difficult to imagine what he might say or do, if one day he
did get angry,” which sets the tone for understanding both his character and the social
dynamics that surround him.
There are two intertwined reasons why Bonku Babu never appears cross. On a practical
level, he knows that at his age and in his remote village posting, losing his job in a fit of
indignation would be untenable. Teaching is his livelihood, and he cannot afford the
instability or humiliation of dismissal. More deeply, Bonku Babu’s self-restraint is rooted
in his genuine love for teaching. Despite the pranks and jeers, he finds deep fulfilment in
instructing the handful of earnest students each year, inviting them home for snacks and
sharing enthralling tales of far-off places. These moments of connection continually
reinforce his decision to bear insults quietly. Moreover, his temperament is naturally mild
and forgiving; he seems to derive a quiet pride from maintaining composure under
persistent harassment. For him, a simple reproach “Shame on you, boys!” is enough to
register disapproval without disrupting his own peace of mind or the harmony of the
community. Thus, whether motivated by economic necessity, pedagogical devotion, or an
ingrained gentleness of spirit, Bonkubihari Datta remains an exemplar of calm endurance,
so much so that his anger becomes almost unimaginable to everyone around him.
2. What are some of the reasons narrated in the story that could make Bonku Babu
angry?
→ Bonku Babu’s enduring patience is tested repeatedly by a variety of pranks and insults
that, under different circumstances, would be enough to make almost anyone lose their
temper. At school, his pupils draw caricatures of him on the blackboard, smear glue on
his chair so that he sits stuck, and most dangerously set off a chasing rocket behind him
during Kali Puja. Though he only murmurs “Shame on you, boys!” these childish
torments rankle beneath the surface. Outside the classroom, the grown-ups at Sripati
Majumdar’s evening addas treat him even worse: they hide his umbrella or shoes, slip dirt
into his paan, and insist he break into song despite his terrible voice. On one occasion,
after Bonku Babu dared to claim he wasn’t afraid of ghosts, someone smeared black ink
over their body, leapt from a tamarind tree onto his back, and left him with a sore neck
and a torn, stained kurta an assault that combined physical injury with the humiliation of
ruined clothing. He endures constant mockery from being nicknamed “Bunkum” by
Nidhu Babu to having sycophants fawn over Sripati Babu as he sits silent, lampooned as
the village’s designated “butt of ridicule.” Even a minor intellectual slight, such as Nidhu
Babu’s stealing credit for spotting a satellite, goes unchallenged. Altogether, these insults
schoolboys’ hijinks, adults’ calculated humiliations, physical pranks that verge on
, violence, and the steady erosion of his dignity constitute the very real reasons that, if
unchecked, might finally drive Bonku Babu to anger.
3. What subjects does Bonku Babu teach? Where?
→ Bonku Babu is the long-serving geography and Bengali teacher at the Kankurgachhi
Village Primary School, a small rural institution in Bengal where he has quietly dedicated
himself for twenty-two years. In a setting where primary schools often rely on generalist
instructors, Bonku Babu’s dual responsibility for both a modern academic subject
(geography) and the regional language (Bengali) underscores his versatility and the
community’s reliance on his expertise.
Geography, as he teaches it, brings the wider world into a classroom of eager youngsters,
many of whom have never ventured beyond the boundaries of their village. He describes
distant lands, snow‐capped mountains, exotic flora and fauna, and the vast oceans,
thereby igniting his students’ imaginations and planting seeds of curiosity. As their
Bengali teacher, he guides them through the rhythms and cadences of their mother
tongue, nurturing literacy and a sense of cultural identity. This combination of subjects
allows Bonku Babu to balance the intellectual discovery of geography with the expressive
power of language, creating a richer learning environment for his pupils.
The village primary school itself is modest an unassuming building with a single
blackboard, simple desks, and books that are often passed down from one batch of
students to the next. Yet despite the pranks and teasing he endures, Bonku Babu finds
profound satisfaction in reaching the handful of serious learners each year. To these
attentive students, he opens his home on occasion, offering snacks and sharing tales of
faraway continents and adventures, thereby extending his role well beyond the classroom
walls. In teaching geography and Bengali in Kankurgachhi, Bonku Babu anchors his
students both to their roots and to the vast possibilities that lie beyond their village.
4. Briefly explain the relationship Bonku Babu shares with his students.
→ Bonku Babu’s relationship with his students is built on mutual respect, gentle
encouragement, and an infectious sense of wonder that he cultivates through storytelling.
Although he endures endless teasing from glue on his chair to caricatures on the
blackboard, he never allows their mischief to embitter him. Instead, he treats even the
pranksters with quiet forbearance, correcting them with a mild “Shame on you, boys!”
and then returning his focus to the handful of earnest learners who look to him for
guidance. In this way, he separates the rough from the refined, cushioning the impact of
their practical jokes while still maintaining classroom order.
For the serious students, Bonku Babu goes beyond the routine curriculum. He invites
them to his home on weekends, where over simple snacks he spins captivating tales of
far-off lands the frozen wastes of the North Pole, the submerged mysteries of Atlantis, or
the flesh-eating fish of Brazil. These sessions are more than mere entertainment; they are
teaching moments that broaden his pupils’ horizons, infusing geography lessons with
vivid imagery and personal warmth. His willingness to open his doors and his heart
cements a deeper bond: the students see him not merely as an instructor, but as a mentor
invested in their intellectual growth and personal well-being.
Moreover, his patience in the face of mockery models resilience and dignity. The children
learn, by example, that true authority rests not in harshness or loud rebukes, but in calm
, confidence and unwavering commitment. Bonku Babu’s gentle kindness and imaginative
spirit earn the loyalty of his best students, who in turn uphold his dignity by their attentive
behavior and genuine admiration. Thus, his relationship with his pupils is a delicate
balance: compassionate yet firm, entertaining yet educational, and always rooted in the
belief that every child no matter how mischievous deserves respect and the chance to
learn.
B. "On a number of occasions, he had come back thinking, 'Enough, never again!' The
reason was simply that he could put up with the pranks played by the boys in his
school, but when grown-ups, even middle-aged men, started playing the fool with
him, it became too much to bear. At these addas that Sripati Babu hosted in the
evenings, nearly everyone poked fun at Bonku Babu, sometimes bringing his
endurance almost to breaking point."
1. Who often thought "Enough"? Why did he keep visiting then?
→ It was Bonku Babu himself who, on more than one occasion, trudged home muttering
“Enough, never again!” after enduring another round of ridicule at Sripati Majumdar’s
evening addas. Though he could tolerate the rough‐and‐tumble pranks of schoolboys,
glue on his chair, ink smeared on his back, chasing rockets set off behind him he found it
almost unbearable when middle-aged villagers, whom he regarded as his peers, took the
same liberties. The adults’ teasing cut deeper: they hid his umbrella and shoes, filled his
paan with dirt, and barked demands that he sings despite his poor voice. Worse still was
the calculated cruelty of being the group’s “butt of ridicule,” deliberately invited along so
that everyone else could have a laugh.
Why, then, did Bonku Babu continue to show up night after night despite vowing never to
return? The answer lies partly in social obligation and self-interest. Sripati Majumdar was
not only the local lawyer but also a powerful member of the school committee Bonku
Babu’s employer and protector. To refuse the invitation outright would have been to risk
offending the very man who could influence his job security and standing in the village.
Moreover, Sripati Babu insisted that his soirées needed a “butt” to provide comic relief;
declining would have branded Bonku Babu as aloof or ungrateful, potentially isolating
him further.
On a deeper level, Bonku Babu’s own mild temperament and sense of duty made him
reluctant to burn bridges. He valued harmony and feared the consequences both personal
and professional of open conflict. In short, despite the stinging mockery, he kept returning
because he could neither afford to alienate the village’s most influential figure nor betray
his own instinct for courteous compliance.
2. What pranks did the schoolboys play?
→ Bonku Babu’s young pupils delighted in an array of mischievous pranks that tested his
legendary patience. The most innocuous, yet pervasive trick was the caricature: boys
would surreptitiously draw a cartoon of their meek-mannered teacher on the classroom
blackboard. Often, these sketches exaggerated his mild features his gentle smile, his slight
stoop turning him into a source of visual amusement for every incoming class.
More elaborate was the glue‐on‐the‐chair stunt. Under the guise of ordinary tidying,
pranksters would spread a thin layer of adhesive on Bonku Babu’s wooden seat. When he
arrived to teach, his backside would stick fast, prompting cries of “Shame on you, boys!”
A. "No one had ever seen Bonku Babu get cross. To tell the truth, it was difficult to
imagine what he might say or do, if one day he did get angry."
1. What is Bonku's full name? Why had no one seen Bonku Babu lose his temper?
→ Bonku Babu’s full name is Bonkubihari Datta. Introduced early in the story as the kindly,
unflappable geography and Bengali teacher at Kankurgachhi Village Primary School for
twenty-two years, Bonkubihari affectionately called Bonku Babu by his students and
friends becomes the perpetual butt of jokes. From mischievous pupils who draw
caricatures of him on the blackboard or glue his chair, to village elders who hide his
umbrella or smear dirt in his paan, no one ever witnessed him lose his temper. The
narrative emphasizes that it is “difficult to imagine what he might say or do, if one day he
did get angry,” which sets the tone for understanding both his character and the social
dynamics that surround him.
There are two intertwined reasons why Bonku Babu never appears cross. On a practical
level, he knows that at his age and in his remote village posting, losing his job in a fit of
indignation would be untenable. Teaching is his livelihood, and he cannot afford the
instability or humiliation of dismissal. More deeply, Bonku Babu’s self-restraint is rooted
in his genuine love for teaching. Despite the pranks and jeers, he finds deep fulfilment in
instructing the handful of earnest students each year, inviting them home for snacks and
sharing enthralling tales of far-off places. These moments of connection continually
reinforce his decision to bear insults quietly. Moreover, his temperament is naturally mild
and forgiving; he seems to derive a quiet pride from maintaining composure under
persistent harassment. For him, a simple reproach “Shame on you, boys!” is enough to
register disapproval without disrupting his own peace of mind or the harmony of the
community. Thus, whether motivated by economic necessity, pedagogical devotion, or an
ingrained gentleness of spirit, Bonkubihari Datta remains an exemplar of calm endurance,
so much so that his anger becomes almost unimaginable to everyone around him.
2. What are some of the reasons narrated in the story that could make Bonku Babu
angry?
→ Bonku Babu’s enduring patience is tested repeatedly by a variety of pranks and insults
that, under different circumstances, would be enough to make almost anyone lose their
temper. At school, his pupils draw caricatures of him on the blackboard, smear glue on
his chair so that he sits stuck, and most dangerously set off a chasing rocket behind him
during Kali Puja. Though he only murmurs “Shame on you, boys!” these childish
torments rankle beneath the surface. Outside the classroom, the grown-ups at Sripati
Majumdar’s evening addas treat him even worse: they hide his umbrella or shoes, slip dirt
into his paan, and insist he break into song despite his terrible voice. On one occasion,
after Bonku Babu dared to claim he wasn’t afraid of ghosts, someone smeared black ink
over their body, leapt from a tamarind tree onto his back, and left him with a sore neck
and a torn, stained kurta an assault that combined physical injury with the humiliation of
ruined clothing. He endures constant mockery from being nicknamed “Bunkum” by
Nidhu Babu to having sycophants fawn over Sripati Babu as he sits silent, lampooned as
the village’s designated “butt of ridicule.” Even a minor intellectual slight, such as Nidhu
Babu’s stealing credit for spotting a satellite, goes unchallenged. Altogether, these insults
schoolboys’ hijinks, adults’ calculated humiliations, physical pranks that verge on
, violence, and the steady erosion of his dignity constitute the very real reasons that, if
unchecked, might finally drive Bonku Babu to anger.
3. What subjects does Bonku Babu teach? Where?
→ Bonku Babu is the long-serving geography and Bengali teacher at the Kankurgachhi
Village Primary School, a small rural institution in Bengal where he has quietly dedicated
himself for twenty-two years. In a setting where primary schools often rely on generalist
instructors, Bonku Babu’s dual responsibility for both a modern academic subject
(geography) and the regional language (Bengali) underscores his versatility and the
community’s reliance on his expertise.
Geography, as he teaches it, brings the wider world into a classroom of eager youngsters,
many of whom have never ventured beyond the boundaries of their village. He describes
distant lands, snow‐capped mountains, exotic flora and fauna, and the vast oceans,
thereby igniting his students’ imaginations and planting seeds of curiosity. As their
Bengali teacher, he guides them through the rhythms and cadences of their mother
tongue, nurturing literacy and a sense of cultural identity. This combination of subjects
allows Bonku Babu to balance the intellectual discovery of geography with the expressive
power of language, creating a richer learning environment for his pupils.
The village primary school itself is modest an unassuming building with a single
blackboard, simple desks, and books that are often passed down from one batch of
students to the next. Yet despite the pranks and teasing he endures, Bonku Babu finds
profound satisfaction in reaching the handful of serious learners each year. To these
attentive students, he opens his home on occasion, offering snacks and sharing tales of
faraway continents and adventures, thereby extending his role well beyond the classroom
walls. In teaching geography and Bengali in Kankurgachhi, Bonku Babu anchors his
students both to their roots and to the vast possibilities that lie beyond their village.
4. Briefly explain the relationship Bonku Babu shares with his students.
→ Bonku Babu’s relationship with his students is built on mutual respect, gentle
encouragement, and an infectious sense of wonder that he cultivates through storytelling.
Although he endures endless teasing from glue on his chair to caricatures on the
blackboard, he never allows their mischief to embitter him. Instead, he treats even the
pranksters with quiet forbearance, correcting them with a mild “Shame on you, boys!”
and then returning his focus to the handful of earnest learners who look to him for
guidance. In this way, he separates the rough from the refined, cushioning the impact of
their practical jokes while still maintaining classroom order.
For the serious students, Bonku Babu goes beyond the routine curriculum. He invites
them to his home on weekends, where over simple snacks he spins captivating tales of
far-off lands the frozen wastes of the North Pole, the submerged mysteries of Atlantis, or
the flesh-eating fish of Brazil. These sessions are more than mere entertainment; they are
teaching moments that broaden his pupils’ horizons, infusing geography lessons with
vivid imagery and personal warmth. His willingness to open his doors and his heart
cements a deeper bond: the students see him not merely as an instructor, but as a mentor
invested in their intellectual growth and personal well-being.
Moreover, his patience in the face of mockery models resilience and dignity. The children
learn, by example, that true authority rests not in harshness or loud rebukes, but in calm
, confidence and unwavering commitment. Bonku Babu’s gentle kindness and imaginative
spirit earn the loyalty of his best students, who in turn uphold his dignity by their attentive
behavior and genuine admiration. Thus, his relationship with his pupils is a delicate
balance: compassionate yet firm, entertaining yet educational, and always rooted in the
belief that every child no matter how mischievous deserves respect and the chance to
learn.
B. "On a number of occasions, he had come back thinking, 'Enough, never again!' The
reason was simply that he could put up with the pranks played by the boys in his
school, but when grown-ups, even middle-aged men, started playing the fool with
him, it became too much to bear. At these addas that Sripati Babu hosted in the
evenings, nearly everyone poked fun at Bonku Babu, sometimes bringing his
endurance almost to breaking point."
1. Who often thought "Enough"? Why did he keep visiting then?
→ It was Bonku Babu himself who, on more than one occasion, trudged home muttering
“Enough, never again!” after enduring another round of ridicule at Sripati Majumdar’s
evening addas. Though he could tolerate the rough‐and‐tumble pranks of schoolboys,
glue on his chair, ink smeared on his back, chasing rockets set off behind him he found it
almost unbearable when middle-aged villagers, whom he regarded as his peers, took the
same liberties. The adults’ teasing cut deeper: they hid his umbrella and shoes, filled his
paan with dirt, and barked demands that he sings despite his poor voice. Worse still was
the calculated cruelty of being the group’s “butt of ridicule,” deliberately invited along so
that everyone else could have a laugh.
Why, then, did Bonku Babu continue to show up night after night despite vowing never to
return? The answer lies partly in social obligation and self-interest. Sripati Majumdar was
not only the local lawyer but also a powerful member of the school committee Bonku
Babu’s employer and protector. To refuse the invitation outright would have been to risk
offending the very man who could influence his job security and standing in the village.
Moreover, Sripati Babu insisted that his soirées needed a “butt” to provide comic relief;
declining would have branded Bonku Babu as aloof or ungrateful, potentially isolating
him further.
On a deeper level, Bonku Babu’s own mild temperament and sense of duty made him
reluctant to burn bridges. He valued harmony and feared the consequences both personal
and professional of open conflict. In short, despite the stinging mockery, he kept returning
because he could neither afford to alienate the village’s most influential figure nor betray
his own instinct for courteous compliance.
2. What pranks did the schoolboys play?
→ Bonku Babu’s young pupils delighted in an array of mischievous pranks that tested his
legendary patience. The most innocuous, yet pervasive trick was the caricature: boys
would surreptitiously draw a cartoon of their meek-mannered teacher on the classroom
blackboard. Often, these sketches exaggerated his mild features his gentle smile, his slight
stoop turning him into a source of visual amusement for every incoming class.
More elaborate was the glue‐on‐the‐chair stunt. Under the guise of ordinary tidying,
pranksters would spread a thin layer of adhesive on Bonku Babu’s wooden seat. When he
arrived to teach, his backside would stick fast, prompting cries of “Shame on you, boys!”
