Noted Bengali novelist Nimai Bhattacharya passed away at his Taliganj residence in West Bengal, India, on June 25. He was 89.

Nimai Bhattacharya was born on April 10, 1931. His original residence was in the village Shalikha of Jashore. His father was Surendra Nath Bhattacharya.

Nimai Bhattacharya started his career in journalism and worked as political, diplomatic and parliament correspondent for about 25 years.

His first novel was published on weekly Amritabazar newspaper in 1963. Following which, four novels penned by him were published in the same newspaper. He earned huge acclaim for his outstanding creations.

Though he penned many notable poems, Nimai Bhattacharya became a household name for his novels. Among them 'Memsahib', 'Minibus', 'Matal', 'Inqilab', 'Emon Kalyan', 'Prabesh Nishedh', 'Clerk', 'Via Dalhousie', 'Hawker's Corner', 'Rajdhani Express', 'Anglo-Indian', 'Darling', 'Madam', 'Gudhulia', 'Akash Bhara Surya Tara', 'Mughal Sarai Junction', 'Cocktail', 'Anurodher Ashor', 'Yuvaan Nikunje', 'Sesh Paranir Kari', 'Harekrishna Jewellers', and 'Pather Seshe' are particularly noteworthy.

He was responsible for about 150 books. His novel 'Memsahib' is a landmark of Bengali literature. In 1972, a film was made based on the novel under the same title. Uttam Kumar and Aparna Sen played the lead roles in the film.