"It is a mystery which I have not been able to solve as to why people all over the world have liked this novel so much," Sankar told PTI here.
First published in Bengali in 1962, the bestseller book which has sold 2.5 lakh copies, has been translated into a number of Indian and foreign languages like Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, English and even Russian.
"Average novels are not known for their longevity. It is only sometimes that they survive for so long. Since it is set in the cultural and geographical space of Bengal, I never expected that it will cross the border of the country," Sankar , now in his seventies, said.
At an event in Starmark bookstore to celebrate the occasion, Sudhangshu Dey of Dey's Publishing said they have come up with the 111th Bengali edition of the novel.
The English translation was published by Penguin in 2007 while it was launched for international audiences at the London book fair in 2009.
The French edition of the book is ready and the publishers have also recently signed for a Spanish and Chinese translation.
The novel has been made into a hit Bengali movie starring Uttam Kumar in 1968 by Pinaki Bhusan Mukherjee as well. (More)