Teen Goenda

Teen Goenda is a very popular series of juvenile detective novels published in Bangladesh by Sheba Prokashoni. It is actually a Bengali remake of the famous English series "The Three Investigators" by Robert Arthur. Rakib Hassan started this famous series and later ATM Shamsuddin took over from him. The Teen Goenda series is a subseries of "Kishore Thriller" (Juvenile Thriller) series of Sheba Prokashoni. Apart from Teen Goenda, "Kishore Thriller Adventure" is another subseries.

Leading characters

Teen Goenda, as the name explains, is the tale of three teenage detectives. They are not only the investigators, but adventurers as well. Thrill, suspense and challenge is their main attraction.

The three young friends, Kishore Pasha, Musa Aman and Robin Milford form the Teen Goenda. Sometimes Georgina Parker (more commonly referred to as Gina) and her pet dog Ruffian (Rafi for short) accompany them. Teen Goenda live in Rocky Beach, a small coastal town of California, USA. They are in the same class at Green Hills school, though their grade is not mentioned anywhere. That’s why every young reader imagines them as his/her classmate.

Kishore Pasha

Kishore Pasha, a Bangladeshi-American, is the leader of the team, or the first detective ("Goenda Prodhan"). He has been living with his uncle Rashed Pasha and aunt Maria Pasha since his parents died in a car crash. Mr. Pasha owns a junk yard known as "Pasha Salvage Yard". With curly black hair, dark, deep and sharp eyes reflecting the glow of his brilliance, Kishore Pasha has a habit of pinching his lower lip whenever he does some vital brainwork or is lost in deep thought. His eyes don't miss a single tiny thing and his photographic memory never allows him to forget that. He is a born actor, an electronic wizard and the locomotive of the Teen Goenda as well.

Musa Aman

Musa Aman, the second detective, is an African-American. His first passion is eating and that is why he falls victim of the experimental cooking of Nisan Jung Kim (the Vietnamese cook of Mr. Simon) who loves to cook unusual dishes every now and then. Having an athletic figure and strength, he is the muscle man of the team. Often he uses his head as a weapon to butt the belly of the enemy, especially when there is a need to clear his way. Musa Aman can fight any living thing but he is scared even to utter the name of ghosts. Often he provides the comic relief for the books. Musa lives with his parents. His father, Mr. Rafat Aman, special effect technician in a film producing company.

Robin Milford

The ancestors of Robin Milford came to America from Ireland. This bookworm, also known as the moving encyclopedia, is the researcher and documentation specialist of the team. He works part time in the Rocky Beach Library and the leading local music company. He collects valuable information related to the current case of Teen Goenda. He is known as a hunk. Like Musa Aman, he also lives with his parents. His parents are journalists.

Georgina Parker

Georgina Parker or Gina is the only daughter of famous scientist Mr. Harrison Jonathan Parker. She does not live in Rocky Beach, only comes for holidays. She has a soft spot for pets. Her dog Ruffian often accompanies her in her adventures with Teen Goenda. She sometimes disguises herself as a boy and uses the name George Gobel as an alias. Gina owns an island named Gobel Island which she inherited from her mother. It is strongly believed that she is copied from Georgina "George" Kirrin, one of the primary characters of Enid Blyton's Famous Five series.

Davis Christopher

Davis Christopher is one of the most famous film producers in Hollywood. He gave the Teen Goenda their first break. Almost all of Teen Goenda's cases have been transformed into juvenile movies produced by Mr. Christopher. After the first case, Mr. Christopher often calls on Teen Goenda to solve another puzzling mystery.

Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif is an Egyptian adventure-loving pilot in his late twenties or early thirties. He was introduced in the books "Jaladossur Dip 1, 2" (The Island of the Pirates, Part 1 and 2). Later he became Teen Goenda's favourite "Omar Bhai". He took part in a number of adventures with Teen Goenda. Later, Omar and Teen Goenda founded a flying club private airliner in the name of OKiMuRo Corporation. O for Omar, Ki for Kishor, Mu for Musa and Ro for Robin.

Viktor Simon

Viktor Simon is a renowned private eye/author/adventurer. He is a very wealthy man keeping an especial relationship with the boys. He keeps passing them cases time to time just like Mr. Christopher. Sometimes Mr. Simon and Teen Goenda work together on the same case.

Terrier Doyle (known as Shutki Terry)

'Shutki' refers to someone very thin, in a crude sense. Terry is the arch rival of Teen Goenda.

Harrison Wagner Fogrampercott (known as Jhamela)

Jhamela refers to troubles. This police constable is one of the leading rival and a complete laugh of Teen Goenda's sequel series Teen Bondhu (The Three Mates). The rivalry began in a small village called 'Greenhills' where Robin, Musa and Fariha (Cousin of Musa) lived in their childhood and Kishore paid a visit time to time.

Important places and other things

The headquarters

The headquarters of Teen Goenda is in Pasha Salvage Yard. It is nothing but a mobile van which Mr. Rashed Pasha bought a long time ago and then forgot about its existence. Teen Goenda took this chance and made it their headquarters. It is hidden under junk and has several entrances. All the entrances are well hidden and have their own names. "Sobuj Fotok Ek" (Green Gate One), "Dui Surongo" (Tunnel Two), "Sohoj Teen" (Easy Three), "lal kukur" "char" (red dog Four) are some examples.

Despite its small size, the headquarters accommodates the needs of Teen Goenda. Apart from sitting space for them, it also contains a dark room for photo processing, a storage portion for keeping the track of their cases, a periscope, a telephone, etc.

The Rolls-Royce

In the first book, Teen Goenda, or more specifically Kishore Pasha, won the use of a Rolls-Royce for 30 days by winning a quiz competition. According to the company, "Rent-a-car Auto Rental Company", this luxury car was made for a Sheikh in a Middle Eastern country. But when manufacturing was finished the Sheikh had rejected it. From then on, the company had used it as a publicity tool. The Rolls-Royce is a large black and golden luxury vehicle with a telephone and other comforts. Teen Goenda uses it in the first few books. When the 30 day period was over, they were no longer entitled to use it. But after finding the precious stone "Roktochokkhu"(The Red Eye), its grateful owner August August to Teen Goenda only 'Gus' asked the company to let Teen Goenda use the Rolls-Royce on his account. Teen Goenda has used the vehicle from then on when they needed it. Usually Mr. Hanson, a British-American, drives the car for the company.

Brief history

Teen Goenda appeared at a time when the Bangladeshi Bengali language book market offered very few juvenile detective novels. Apart from the 'Feluda' series by Satyajit Ray, no contemporary detective series for children were available. In the mid-eighties, the first Teen Goenda book also named "Teen Goenda" hit the market and caught the attention of thousands of thriller-loving young people.

The huge success of the first book paved the way of the next one - "Konkal Dip" (The Skeleton Island). The third installment ("Rupali Makorsha"-The Silver Spider) maintained the high level of thrill and suspense of the previous books. After receiving tremendous responses from the teenage readers of the series, next books did not take much time to reach the eager hands of the readers. As time went by, publishing of the next book becomes more frequent and later a new book was being published in every month.

Most of the books were adaptations, with stories adapted from various other books, mostly from western writers. This lack of originality has been criticised as a weakness of the series.

After writing for more than a decade, Rakib Hassan departed from Sheba Prokashoni and Shamsuddin Nawab took over from him to continue.

eries

Teen Goenda

# "'Teen Goenda" (The Three Detectives)
# "Konkal Dip" (The Skeleton Island)
# "Rupali Makorsha" (The Silver Spider)
# "Chayashwapod" (The Invisible Dog)
# "Momee" (Mummy)
# "Rotnodano"(The Stone Monster)
# "Pretshadhona" (Worship of Spirits)
# "Roktochokkhu" (Bloodeye)
# "Sagor Saikot" (Sea Beach)
# "Jolo Doshyur Dip 1,2" (The Pirates' Island 1,2)
# "Sobuj Bhut" (Green Ghost)
# "Harano Timi" (The Lost Whale)
# "Mukto Sekary" (Pearl Hunter)
# "Mrittu Khoni" (Death Mine)
# "Kakatua Rohossho" (Parrot Mystery)
# "Chuti" (Vacation)
# "Bhuter Hashi" (Laugh of the Ghosts)
# "Chintai" (Kidnapping)
# "Vishon Arunno 1 & 2" (Dangerous Jungle 1,2)
# "Dragon"
# "Harano Upottaka" (The Lost Valley)
# "Guhamanob" (The Cave Man)
# "Veetu Shingho" (The Scared Lion)
# "Mohakasher Aguntok" (Strangers from the Space)
# "Indrojaal" (Enigma)
# "Mohabipod" (Grave Danger)
# "Khepa Shaitan" (The Angry Demon)
# "Rotnochor" (The Stone Thief)
# "Purono Shotru" (Old Enemy)
# "Bombete" (The Pirate)
# "Projapotir Khamar" (Butterfly Farm)
# "Jhorer Dip" (Strom's Island)
# "Baxota Proyojon" (Need the Box)
# "Dhakay Teen Goenda" (Three Detectives in Dhaka)
# "Prachin Murtee" (Ancient Statue)

External links

* [http://www.boi-mela.com/booklist.asp?name=tin+goenda&lstType=1&imageField.x=44&imageField.y=11|A listing of Teen Goenda books available online]