author
R. N. Dutta
Known mainly for retelling classic Sanskrit drama for younger and general readers, this early 20th-century writer helped make traditional Indian stories easier to approach in English. His surviving work suggests a teacher’s instinct for clarity and a real affection for epic and dramatic literature.
1 Audiobook
Tales from the Hindu Dramatists
by R. N. Dutta
About the author
R. N. Dutta is a little-documented Indian author best known for Tales from the Hindu Dramatists. From the original book materials available online, he is identified as R. N. Dutta, B.A., B.L., and as the late officiating head-master of the Metropolitan Institution, Bowbazar Branch, Calcutta. The same sources also describe him as the author of The Boy's Ramayana.
His writing seems aimed at opening up older Indian literature for readers who might find the original texts distant or difficult. In Tales from the Hindu Dramatists, he presents stories connected with major Sanskrit plays in a more accessible English style, suggesting both a literary interest and a background in education.
Because reliable biographical information about him is scarce, only a small outline of his life can be confirmed with confidence. Even so, his work stands as part of a broader effort to bring classical Indian storytelling to new generations of readers.