author
R. N. Dutta
Best known for retelling stories from classical Sanskrit drama for younger readers, this early 20th-century Calcutta educator helped make India’s great theatrical traditions feel lively and approachable. His work blends myth, emotion, and moral conflict in a way that still reads clearly today.
1 Audiobook
Tales from the Hindu Dramatists
by R. N. Dutta
About the author
Very little biographical information about this author is easy to confirm, but the surviving record shows him as R. N. Dutta, B.A., B.L., and identifies him as the late officiating head-master of the Metropolitan Institution, Bowbazar Branch, Calcutta. He is also credited as the author of The Boy's Ramayana.
He is best known for Tales from the Hindu Dramatists, a collection drawn from classical Hindu drama and epic tradition. The book retells older stories in straightforward English, aiming to introduce readers to well-known characters, themes, and scenes from Sanskrit literature without requiring specialist knowledge.
That makes his work especially appealing for audiobook listeners today: it carries the richness of older Indian storytelling, but in a clear, narrative style shaped by a teacher's instinct for clarity and flow. Even where the details of his life remain obscure, his writing shows a strong interest in passing literary heritage on to new generations.