Atul Prasad Sen is remembered today for his songs, known as “Atul Prasader Gaan”, a body of devotional, patriotic or intensely romantic songs written and set to music by him. They occupy a special place in Bengali culture and in the hearts of Bengalis. But Sen was also a dedicated social worker, a very successful barrister, an endearing man, and, in his quiet way, a rebel.
He was born in Faridpur district, currently in Bangladesh. After the early death of his father, he was brought up by his maternal grandfather Kalinarayan Gupta, a noted Brahmo Samaj reformer who was also a kirtan singer. His mother later married another Brahmo Samaj reformer, Durga Mohan Das. Sen, who followed the Brahmo faith, imbibed his love for music and also his spirituality from his grandfather, and his songs belong as much to Brahmo tradition as to the Hindu devotional style.