Michael Madhusudan Dutt was a legendary Bengali poet and playwright renowned for introducing Amitrakshar chhanda (blank verse) into Bengali literature. He was the first Bengali playwright and pioneered the sonnet form in the language. His best known work is the epic poem Meghnad Badh Kavya in 1861 (The Slaying of Meghnad). His Kolkata residence is on the verge of demolition.