just another love story

It is chilly again today!! The winds have returned from the North!! And I am blogging after quite some time.

Last Friday I went to "Priya" to watch "AarekTi premer galpo" (Just Another Love Story) - controversies have run high over this "daring" movie and the movie has not been released in Nandan in order to protect the "sanctity" of the venue!

One is left to wonder how could "AarekTi Premer Galpo" have ruined the so-called sanctity of this venue when movies like "Bibar", "Shunyo e Buk-e" and "Antar baas" did not! How long are "we" going to shut our eyes and deny to see anything and everything that is "different" from what we have always been taught to perceive as "normal", "standard" and "correct"?

How can "love" (between whomever it may be and in whatever form it may be) not be sacred ever? Does love lose its sanctity if it is between an effeminate male and a traditionally manly guy?
Why cannot we simply accept the fact that there are more than two sexes in this world who have their own orientations and preferences? How long are we going to shut our eyes and deny the existence of the other  sexes? If a man and a woman can get recognition and respect for what they are, why cannot the other groups receive the same acceptance?

We forget that we are what we are because of our endocrinological systems! If you believe in God, it is He who has made us the way we are! What makes us think that we have the right to hold our chins up for our sexual orientations while some others should be belittled and laughed at for what they are? What makes us think that they should be ashamed of themselves and hide their natural manners and instincts? What makes us think that they cannot or do not have the right to love?

My mother went to watch the movie with me and I had my apprehensions! Knowing her, she might have had totally hated what the movie told and showed! But I was pleasantly surprised when I found her touched by the film! For the next few days I found her thinking and talking about Rituparno, and Chapal Bhaduri, and Churni! She was very impressed by Rituparno's acting - well, everybody has acted brilliantly and Rituparno was absolutely wonderful!!

"Samukhe Shaanti Paaraabar.."

I have been listening to her voice since the day I was brought home after my birth... have grown up listening to her voice day in and day out... celebrating the rains and filling up the summer evenings..worshiping love and longing...  I used to associate her so much with the song "Krishnakoli aami taarei boli" that for the first few innocent years of my life I thought she herself was "Krishnakoli"!

Songs like "Jodi tor Daak shune keu naa aase..", "Marono re tuhu mamo shyam soman..", "Kkhato jato kkhoti jato..", "Aami Chitrangada", " aachhe dukkho, aachhe mrityu", "Krishnakoli aami taarei boli..", "Nahoy tomar jaa hoyechhe taai holo..", ''aamar Sonaar Baangla.." have become her own because of her unparalleled rendition.

I have spent my childhood amidst the huge number of LP-s that my dad had lovingly collected back then - my mornings, noons and bedtimes were filled with the songs that he kept on playing on his record player-the songs were mostly Rabindrasangeet sang by Suchitra Mitra, Konika Bandyopadhyay, Debabrata Biswas, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and many other celebrated artistes. The image of this smart-looking spectacled lady with a boyish haircut was very familiar to me thanks to the innumerable LP-covers that I was used to seeing as I was learning to walk and talk.

As I grew up, I knew this lady would appear on the television screen (Kolkata Doordarshan) whenever somebody important passed away- she would sit with a harmonium and sing "aachhe dukkho, aachhe mrityu" again and again-- I did not know that it was a recording and it was played whenever somebody passed away - I particularly remember occasions like Uttam Kumar's demise and Indira Gandhi's passing away. 

Summer months saw us visit Rabindra Sadan to attend various Rabindrasangeet and NrityanaTyo programs- Even when we lived in Dhakuria and Baba did not have a car, Baba did not shirk from taking two troublesome kids along with Ma all the way to Rabindra Sadan to attend these programs.

I remember one such evening- The program was graced by two legends among others - Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Suchitra Mitra. Ms Mitra had sung and Hemanta Babu came to the stage. He looked frail and sick. As he started to sing it was clear that he was not well as he was losing breath and his magical voice sounded very strained. Some of the audience started talking - almost a protest started stating that they have not paid money to listen to such a performance. We saw Suchitra Mitra climbing the steps to the podium and stand beside Hemantababu- She hugged him and was in tears - then she looked at the audience and appealed in a stern voice to leave the auditorium - the murmurs stopped in an instant. Such was the personality and character of this lady who had seen many ups and downs in life. She believed in Tagore's philosophy, " Bhalo Mando Jahai Aasuk.. Satyere Lao Sahoje".. 

The no-nonsense, no-excess human being has left for her heavenly abode on January 3, 2011- she was having her lunch while the momentary cardiac failure took place - her death was just as she herself was - short, simple, crisp, pertinent.