Blogs
The outrage about vocalist TM Krishna’s prestigious award.
Facebook on March 25, 2024
In recent times, TM Krishna has made the headlines for various reasons - from music releases to his books. Earlier this month, the vocalist triggered a row after he was invited to the Chennai Music Academy to receive an honourable award at their annual festival.
Kumar Shahani (7 December 1940 - 24 February 2024)
Facebook on February 25, 2024
It was end 1986. I was working in the ABP Group and to my surprise, received an invite from Father Gaston Roberge of St. Xavier’s College to a special screening of Maya Darpan. Released in 1972 the film did not do well in public halls, caused in part by Satyajit Ray’s scathing review of the film.
Parbati Baruah: India's first female elephant mahout
Facebook on January 26, 2024
Parbati Baruah, India's first female elephant mahout, has been honoured with the Padma Shri award for her dedicated efforts in addressing human-elephant conflicts through the application of scientific practices and her commitment to animal welfare.
Original Thought Kite on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Facebook on March 17, 2023
Some original thoughts propounded in a discussion on Chaitanya Deb for a National Programme on All India Radio (AIR) on 14th. March ’23, for which I have received many calls, including a call from the Director AIR for original thoughts.
Nirmal Chandra Kumar: the patron saint of staying at home and doing nothing
Facebook on April 13, 2022
Nirmal Chandra Kumar, my father was an antiquarian. He had a large collection of books, maps, prints in his collection, through which he delved throughout the day. His friends, Radha Prasad Gupta, Satyajit Ray, Shanti Chowdhury, Vasant Choudhuri and others visited him for a session of ‘adda’ in the evening where books, among other subjects were discussed. Among the visitors was a young gentleman, Parimal Ray.
RADHA PRASAD GUPTA
Facebook on December 14, 2021
As we celebrate his birth centenary, I recall Shatul Kaku , who was deeply embedded in the Calcutta psyche. He presents a fascinating paradox. He was a bibliophile, a historian, a writer in both English and Bengali, a gastronome, a cineaste, a collector of paintings. A raconteur and a polymath.
জগদ্ধাত্রী : Jagatdhatri
Facebook on November 12, 2021
Jagatdhatri জগদ্ধাত্রী, 'Bearer of the World' is another form the goddess Durga, who is particularly worshipped in the Indian states of West Bengal. Her cult is directly derived from Tantra where she is a symbol of sattva beside Durga and Kali, respectably symbolized with Rajas and Tamas.
Poetry in ARCHITECTURE: Balkrishna Doshi
Facebook on September 19, 2021
Somewhere in the 90’s, the first phase of Harsh Neotia’s Udayan –the condoville got completed. The Architect Balkrishna Doshi came to Calcutta for the opening and expressed his desire to exhibit his work. Harsh decided to sponsor it and thus set the ball rolling.
Journal of the Plague Year
Facebook on June 9, 2021
Nothing much has changed in this 350 years , from Plague to Pandemic. Nothing much has changed from 1665. People not wearing masks. Gathering in market place. Huge amount of policing required. If we are to go by the accounts of Daniel Defoe in his book A Journal of the Plague Year, published in 1722 the situation is exactly the same.
INSPIRATION for His Master's Voice
Facebook on June 7, 2021
Most of us are aware of the Logo of, His Master's Voice, one of the best-known commercial logos in the world. The logo is of the Gramophone Company, which has been used as a trademark by the corporations RCA Victor, EMI and JVC. His Master's Voice (HMV) was the unofficial name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd.
BLINDNESS : Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
Facebook on May 14, 2021
With the Covid Pandemic raging and the situation all around particularly our government turning a blind eye to the thousands of death, I am reminded of a book by José Saramago titled: Ensaio sobre a Cegueira in Portuguese translated as Blindness. Blindness is the story of an unexplained mass epidemic of blindness afflicting nearly everyone in an unnamed city, and the social breakdown that swiftly follows.
SATYAJIT RAY - 100
Facebook on May 2, 2021
Satyajit Ray was a friend of my father, Nirmal Chandra Kumar. My father touched his Centenary in 2017. He was introduced to him by R P Gupta, his close friend from their D J Keymer days. My father was an antiquarian and Ray visited him often for his many requirements.
Santi Prasad Choudhury : a pioneer of Documentary Films
Facebook on April 30, 2021
Only the other day, Siladitya Sinha Roy came to my residence and we were discussing the many fascinating personae that were part of the Calcutta milieu that gave it the distinctive character. I mentioned Santi Prasad Choudhury, a documentary film maker and a close friend of my father. He said that he has never heard of him. I showed him a photograph from my family album and he just looked at the image.
The Story of Lala : Sergio Scapagnini & Goutam Ghosh
Facebook on April 26, 2021
1982, Monsoon. I was working for the Ananda Bazar Patrika Group. I had a meeting next day in Bombay (now Mumbai) and was scheduled to catch a late evening flight. I returned home to collect my bag and start off for the airport. The streets were completely waterlogged. As I reached Ballygunj Phari I found in the dim light a man standing on the footpath and much like in foreign countries making signs to stop the car to take a lift.
In 1984, I visited Japan on a study tour from Anandabazar Patrika Group and was an intern for a short while with The Asahi Shimbun, the second largest circulated newspaper in Japan.