THE MELANCHOLY GIRL
The window gazer arrived
And pushed the shutters open
Her kohl-lined eyes stretched afar
Beyond snowy branches of cypress trees
Her jaded countenance reeked of pain
Soaked in crimson hues of the twilight sun
She looked the beautiful melancholy girl..
Her deep dark eyes traversed continents
Mountains, oceans and turbulent alleyways
Her golden heart fought bloody battles
With knights, princes and men of honour
Her ivory dreams of sweet togetherness
Lay scattered on her weary eyelids
She looked the numb melancholy girl..
The black-eyed lass, the dark-fortuned beauty
Burned with desire on deserted hilltops
Behind iron gates of dilapidated buildings
Beneath torturous sets of broken promises
She waited for him atop his white stallion
Eternally gazing into skies of nothingness
She died the pale melancholy girl..
TWILIGHT - “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky” ~ Rabindranath Tagore
MY SHRIEKING TEARS
I badly need to cry tonight. My heart’s one aching disaster. I need to shriek my grief out. I’ve indulged in activities that give me moist eyes almost unfailingly.
I’m done with watching sad movies, hearing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s heartbreaking Sufi numbers, wading through old notes and photographs, reading and re-reading Neruda’s love sonnets, staring into the neon-lit haze of vacant SoBo streets, brooding endlessly over black coffee.
But tears are elusive. That causes me deeper grief. I feel a burning desire to crash into the cracks of those whitewashed walls, which would never feel any other hue. The walls are hard and the cracks have sharp edges, that would most certainly make me bleed. How much pain can I take? A little more may be!
I never knew it could hurt this much! I had loads to speak and much to share. But words failed me. I had much to give and much to love. But nothing to expect in return. Nothing but shrieking tears that end in silent echoes!
CHICKEN CHAP - A unique Bengali meat preparation that tastes heavely and is ideally had with biriyani. This one was served at Arsalan, the Mughlai cuisine heaven!
অসমাপ্ত
আজ চঞ্চল আমার প্রাণ
ব্যাকুলতায় বশীভূত আমি
অস্থিরতায়ে আক্রান্ত আমার শরীর
ছিল সে অনেক কথা যা না বলাই রইল
ছিল অনেক আশা-আকাঙ্খা যা হলো না পূরণ
ছিল ইতিহাসের অসামান্য পরিহাস
যা ফিরিয়ে দিল আমায় সেই একই ব্যথা
লুকোনো প্রেমের বেদনা
না লেখা চিঠির আর্তনাদ
গলায় শুকিয়ে থাকা গানের রেশ
কানে হারিয়ে যাওয়া বাঁশির সুর
ঠোঁটে ফুরিয়ে আসা কিছু মুহূর্ত
হলো না নীল আকাশের স্বপ্নপূরণ
হলো না সবুজ ঘাসে ঘর বাঁধা
হলো না শীতল রাতে ভালবাসা
তবু অনেক বছর ঘুরে
আজ বেঁচে আছি আমি
এই অসমাপ্ত আমি…
THE AGE WRECK
Wisdom hurts and age defeats
My unaccomplished dreams
Of baseless good
Voices crowd my sweet solitude
My lonely spaces, my vacant chairs
My silent stories and absent images
Wisdom is a colossal wreck
It poisons my trance; deepens my haze
And pushes me to a cold dark maze
Age tramples my golden spirit
Plunders my white innocence
And kills my scarlet vision
The twilight sun hath no spine
The waning moon doth not glow
I wish to pause but it’s time to grow
(P.S. - I was gripped by a desire to return to my glorious childhood. This poem is a result of that fever which struck me)
CALCUTTA CHRONICLES
I last departed from the city on December 11th, 2011 - which is about 3 months and a little more ago. Landed here on March 22nd, 2012 - a homecoming in rather quick succession. Without getting into the specifics of this visit, let me chronicle some diverse observations and experiences I’ve had in the last couple of days.
KAHAANI & AGENT BINOD:
On the way from the airport, I noticed that billboards, walls of buildings, state buses, auto rickshaws and other sundry things, carried one too many posters of Kahaani - the Vidya Balan-starrer that is shot entirely in Calcutta’s streets and bylanes. The most obvious reasoning for this blatant promotion of the film is that, Kahaani being set in the city and containing a fair amount of Bengali elements, is very easy to sell to Calcuttans. It would appeal to them even more because of the presence of renowned Bengali actors who play very interesting characters in the film. But what sort of stumped me was the spill-over effect of Kahaani’s reel elements into another film’s real space. Agent Binod (with a ‘B’) is what posters of Saifeena’s upcoming spy thriller - Agent Vinod - read. I smiled when I saw the first such poster, assuming it to be an aberration, only to be corrected soon that Agent ‘B’inod was indeed the norm! Saif wouldn’t mind much. After all, he has ‘B’ong genes!
APU, FELUDA & DADASAHEB PHALKE:
Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was declared the recipient of this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke Award - the most prestigious recognition in Indian cinema. The announcement came on Thursday evening and Kolkata has been jubilant since! The media has gone gaga, showering tributes on the man who’s dear to every Bengali cine-goer. Newspapers have devoted full pages to him, while television channels are running hour long ad-free interviews with Chatterjee. The common man isn’t far behind. Tea-time chat sessions (adda) and dinner table conversations centre around his films, his association with Satyajit Ray, his versatility across cinema, theatre, television, his superstar peer Uttam Kumar, his talented heroines and much more. There’s a sense of nostalgia, respect, admiration and dignity with which Bengalis talk about this wonderful man and his stupendous achievement in filmdom. To generations of Bengalis, he is more Apu (Apur Sansar) and Feluda (Sonar Kella & Joy Baba Felunath) than Soumitra Chatterjee himself. The City of Joy is thrilled with his achievement and is united in celebrating one of the most brilliant careers of Indian cinema!
KKR V/S PUNE WARRIORS:
Everyone in Kolkata is talking about this IPL match which takes place on May 5th at the Eden Gardens. My neighbour told me, he’s scouting for tickets for ‘this’ game. My cousin told me, ‘this’ should be the real game. My friend told me, he wants to see who supports whom on ‘this’ day. My uncle told me, ‘this’ should be a 50:50 affair. Okay, so what is THIS that has turned into an obsession here? Very simple. If Kolkata has got excited by IPL (again), there HAS to be a Sourav Ganguly connection to it. Dada captaining Pune Warriors, playing against his hometown in his homeground, was something unforeseen some years ago. Now that this will happen, Kolkatans are torn between loyalty to the soil and the son-of-the-soil — whom they have hero-worshiped over the last 16 years. Everyone wants to be at the ground on this day. And most want Dada to score well, but KKR to win!
THE 15-RUPEE EGG ROLL:
A friend of mine who works with Sunday MidDay, recently wrote an article on Mumbai’s famous roll joints - mostly Bengali eateries that also serve rolls besides other Bengali delicacies. The piece was accompanied by mouth-watering shots of egg rolls, chicken rolls, mutton rolls etal. She shared the piece with me and I couldn’t resist my temptation of digging into one of those delicious little things. But what caught my fancy was that one line which read - Nothing beats the Kolkata roll available at almost every neighbourhood shop with prices starting at Rs 12. I wondered, can anything ever beat the egg roll on which I grew up? I suppose, NO! When I was in school, I paid 8 bucks for that wholesome roll. When I was in college, and visited my hometown during vacations, I paid 11 bucks for that same roll. And just the other day, I paid 15 bucks for it. The roll has remained a copy of what it was a decade ago. Probably, it tastes a bit better, a bit spicier and much dearer to me today!
AMAKE AMAR MOTO THAKTE DAO:
Amake Amar Moto Thakte Dao (Let Me Be My Way) is a song from the film Autograph which released in September 2010. The film re-wrote box office history in Bengali cinema. But what lasted longer than the film itself, is this song, that has become synonymous with our generation, which is crying to be left alone, seeking its own little space in this claustrophobic world. Someone called it the modern anthem of Bengal. I discovered how apt that sobriquet is! I hear the song everywhere - from caller tunes to ring tones, from radio stations to music channels, from sweet shops to supermarkets, from schoolkids to office-goers - everyone, everything, everywhere is consumed by this song. Strangely enough, it doesn’t get monotonous. There’s something about this ‘anthem’ that lends voice to each and everyone in this city. It is so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine Kolkata without it!
(To be continued…)
I witness a glorious sunrise as the Japan Airlines aircraft makes its way through streaks of golden and yellow light and descends upon Narita International Airport. The runway is soaked in sunshine, giving it a silken glory. Beholding this spectacular vision onboard are a dozen Indian journalists on a business trip to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun.’
The aircraft skids to a halt, and as we gingerly make our way out, a blast of chilly wind takes us off guard. After all, we’re miles away from the land of heat and dust and in the sub-zero temperatures of the far east. However, the unexpected chill is instantly replaced by the warmth of the well-known Japanese hospitality. Henceforth, the trademark Japanese courtesy and friendliness accompany us wherever we go!
The drive from Narita Airport to the capital city of Tokyo is a 58-km journey past clean wide roads, towering bridges, well-organised traffic, beautiful bays and sparkling blue waters. And while we would be busy assimilating the sights and sound, the voice of our English-speaking Japanese guide would occasionally break us out of our reverie, assuring us every now and then, “This is rush hour, but we’ll reach the hotel soon.” For Indians, ‘rush hour’ never felt so pretty and relaxed before!
Ohayo gozaimasu—morning greeting in Japanese—our first brush with the local language happens on our way to the hotel. We’re also introduced to the trademark “bow”—the Japanese equivalent of namaste. Bowing is so ingrained in the cultural landscape of this beautiful country, that people bow at the drop of a hat—they bow to express thanks, to apologise, to make a request or to ask someone a favour. We’re told that it’s a greater gesture than the customary handshake. The bow is so infectious that in a day or two, we find ourselves reciprocating it quite diligently!
After a 58-km ride of gaping and gawking at the city’s high rises, we reach Hotel Okura in Minato in Tokyo Midtown. The hotel remains one of the few heritage properties that has stood the test of time and is located amidst ministerial buildings and government offices, including the Parliament of Japan. Giving us the India connect, our guide informs us excitedly, “Your Prime Minister also stayed here when he came to Japan.” With that fresh piece of information, we retire to our rooms looking forward to Tokyo darshan.
We begin our tour when the city was bathed in twilight. Tokyo, located on the island of Honshu, has a population of 30 million, and is regarded as one of the “command centres” of the world, along with New York and London. Our first stop is the towering Tokyo Observatory in Roppongi Hills. From the observation deck, on the 52nd floor of the building, we are treated to a spectacular skyline of the city. The brightly-lit Tokyo Tower stands tall, its orange hues seamlessly blending into the evening sky. This Eiffel Tower-inspired building is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan.
As we admire the glittering cityscape, the ‘happening’ district of Roppongi beckons us. The hub for Tokyo’s rich, it is famous for its illuminated streets, trendy nightclubs and vibrant shopping joints. Roppongi breathes life in you!
As the night draws near, we head to an Indian restaurant for dinner. Let me digress here, and explain that as prescribed by tour authorities, in the course of the trip, lunches and dinners were strictly Indian, and sushi, sashimi, tempura, beef and bacon constituted a sumptuous Japanese breakfast.
Indian restaurants across Tokyo share a similar decor, ambience and menu. Every joint serves tandoori chicken, seekh kebab and naan. Restaurant ceilings are decked with huge chandeliers, while the walls are adorned with pictures of Indian monuments. And every place inevitably plays loud Bollywood music!
Next morning, we catch a flight to Oita, a city located on the south-western island of Kyushu. Oita’s serenity is a sharp contrast to Tokyo’s hustle and bustle. Beautiful snow-capped mountains, quaint little houses, deserted roads and blissful alleyways define the city.
We halt at Beppu Bay, a picturesque place lined by mountains on one side and sea on the other. A sense of calm pervades the atmosphere. Known for its hot springs, Beppu has nine geothermal hot spots, famously called the “nine hells of Beppu”.
The following day, we devote ourselves to shopping, busy buying souvenirs from Asakusa (the district famous for Buddhist temples), gadgets from Akihabara (also known as Electric Town, its streets lined by otakus—the Japanese word for geeks) and chocolates and spirits from Ginza (Tokyo’s most luxurious shopping district).
We also stop by Hachiko Square in Shibuya, the famous pedestrian crossing, (often compared to the Times Square intersection) immortalised in films like Lost in Translation and The Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Drift.
An hour’s drive from Tokyo on a quiet Sunday morning takes us to Yokohama, the last stop in our itinerary. Once a small fishing village, Yokohama developed into a port city in the mid-19th century. Its beautiful landscape of mountains and sea is marred by a skyline of industrial smoke and ash. “Yokohama reminds me of Visakhapatnam,” remarks a fellow traveller.
While we are rueing about the spoilt beauty, our guide chimes in, “There’s the stadium which hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup final. We want more such games and international events.”
As Japan hopes to successfully bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics, we pack our bags and set off for the land of cricket. A courteous bow, a radiant smile and a heartfelt sayonara is all we have for this fascinating country!
(P.S. - This travel piece was written for Sunday FE dated 12th March, 2012. Click on the title of the article for the epaper view)
JAPAN - ‘The Land of Rising Sun’ bordering the Pacific Ocean. The country is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan’s land area.
Tokyo City (in its Manhattan-like avatar): Regarded as one of the three “Command Centers” of the world economy along with New York and London.
Tokyo City : Located in the island of Honshu, it has a population of 35 million and is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Tokyo houses 47 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest by any city.
