BY RUCHIRA GHOSH The Corporate Guy Who Aims for Stardom While Analjit Chakraborty is busy deftly handling customers at his desk in a Blue Dart office located in one of Kolkata’s busiest commercial districts, one might mistake him for an ordinary corporate professional, much like many others we encounter daily. Few would realize that this tall, handsome gentleman is an emerging movie star with several … Continue reading Analjit
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Gurbani Vis-à-Vis Sufi Poetry Since the dawn of civilization, women—often referred to as the “fair sex”—have played a prominent role in a broad spectrum of creative intelligence and activities, spanning anatomy, erotica, beauty, art, sculpture, music, and literature. The list is endless. Recently, I had an interesting experience when I met a retired professor of English Literature at Mata Sundari College (Delhi … Continue reading Love, Women, and Creativity
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH The dominance of full-length feature films is being challenged as short films emerge as the new favorites in the entertainment industry. This shift gained momentum during the pandemic, and while the pandemic has subsided, this trend is here to stay. Reflecting this spirit of innovation, the Bengal Association organized the second edition of Beyond Bounds, a festival of documentaries and short films … Continue reading Short Films Take Centre Stage at “Beyond Bounds” Festival
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was passionate about music; in fact, music ran in his veins. His late father, a flautist, had been a close associate of the legendary Sachin Dev Burman. Throughout his childhood and formative years, this young boy took music seriously. He learned to play the piano and briefly studied the sarod under the … Continue reading Preserving Tagore’s Musical Legacy for Posterity
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH This winter, music lovers and culture enthusiasts in New Delhi and its surrounding areas were treated to a spectacular mega musical event during a chilly mid-November weekend. The inaugural World Music Concert was organized by the Bengal Association, an autonomous body dedicated to preserving Bengali language, music, and cultural heritage for millions in the diaspora. The venue for this grand occasion was … Continue reading A Musical Extravaganza in the Indian Capital
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH As She is ‘Spoke’ on the Subcontinent The British Colonials departed the Subcontinent several decades ago. The cultural legacy they left behind includes, most importantly—yes, you’ve guessed it right—the English language! In spite of being jostled around by Hindi, the lingua franca of millions of desi patriotic citizens, English still remains the official (and business) language of the country for all practical … Continue reading Ingliss
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore is to Bengali literature what Shakespeare is to English literature. Dislodge both, and their magnificent edifices would come crumbling down. It would be no exaggeration to say that Tagore’s versatility and the vast range of themes he addresses often leave readers and audiences overwhelmed—or, to use a colloquial term, mind-boggled. His subjects span the changing seasons, lyrics … Continue reading Exploring Tagore’s Realm of Love
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH From the remote suburbs of Liluah near Kolkata to the national capital, Kuchipudi danseuse Ayana Mukherji has indeed come a long way. She works as a dance consultant with premier schools in and around the national capital. In her words, “Creating curriculum, capacity development of teachers, creating new methodology to teach classical dance in schools…” Besides regular public performances, she teaches dance … Continue reading The Lovely Danseuse for Whom Kuchipudi is Life
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH Dance is an integral part of human life, no matter which part of the globe we may be in. Dance infuses rhythm, discipline, and harmony into our lives. Moreover, its entertainment and recreational value is immeasurable. Here is a sequel to the article on Indian classical dances published a few weeks earlier. Dr. Yumlembam Bidyananda is an exponent of the Manipuri style … Continue reading A Passionate Exponent of Manipuri Dance
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH It was a rather interesting evening that would remain etched in my mind forever. After a resounding success in early May this year in Kolkata, Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee, the well-known and immensely popular interdisciplinary artist, decided to stage his latest oeuvre, “Journeys,” at the National Capital a few days later. And it was a good thing he did, for his popularity in … Continue reading A Poetic and Lyrical ‘Journey’ Called Life
COUNTRY SQUIRE INDIA 