Ganer Opare

Ganer Opare seems the most amazing serial that has happened in recent times...its like bringing back the magic of Tagore, to the current generation. See I will be neutral. I never had it in me, that particular worshiping mentality for Tagore. Fascination is a different thing, but you know, that nagging culture orientation was never my cup of tea, in fact I detest those people who have it. Like Suman says, "bachhare tirish baar chitrangada aar shyama shapmochoner asrumochon" - Rabindranath er naam-e ei nyaka nyaka asrumochon aamar asojhyo laage...

Jak se katha. It's actually difficult to write about Tagore in English. But I want to reach out to as many people as possible (though nobody reads my blog :( anyways)...but we are deviating from the topic. So, apart from Tarun Majumder, Satyajit Ray and Tapan Sinha (I know the general Bengali "aantel" public will once again raise their eyebrows at this particular ordering, but see Aalo, you'll know how to take Tagore to the grass root level, without even uttering his name once, so Tarun Majumder comes before Satyajit), how many people have really experimented with Tagore? I won't speak here about theater, as that's one form of art I am not very acquainted with. Anyways, then comes Rituparno, with Heerer Angti. Now, please don't react as yet, I know the writer of Heerer Angti. If ever there was a "greatest fan" championship for Shirshendu (only his childrens' novels), I don't know who'd win ultimately, but both me and my kid brother will be in the finals. But see the touch man, here comes a movie, from a debutant attempt that too...in sadhu bhasha. See the dare. And then comes Chokher Baali. People might say I know nothing of cinema, but the movie "Chokher Baali" seemed to me to be even better than "Ghare Baire". The suffering, the social stigma apart, that the life of a girl is going to have limitations, given all social advances, is shown in a far better and matured way in Chokher Baali. It leaves a message, come what may, girls emerge only stronger. The last scene of both the movies show that a girl's fate doesn't change, but Ghare Baire ends in darkness, Chokher Baali ends in light. You may ask, is there any difference, if a person dies at daytime, or if death comes at night. Even I am thinking about that...

Ganer Opare is what Rituparno has made it. I DO NOT trust in the "Rabindrikota" of the producer couple. So, Rituparno's in or out of this project doesn't really make a difference to me. His charm lingers.

Love the character of Gora. I don't like anything apart from the name of Pupe, I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid, meye aamar Pupe, jakhon baro habe...and a smile comes over. Call me girlish, or call me a bitch, if Pupe is so "Rabindrik", she shouldn't put so much eye shadow :(. But yes, Gora is different. Gora is spontaneous. Very much like the real Gora. Next time I come to Prague, I'll at least get the "upanyas" volumes of Rabindra Rachonabali...and aah, Saradindu's Tumi Sandhyar Megh and Bohu Juger Opar Hote, but again we are deviating.

But let's deviate na, who cares. It's been half a month now, that he hasn't talked. He hasn't even bothered. Bigrohopal ki tar Joubonoshree ke chhere etodin thakte parto? Difficult question.

Aagar mile khudah to...poochhonga khudaya...
Jism mujhe deke mitti ka...sheeshe sa dil kyon banaya?
Aur uspe diya fitrat ke woh karta hai mohabbat..wah re wah teri kudrat...
Wah re wah teri kudrat...uspe de diya kismat...kabhi hai milan kabhi furqat...
Kabhi hai milan kabhi furqat...hai yehi kya woh mohabbat...wah re wah teri kudrat...

I was listening to "naina" yesterday. Today the whole day went in listening to my favorite songs. Discovered couple of long lost songs - loved them in my childhood, aaja sohneya (was surprised to discover Sameer Soni in it...all I remembered was Sharbani... And he looks pretty much the same even today). Then o yaara ve...and noorie...the Bally Sagoo mix...oops, almost literally went to another world. Khoya khoya chand...Diya Mirza so sweet and graceful...love you tube...really. And then again, coming back to Kareena, mere humsafar...aah...the beat...Kareena seems to have been a particular favorite of my bossie, he used to like all her songs, Naina, Taal pe jab, Roshni se...not to mention Jab We Met. Did he like Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai too?

But coming back to my Bigrohopal. I wrote here once, that our friendship will work out. When the other day, I was told that I may need to come back by 20th July, I gave myself a chuckle and almost said it aloud, "perfect timing!" But better if I come few days later. Like I joined his project 2 days later :) Still wished him happy birthday, that's a different story. I won't be a part of the party. I am not his friend. I am pretty sure now, that our friendship will not work out. I don't want to be humiliated more. "Naina" told me once more, I should have been more bold. But tell me what I would have achieved? What was it that I didn't tell him? What more can a girl say, without losing her self respect? Did he want me to beg to him? Would I have been better off today, had I begged and been turned down? Or, if by some remote means, been accepted after begging? I don't know. He is right in one thing. Whatever he would have done to me, I would have continued being blind to him. As I am today. I know I am in a miserable state, at times I tell myself why I didn't try harder when it could have mattered, but when I think with a rational mind, I feel I have done enough. It's he who didn't do.

Gora is spontaneous, coming back to Ganer Opare. He has that inborn talent. And the ease of expression. The "straight from the heart" man. Upright and conclusive. When he says something, that's the end of the discussion. You can not argue with a person like Gora. And when he sings...my my...I am all in awe about Samantak's voice. The way he has sung "Aha tomaar shange praner khela" is a revelation in itself. Never for one moment does the "puja" and "nibedan" in his voice fluctuates while singing the song. It only intensifies as the song progresses. It brings about the ultimate level of dedication that the tune demands.

Hoyto aager paragraph ta Bangla-y likhle anek bhalo bojhano jeto. Kintu ami chai biswa jure loke Rabindranath ke januk. Aamar e baje bokar modhye jatotuku sarmarmo lukiye achhe...ta jadi ekjon manushkeo anupranito kare...ami dhanyo habo. Ami jani aamar lekha keu parena...tobu ami morey geleo ei lekha ta to thakbe. Jadi keu konodin pare...jante chesta kore ki jadu achhe...jate...andho jane deho alo...mrito jane deho pran...sotyi hoye othe...gato kaekmaash ami beche achhi kabiguru ke niye...ebang tar anyotamo madhyom nisandehe Ganer Opare...

I will finish with Pradipta. Pradipta is my brother's name, so that itself is ample reason for the fondness I have developed for him. But the extreme patience, and handling of emotions and turmoils in such a manly way, holding back, hiding, and yet getting tormented inside...aah, this is what a man should be like. Had I been Pupe, I would definitely have been in a similar position, no girl in her right mind can really decide whom to love more, Gora or Pradipta, and finally settle for Gora mostly for the obvious childishness and absolute dependency he shows. But if you think harder, Gora ceases to exist without Pupe, isn't it much easier a thing to do than what Pradipta does? Continue to exist, in much the same way, being thoroughly broken within? Can it get more dreadful?

But you know what, I stopped watching it. Somehow magic doesn't remain magic, once the magician changes. I am not a girl who succeeds to find a stop gap solution...I have miserably failed in that, always.

So...at the end of the day (is it going to be like this for one more year? do I really have to live that long?)...aamar ei path chaoa tei anondo...