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5 Must-Read Bengali Book Characters #Blogchatterhalfmarathon Day 6

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  Thanks to Hindi films and TV shows, Bengali detectives like Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda are now popular throughout India. Many such popular characters have been penned by famous authors throughout the ages. Since few translated works are available for Bengali books, many readers remain unaware of the intensity of the Bengali book characters and their interesting journeys. I have listed a few Bengali book characters, other than Byomkesh and Feluda, that should be popularised more through translated works.  1. Prof. Shanku:  Other than Feluda, this immortal creation of Satyajit Ray for kids still remains a favourite. A genius scientist living alone in Giridi with his servant and cat, Newton indulges in crazy scientific experiments. He often finds himself in weird situations and seeks new adventures worldwide and beyond. The stories are filled with the adventurous escapades of Shanku, frequently written in a diary format, sometimes featuring aliens or rivals of equal intell...

If Not Now #Blogchatterhalfmarathon Day 5

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Astha was getting worried that she might be late for the meeting. She could not afford to do that as she had set an example as the Director of her company to run on a schedule, every time on time. Her employees, a bunch of highly efficient enthusiasts with glorifying proven professional backgrounds, were all handpicked by her. She had to be there by 10 for the interview, and here she was stuck in traffic, wasting time. Today, time was precious to her; more than anything, she understood the value of each moment after the App incident so many years back. That one uncanny incident had totally turned her life upside down. The right way. She had been working on herself from that very day, both professionally and personally. The once lazy Astha started working day and night to excel and grow in her work. She began to work diligently on her finances and her physical well-being through regular workouts and rigorous physical training. Today, she was the head of this vast empire- Sattva. It was...

The Case of the Furious Cat #Blogchatterhalfmarathon Day 4

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Have you ever heard of the Case of the Curious Cat? This story is about the same cat, but this time it is furious. Let's name her Furry. Furry was a cute little black cat with a penchant for laziness and a big appetite. One day, she found herself hungry because her kind owner forgot to feed her in the morning and left for the office, expecting the neighbours to take care of her. Unbeknownst to her, the neighbours had left for vacation the day before.  Left alone and hungry, Furry ventured out in search of food. The streets were clean, devoid of any leftover scraps. Furry was too pampered to catch her own prey, and none of the shopkeepers seemed interested in amusing themselves by offering her any food. What was she to do?  Feeling lonely and starving, Furry made her way to the edge of town, where there was a pond. She could see her reflection in the water, but she could also spot hundreds of fish swimming about—fish of all shapes, sizes, and colours. “This will be easy,” she t...

Irreversible #Blogchatterhalfmarathon Day3

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“And they lived happily ever after,” read the frail, yellowed paper, its edges curling delicately as it lay atop the ornate center table, a forgotten relic of time. A chilling wave of dread washed over Ayesha as her eyes lingered on the framed photograph of Vipin and Tulika, their beaming smiles frozen in a moment of pure joy, proudly displayed on the wall. The mansion loomed before her, an expansive labyrinth of antique furniture and intricately carved mouldings, each piece whispering stories of a rich, grand past. Yet, despite its grandeur, an inexplicable, eerie aura enveloped the space, sending shivers racing down her spine. As she had stepped hesitantly into the living room, Ayesha found herself momentarily spellbound. The breathtaking fusion of classic elegance and contemporary design unfolded before her, a mesmerizing panorama that she had only ever witnessed in glossy magazines. The light filtering through the tall windows cast a warm glow on the polished wooden floors, accentu...

A Historical Letter #Blogchatterhalfmarathon Day2

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Dear Mr. Shakespeare, I am engulfed in immense pain today. It has been almost two years since my beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, left this world for the heavenly abode. In this time of profound grief, the only person I could think of was you.  You possessed a rare gift: the ability to understand the deep pain, the relentless suffering, and the heartaches of humanity through your deeply perceptive lens of the human psyche. No one else can or ever will be able to capture such intricate layers of emotion with a quill. As I gaze upon the grand memoir I've created in memory of my cherished wife, my heart aches for the power of your quill to give voice to the love, longing, and sorrow that fill every page. Your words could have expressed the depth of my grief and the beauty of our shared moments in a way that mere words fail to convey. The tremendous beauty of this grand memoir, the Taj Mahal, could have only been captured through your exquisite pen. Its magnificence, as pure and luminous as...

To Do or Not to Do..#BlogchatterHalfMarathon

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Since the time they watched, Materialists, the only thing Avanti has been pestering him about is getting a facelift done. This left Rik confused, in a dilemma- to do or not to do. Since the time Avanti got into a relationship, and mind you, that's a long one, she has divided her heart into 2 halves- while one half was all about Rik, or rather the status of her relationship with Rik, and the other one was how to catch up with every trend to customize Rik accordingly. And that was the whole point of Rik's confusion. Now that with Materialists, a 40-something guy called Pedro Pascal was making headlines, Avanti wishes Rik to get a "Moustache-only" face-updo. Nothing much, but Rik was imagining himself in Pascal's shoes, rather, moustache. How would it turn out? A prominent moustache flaunted on his not-so-prominent face? Forget Mr Pascal, the maximum he could picture himself as was like one of those nameless baddies from random 70's Clint Eastwood Westerns, whose...

Top 5 Intense Bengali Web Series to Watch Now

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Now that the celebrations are almost over, not in my house though, as my daughter has still kept it hanging with a few crackers left for the Grand Finale, I decided to write after a long time, back with my weekly dose of entertainment. Today, I will be writing about a few Bengali web series that have captivated the audience with their intensity. There are many, actually, but at this point, I recall some, and I am filtering out the five best among those.  1. Nikhoj: DCP Brinda Basu's daughter goes missing. She nabs the prime suspect, ace journalist Romit Sen, her daughter's idol. As the investigation progresses, Brinda becomes entangled in various lies and deceptions with every new character that emerges. Will Brinda succeed in getting an answer? Will she find out her missing daughter? Nikhoj, a 2-season web series, is a suspense-filled journey that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The gripping 2-season web series has Swastika Mukherji as Brinda Basu and Tota Roy Chowdhury a...