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We had just started unpacking when there was a knock on the door. My husband opened it to find a man his age smiling at the door. "Hi, I am Alex, your next-door neighbour," he said with warmth in his voice. Our house was scattered all over with unopened cardboard boxes. Still, my husband asked him to come inside, and he did. He offered us help and was kind enough to unpack a few boxes along with us. We were having tea when we started discussing what we do. He said he taught at a nearby college and lives with his wife, who has left for work. We had sweet pleasantries for some time. Then he left, and we went about our remaining unpacking. The next few days were a whirlwind as we unpacked and set up the new house. We somehow managed to prepare the meals, but we had no time to do anything else. When we had finished arranging and setting up everything, it was my husband's time to join his work. We hardly had time to explore the locality as planned, and we missed the opportunit...

Finally, we made it to the Kala Ghoda Art Festival 2025. It started on the 25th. Today, being Friday, it was overcrowded. After an initial fiasco with scanned registration, we entered without much issue.  The entrance is unique, with two horses at both gate corners. The speciality of the horses is they are made of steel bottles from Milton. There is also a car-themed cake art on one side of the entrance. There are various shops on both sides. Handicraft materials from across India are being displayed for sale. There are outstanding artworks from Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal, and Maharashtra. Some custom jewellery. Clothing and shoe stalls are also there. The best part of the festival is the various kinds of horses spread across the place. Made from different materials like glass, cloth, cardboard and other scraps, the horse figurines are all beautifully sculpted.  There is a huge gallery with seating arrangements. We were too early to witness the band performances. However, ...

Udasi Rajkumar is a Bengali book written by Sunil Gangopadhyay for young readers. It is a historical tale of bravery, betrayal and revenge for the good. About the author: Sunil Gangopadhyay was one of the most eminent literary figures in Bengali literature. A recipient of multiple awards, his works like Sei Somoi and Purbo Paschim have won the hearts of mature readers, while his adventure series with Kakababu & Santu has been one of the best works in children's literature. Synopsis: Set in the capital of North Panchala, Ahikshetra, the story starts by describing how the extravagant and very impulsive king is dethroned by his people of trust. The queen and the older prince are taken as prisoners while the younger Prince is trained to be the next successor by the Chief Priest, the mastermind of this betrayal. Their lives thereafter and what ultimately happens to them have been described with intriguing storytelling by the author.  My Take: The author's simple storytelling sty...

Lately, Bengali literature has mostly focused on historical novels. Narach by Debarati Mukherji is a novel that specifically revolves around the rise of the New Generation of Bengal's reformers and liberal ideologies amidst the backward social structure and barbaric English rule.            About the author: One of the most celebrated figures in contemporary Bengali literature, Debarati Mukhopadhyay is a high-level Government officer whose literary works have been highly praised and awarded. Her works include vivid research and easy language that resonates with every reader.  Mini Synopsis A widowed girl and her painful plight with the backdrop of 1880s Bengal and its various people, mixed with fictional characters and references of famous reformers and literary figures of that time, along with Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's life in Kolkata- this book has covered that era of Bengal and its polarizing striking parallel worlds that existed. Review Narach is one ...

We have 2 schools near our house, and both are preparing for Sunday's Republic Day celebrations. Listening to the drum beats and patriotic songs feels so good. Yesterday, it was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's birth anniversary. I remember watching an old movie based on his life a long time back. This made me wonder why not make a list of such patriotic Bengali films today. So, today, I have listed 5 such patriotic Bengali Films: 1. Chattogram Astragar Lunthan (1949): Released at a time when India had freshly gained independence from Imperial British rule, this film centres around the Chittagong Armoury Raid and its mastermind, Masterda (Surya Sen). Surya Sen was a local teacher who planned to raid the Armoury with his small group of students, resulting in a fatal revolt. The immortal patriotic song, "Karar Ei Louho Kopat", penned by Kazi Nazrul Islam, was used in this film. 2. Ananda Math (1951): Ananda Math is one of my favourite novels by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay...

Ba, Bakul, and Brenda are back in Mumbai this time. Brenda was looking at the skyscrapers from her balcony. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and she invited Ba & Bakul. The mention of this grandmother-grandson duo brings a sigh of relief to her rather busy life in Mumbai. After last year's vacation in Goa , she was back in India to research an upcoming feature that her team had been planning for some time. Amidst meetings and conferences, she has taken a day off to spend an afternoon with them.  She was sceptical about calling Bakul and informing them she was in India, as she thought, how would that matter! She was in Mumbai, and they lived in Baroda! But she remembered Ba's departing words last time, " Come India next, I meet again." She could not forget that elderly lady's warmth. The few days she spent with them had been an experience of a lifetime she could never have imagined in her most beautiful dreams. How can a family be so warm and friendly to a stran...

New-age Bengali thrillers have captivated hearts all around. Over the years, filmmakers like Srijit Mukherji with his ventures like Vinci Da and Dawshom Awbotaar, Joydip Mukherji with his Eken Babu Franchise and Arindam Sil with Byomkesh franchise have been very successful with cinegoers. However, thrillers are not a completely new genre that have been explored by Bengali filmmakers. The Black & White era had given us some classic thriller movies that can still attract audiences. Today I am listing 5 such old classic black & white thriller films made in Bengal. 1. Jighansha (1951): This film was almost a pioneer in thriller films when it comes to the Bengali film industry. Based on The Hound of the Baskervilles, this film is about an heir to a princely state where his father is murdered and a mysterious woman roams around the estate at night. The mystery builds up more with some suspicious characters entering the plot. Detective Sen is appointed to solve the whole mystery and ...

Marc was looking at the remnants of what used to be his vast villa once. He could see clouds of smoke forming in certain places. It was still hot out there, with fire fragments flowing all over. In front of the gate was a huge pile of broken items- some turned to ashes and some half-broken. He could see something shining through the pile. He approached near to find a partially broken framed photograph. He picked it up to find one half of a picture of a beautiful 25-year-old woman with wavy blond hair and dreamy hazel eyes- his Lucy.  Fire - devastating, damaging & destructive! It has taken away all he has lived with for the last 5 years. Every object, every article, and every piece had been restoring Lucy's touch, her memories, and the feeling of her presence that brought life to all things inanimate. The garden where she grew her roses, the pool where she used to swim like a swan, all gulped by the deadly hunger of the forest fire!!  Tears rolled down the 55-year-old's ag...

Political thrillers are a less ventured genre by Bengali filmmakers. However, there are a few very well-made ones. Today, I will list a few such political thrillers by Bengali filmmakers. 1. Atanka (1986): " Mastermoshai, apni kintu kichu dekhenni. ( Masterji, you have not seen anything.) This infamous dialogue by the film's antagonist still brings shivers down the spine. The cold and stern tone, without any usual profanities used by political goons, instead maintaining the respect of his former teacher, his warning serves as the USP and determinant of the situation's intensity. A retired teacher accidentally witnesses the murder at the hands of one of his ex-students, who is now a political goon. His whole life turns into a living hell when he decides to inform the police. Atanka is one of Tapan Sinha's best works, showcasing the ugly truth of Bengal politics of the 80s. It featured powerful performances from Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Sumanta Mukherji, Bhishma Guha Tha...