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Many incredible Bengali stories explore teachers, teacher-student dynamics, and the influence of great teachers in someone's life. Here is a list of stories by famous Bengali writers that have enriched the genre over the years. Without any further ado, here is the list. 1. Master Mashai by Rabindranath Tagore: This is a heartwarming story of an honest private teacher who was later sacked from his office on false charges of theft.  One of Tagore's best short stories, mainly revolving around Haralal, the private tutor and Benu, his arrogant student. A beautiful, touching story about a person paying the price for his honesty and devotion to his student. 2. Pandit Mashai by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay: Brindaban is a teacher who was married in his childhood, but was separated from his child bride due to his father’s interference. As he grows up to become an ideological and educated person, he realises the wrong done to his wife. So, he tries to win her back into his life, but ...

Hindi Films heavily influenced my growing-up years. From music, style, fashion, stars, and beautiful locales to unforgettable characters, we, 80s and 90s kids, were mesmerised by Bollywood. So, when Manali and Sukaina introduced September's Every Conversation Matters topic as Bollywood, my first reaction was "Dhamaka." And when you are given a topic that is close to your heart, the confusion of an overthinker begins. So while I started writing yesterday about the evolving influence of Bollywood on fashion and trends, today my interest has shifted to the Hindi films I go back to again and again and the reasons for it. The 80s were when I was very young, and I had no say in selecting a film to watch. It was mostly through music and cassette players that we, kids of that generation, were introduced to new films and their stars, but right now I am thinking about writing about the female stars whose star power has been tremendous in drawing audiences to theatres. I still remem...

When I was working, during the mid-2000s, a terrifying news story came to the forefront: the Nithari murders. A twisted, demonic side of a few human beings, hidden behind luxury and extravagance, was exposed. It made us realise that evil can come in the most unsuspecting form. My latest read, Girls Who Stray by Anisha Lalvani, is loosely based on that incident.  About the Book: A 23-year-old woman finishes her foreign education with dreams in her eyes. Upon her return, she discovers life is not so easy, with the huge pressure of her own education loan and her father's home loan. Introvert, yet desperate, she chooses a path less taken, a path of destruction, a path of easy but risky hard cash. That finally leads her to join a circle of dangerous and influential people. The book is about her constant thoughts, actions, feelings, guilt, reflection, and redemption.  About the Author: Anisha Lalvani works in the field of Communications and actively engages in the nexus of economic...

I just realised I have watched very few movies this year, especially the Hollywood ones. I have been watching many Bengali web series, as I write about those mostly. And in the recent few weeks, I have watched many of those. Today I will be writing about those. 1. Abar Proloy 2: Saswata Chatterji is back as Inspector Animesh Dutta, after much convincing from higher authorities. He leads an investigation of a high-profile gold heist in the urban landscape of Kolkata. Some influential names resurface, but he is hell-bent on cracking the case.  The series has become very popular, but somehow I missed the excitement of the first season. Saswata is amazing, and all the other performances are good too. The action sequences are entertaining. It is streaming on Zee5. 2. Chadmabeshi: It is always good to watch Parambrata Chattopadhyay on screen. My mother-in-law used to watch a TV serial where he appeared for a few days, but all of a sudden his character got killed and, while I had been sim...

I have no qualms about saying that Debarati Mukhopadhyay is one of my favourite authors among the present generation of writers in Bengal. Her works, such as Narach and Krishnasindhuki, have inspired me and greatly influenced my reading habits.  Her write-ups are rich in historical references and a lot of information about medieval India, especially Bengal. She has also penned a series of books featuring her investigative duo, Rudra-Priyam. Interestingly, these books are also enriched with numerous historical events and happenings, presented with a dash of thriller and mystery.  Glaani Bhavati Bharat is one of the books in the Rudra-Priyam series. And today I am going to write about the book. About the Book Rudra, a daredevil IPS officer, along with her able team, investigates a series of murders in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Along the investigative trail, she finds out about a community in America that still maintains a lifestyle of the medieval era. A possible conn...

 A little birdie informed me that Magneto and Professor X are going to be replaced. Is it true? Hmm, whatever it is, Marvel knows. But Fassbender and McAvoy -no longer in those roles. Look at them... No, I mean just look. I am sure my uncle would have had the same thought 15 years ago, when they both replaced (rather, played younger versions of) Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, respectively. But whatever that is, today my blog post is neither about X-Men nor about the new replacements.  Today I thought of digging up the work histories of a few actors, generally tagged as heartthrobs for the roles they play and the image they have created among audiences. And there is a large number of popular actors who have played dreadful, negative characters, of killers. We all know, but just a dive down memory lane. 1. Al Pacino: Yes, he is still considered a heart-throb at 85. And the movie that comes to my mind where he played a serial killer was Righteous Kill, directed by Jon Avnet, a...