Monthly Archives: September 2010

When Dance Is Beyond Creation …

I seem to find Soumita Bhattacharya, on my list of Facebook friends, an interesting person. When she invited me to view some of her creations showcased in a modern dance form, I agreed readily. Soumita’s husband is called Soumit, a … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | Leave a comment

Unripe Guava

I love February in Kolkata. The air is free from the dull smog of winter; sunshine is in the hue of pale gold, the sky is floroscent blue and everything around me is sprightly. The evenings come with mauve sunsets … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

Wafting Grass Reeds In The Eastern Breeze – Trinamool in Bengal

Mamata Banerjee is the image that till recently no Bengali wanted. She was plain, undecorated, unrefined and unchaperoned. She had almost no social background, hailed from a family of East Bengal refugees, stayed in a hutment off Kalighat, unmarried with … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

Kh(y)ap(a) Panchayat

The word khyapa in Bengali means eccentric. It does not mean insane for that is a strong word. The khyapa is more unpredictable, given to mood swings and varying responses to familiar stimuli. For a long time I used to … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

These Authors, Such Works – About New Young Authors Of Children’s Fiction

Last evening I attended a book launch because I had to. It was a family affair as the author is my first cousin nineteen years younger to me. I usually enjoy family gatherings and events such as this gives me … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | Leave a comment

IPL – Yeh Dil Maange Not Anymore

The IPL has got me into a state of confusion. I belong to a world where things are in their place; for instance politics is where it should be, cinema, media, cricket and my everyday life, each one of them … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | Leave a comment

For Ritwick: Shiv Sena versus Shah Rukh Khan

Shiv Sena Vs Shah Rukh This piece is written at the behest of Ritwick Mallik, a best selling debutant author of school romance. Ritwick has himself put up an excellent piece against the Sena on the FB and the present … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | Leave a comment

Politics of Culture Of Austerity

The austerity debate has preoccupied our national consciousness. We all know that austerity drives save no money. But then that’s not the real point of such austerity measures. What is important is that austerity as a life style that now … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | Leave a comment

Mumbai or Bombay – Whats The Bong Connection??

Raj Thackeray is wrong and Karan Johar is right. Bombay is Bombay and not Mumbai. At least, it is definitely so for Aisha Banerjee, the female protagonist of Wake Up Sid, the film which Raj Thackeray is responding to. Raj … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | 2 Comments

Uttam Kumar – A Sociological View Of The Bengali Culture In The Aftermath of the Partition

When Tehaai asked me to do a piece on Uttam Kumar, the doyen of Bengali cinema and imagination, I realized that this is a territory I hardly know. People in Bengal knew far too much and I, far too little … Continue reading

Posted in Media Sociology | 4 Comments