crowd control, stage and sound arrangements are not aspects that artistes have any control over. What they do have control over is the right to say whether or not they are willing to continue performing in often unhygienic, unsafe situations. Whether they choose to exercise that right or not, is a matter of personal choice. But until these facts are accepted, one cannot even hope for change.
‘Insects are not a common theme in Hindu mythology. Amongst all the insects in the Hindu mythology, the one that gets prominence is the honeybee. Primarily because bees go to flowers and make honey. We find the honeybee connected with the god of love. It is said that Kamadeva, the god of love, has a bow. The bow’s limb is made of sugarcane and its string is made out of bees. Thus, bees become a metaphor for the lover and the beloved.’
‘It talks of how Vishnu one day comes to Shiva and seeks a Maha Mantra. He gets it and chants it in Kashi, but it does not work. So, he returns to Kailash. This time, it is the goddess who appears in front of him, for Shiva is absent.’ A story from an ancient Shakta text.
‘Have we not stopped listening to each other? We lynch and let lynch and are not moved to any action even as we hear the cries of the lynched and disenfranchised. The most powerful and influential of people in the country remain unmoved and silent as the economy groans, crumbles, and is about to collapse. One can only assume that the cries of distress are either drowned in the din around us or then, we are indeed, going deaf.’
‘Sedna begged her father to come and take her back home, and he agreed. But as they headed across the waters, a flock of sea birds surrounded the boat. The incessant flapping of their wings caused a tremendous storm to arise and their small vessel was tossed from side to side. Fearing for his own safety, Sedna’s father threw her into the ocean to appease the angry birds. When Sedna tried to climb back into the boat, he cut off her fingers.’
‘As an incredibly hot-tempered person myself I can understand rage well. After all, I have been angry at all ages. Sexism and gender-stereotyping annoyed me in my youth, the challenges of working in Kolkata and city-stereotyping annoy me now. The entitlement of those who know they are in positions of power and milk it remorselessly annoyed me always.’
‘Fortunately for the caricaturists, and for society in general, we still retain a sense of humour when it comes to these spoofs on the often blindingly garish attire, mannerisms and antics of classical musicians. But the day may not be far when someone’s sentiments may be hurt and a controversy created over the irreverence shown to our hallowed classical traditions. ‘
God created the world out of nothingness in six days and rested on the seventh day. He created the first man, Adam, in his own image, and the first woman, Eve, from Adam’s rib. He told Adam and Eve to enjoy the wonderful Garden of Eden, but not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. That was the Forbidden Fruit!
‘We were staying in Chhipadohar Forest and it was a place with no electricity or running water or a flush! But none of this mattered as I was surrounded by brilliant actors from Bengal – Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Robi Ghosh and Samit Bhanja. We would go for moonlit evening walks and the shoot is truly one of the most special memories of my career.’
Followers of myth believe their truth is the truth. Outsiders disagree. This is the cause of all tribal, religious, and nation-state wars. Let us explore 10 mythological stories from around the world to appreciate how different people have tried to make sense of the world.
Many years later, when my parents were able to buy a car, we would, on a detour from a winter picnic, drive through Gajaldoba and Mainaguri, and chance upon a road with a sign that said ‘Katham Bari’. My brother and I looked at each other as if a secret, not very different from those we had met in the Phantom comics, had suddenly been revealed to us. We pleaded with our father to take that route.
‘Why had we come to Batabari, I wondered. Until a month ago, when enthusiasm for an outing began to collect in our conversations and we began scouting for nearby locations, all of this propelled by the far-from-the-madding-crowd urge to escape urban living, we had very rarely come across its name.’ The silence of Dooars nights.
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