Bengali Culture- The Changing Landscape

"Shokatorey Oi Knadichhey Shokoley Shono Shono Pita

Koho Kaaney Kaaney Shunao Praney Praney Mongolo Barota”

(Listen O Lord to the wailing nation,

Whisper in their ears, spread in their hearts Thy Holy Message..)

For a very long time, I have been toying with the idea of penning down my feelings about this topic but my well ingrained habit of procrastination has always got the better of me.  Finally, on an idle and lazy morning, with the skies pouring and having loaded myself with a heavy breakfast, I decided to do a bit of introspection.

I have been branded by some as an orthodox imbecile, no prizes for guessing that this article of mine would not do much to improve my reputation in their eyes. However, that does not deter me from expressing my honest opinion even if that means incurring the wrath of many unfortunate readers who happen to set foot on this blog.

I have no qualms in humbly expressing my opinion that the entire Bengali culture has reached a rock bottom and am quite certain that only a Herculean effort can resurrect the entire race to its former state of glory, if at all.

What is the cause for this moral and material degradation? Numerous. A clinical assessment will tell you that the decline which started in the late seventies, spread its tentacles through the eighties and nineties culminating in perhaps the most deplorable state over the last decade. The most affected has been the younger generation who have suffered the maximum from the pangs of this steep decline.

Just as an example of where our present generation lies, when I recently asked a couple of highly educated representatives of the modern era as to who coined the phrase “Jai Jawan Jai Kishan” – they all gave me a bewildered look. Like an apologetic parent trying to divert attention from an embarrassing question asked by a kid, I quickly changed the topic and asked them as to who had said “Marbo Ekhaney Lash Porbey Shmoshaney”? They all had the answer at their finger tips.

May be this incident is a slight deviation from the topic at hand; it was just a humble attempt to highlight how the present generation is disillusioned and have not developed the interest in things they ought to know.

Coming back to our culture, my conclusion about its downfall stems from certain glaring areas where the decline is most prominent.

Game Shows- the small screen

The most popular platform for demonstrating talent today happens to be the numerous game shows which are conducted across the various Bengali television channels. Superstars of yesteryears who appear as judges or compeers are the biggest attractions for these shows where the performers display their multifaceted talents in the field of music, dance or in joke shows. In most occasions, we are left dumbstruck, silently admiring the tremendous talent that this generation possesses. What is amazing is that this ability is not restricted to kids alone; you see glimpses of the same among the youth and even middle aged housewives. Hats off to them for coming out with flying colours in their persistent endeavour but still, one cannot help asking a few questions and extremely pertinent ones at that.

As my late grandmother used to enquire about the child performers, “Accha shara bochhor jodi ora ei shob korey, tobey porashona kokhon korbey?” (If they are performing these acts throughout the year, when will they study?)

Perhaps a very valid question to ruminate about, but a bit out of place in the current context. This problem may haunt a septuagenarian who has always believed that studies hold immense importance in the life of any adolescent irrespective of his or her socio economic background but the fact is that today’s parents do not feel likewise.

Modern parents (at least one segment of them) may feel that that the real test for their three year old daughter lies in successfully replicating Madhuri Dixit’s ‘Dhak Dhak Karney Laga’ or Kajol’s ‘Jaati Hun Mein, Jaldi Hai Kya’ with the same degree of aplomb and sensuality rather than going to school and trying to find out what a tyrant like Mahmud of Ghazni did more than thousand years ago.

“Service to man is service to God”, so by entertaining people, they are indeed doing a noble act.

My question to the most esteemed parents is that what is the moral and material benefit that the child is garnering from participation in this kind of a show? Agreed, their daughter’s talent is coming to the forefront, agreed she is getting rid of the element called ‘stage fright’ but are their childhood not being ruined in the process?

To put it in Bengali, as the great man had said

“Bonyora Boney Shundor, Shishura Matri Krorey”-

(Wild animals are most beautiful when seen in the wild; a child is most beautiful when in the arms of his mother).

Please allow them to grow in the normal course, do not fast forward their childhood and make them wonder what those pelvic thrusts mean in reality.

If we corrupt our future generations, we will suffer and so will mankind. In an era already contaminated by unwarranted negative influence of electronic and print media, let us try to shield them from the wrong things rather that expose them to the naked facts and that too at an impressionable age.

Coming to the joke shows, most of the jokes that we hear today have a sexual connotation. It is as if, entertainment of any form is not complete without a reference to the three letter word. It is as if the performers forget that there is an appropriate time and forum for these things; one cannot just say anything anywhere. I do not know if there is any censor board which approves or edits these shows but all I can say is that sometime, we need to put our foot down and draw the boundary.

At times, watching these performances becomes quite embarrassing, especially if one is at home with elders.

As far as the child artistes are concerned, some of these performers will ultimately make it big, one or two may become household names, but the others will all fade away. In the process, they would have lost prime time of their lives searching for something not worth it salt.

The consciousness will not arise in these young minds; it has to come from the elders. Elders can only think in the right direction if they have the right bent of mind, if they are willing to foster the right culture, a culture which had made Bengalis a dominant force in the world, a culture which has long deserted us.

Bengali Films- from the small to the big screen

Graduating from the small to the big screen, while the level of non commercial Bengali cinema has gone up tremendously, one cannot help but only take pity at the abysmal state of commercial Bangla films.

As I proceed to evaluate Bengali Cinema of any form, one basic assumption is that Satyajit Ray does not figure in this comparison. He stands like a Colossus in the history of Bengali, Indian and even World Cinema, so drawing any comparison with him will only shame our fellowmen and skew our findings.

We have the new genre of directors like Sandip Roy, Rituparno Ghosh, and Aparna Sen who take very relevant social topics or social problems and try to convey a strong message through their movies which do not necessarily have a commercial perspective.  

 Even if there is no underlying message, it is a good reflection of the changing times. One can readily think of ‘Ballygunge Court’, a movie which explores the pain of parents whose kids have all left for US in pursuit of greener pastures; it brings tears to our eyes as we reminisce our selfish motives and complete disregard for the people who have given everything to get us to where we are.

Talk of ‘Nishi Japon’ once again a beautiful narration of the complexities of the human mind.

Talk of ‘Anuronon’, a depiction of the changing times and how individuals living under the same roof drift apart and what it leads to.

Talk of ‘Hit List’, one wonders how difference of opinion among simple people can lead to heinous crimes and what is the ultimate outcome of such action.  The list is quite long.

Movies of Prodosh Mitra (our very own Feluda) or Byomkesh Bakshi (the indomitable creation of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay) are still crowd pullers. These films may not have a social message or a commercial perspective; they do not call for too much directorial acumen as well. The sheer creative skills of Ray and Saradindu are able to carry the film. The other important factor that contributes to popularity and entertainment of these films is familiarity. We know the characters from our childhood days, we know that Byomkesh’s wife is Satyabati and how they met for the first time. We do not need anyone to tell us that Lalmohanbabu’s driver is Haripadababu and that Lalmohanbabu’s creation is Prokhor Rudro. We know the end of the story, so neither does the director have too much of flexibility to twist the story, nor will the audience accept anything different from that what they know will happen and therefore they want to see. So it is not true that the common man every time wants something very original or something outstanding, he is prepared to accept the simple things, if served in good taste.

However, in the case of commercial Bangla cinema, what we get is far from palatable.

The story line is pathetic, the dialogues are in poor taste, the outcome predictable and sitting through a fully commercial Bangla cinema can be a horrendous experience. Some of the films are blatantly copied from Hindi movies, so many of the ‘hits’ in recent times can be traced back to some Bollywood blockbuster.

What adds to the woe is that the director does not care about the fact that a village in West Bengal is radically different from that in Punjab, so the scenes shot by Kajol in ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ cannot be replicated for a Tollywood heroine whose role is that of a girl living in some remote village of interior West Bengal.  

This stark deviation from reality makes the entire experience of sitting through the movie unbearable. As one goes through the ordeal of watching the full movie, the rational mind can only wonder what has led to this terrible decline.

It is not therefore a surprise that I would rather watch a ‘Saptapadi’ or ‘Trijama’ or ‘Bicharak’ a hundred times over rather than watch some super hit movie of recent times.

It is not as if there were no remakes in those days. Many of Uttam Kumar’s movies and hit ones at that were remakes.  ‘Jay Jayanti’ was a remake of ‘The Sound of Music’ while ‘Jhinder Bandi’ was inspired by ‘The Prisoners of Zenda’. Even ‘Ogo Bodhu Shundori’, Uttam Kumar’s last movie was inspired by ‘My Fair Lady’.

What made the difference between the remakes of those days and the remakes of today is that the director used the story as the backdrop and did the appropriate modifications, not to forget the superlative performance of the actors which added a new dimension to the movie like Soumitra Chattopadhyay’s unforgettable performance in the role of the villain ‘Mayurbahan’ in ‘Jhinder Bandi’.

Okay, enough of criticism of modern Bengali cinema. That is not to say that I do not watch new films, I do so because I feel that some of these movies are a good cure for insomnia and to develop the virtue of patience.

 I wonder at times as to whether the actors also feel that way as well or is it that they are motivated by the monetary aspect only.

I feel sorry for Bengali cinema, I feel sorry for the numerous talented actors who for lack of script or for lack of proper audience are not able to do justice to their talents or are required to things that they themselves may not appreciate. I feel sorry for the industry as a whole.

My analysis would not be complete if I do not refer to the subject of comedy. We had some of the greatest comedians of all times who not only enriched Bengali cinema but even stamped their class in Bombay film industry, most notable being the legendary Kishore Kumar and Utpal Dutt, not to forget Bhanu Bandyopadhyay, Jahar Roy, Tulshi Chakraborty , Santosh Dutta, Rabi Ghosh, Anup Kumar and Chinmoy Roy.

Who can forget the camaraderie of Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Rabi Ghosh, Anup Kumar and Chinmoy Roy in ‘Bashanta Bilap’ or the performances of Tulshi Chakraborty and Bhanu Bandyopadhyay in ‘Sharey Chuattor’ or Kishore Kumar in ‘Lukochuri’? The list of modern day comedians may be long and there is no doubt about their capabilities but the humour depicted in the movies can at best be described as “constipated”. The dialogues may appeal to the grass root level but for the logical mind, there is not much to laugh unless someone from the row behind tickles you.

Even after I have watched it a hundred times, I still want to see ‘Sharey Chuattor’. We see still burst into laughter as we see Bhanu Badyopadhyay’s episode of ‘Mashima Malpo Khamu’ or the sequence where Uttam Kumar is being followed by his mess friends as he tries to find ways of meeting and talking to Suchitra Sen. Everything is so uncomplicated, so simple, yet it has an everlasting effect on the minds of the audience.

It is a well established fact that the fate of Indian films hinges on the quality of music and the songs. People remember ‘Shaptapadi’ more by ‘Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoy’ or ‘Hospital’ by ‘Ei Shundoro Shornali Shondhaye Eki Bondoney Joraley Go Bondhu’.

However, being from the land of Tagore, I would like to take music as a separate chapter in my analysis.

One last retrospection, may be the standard set by Uttam Kumar in tandem with Suchitra Sen, Madhabi Mukherjee, Sabitri Chatterjee or Arundhati Devi  was so high that the average Bengali mind will never be able to accept any one else as the matinee idol . Also, it may be that the positive competition that existed that between Uttam Kumar and some of his compatriots like Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Biswajit Chatterjee and Anil Chatterjee took Bengali cinema to heights that will never ever be scaled.

Forget about heroes, I think the calibre of some of the supporting artistes like Kali Banerjee, Shyam Laha , Chhaya Devi to name a few, are still unparalleled.

One thing we cannot ignore is the effect of a good story. Uttam Kumar may have made Sata Bose a household name (‘Satyasundar Bose’ in ‘Chowringhee’) but one cannot forget the contribution of Shankar. Bikash Ray made the role of ‘Jibon Moshay’ immortal but then Tarashankar Bandopadhyay had to write ‘Arogya Niketan’ first. Bonophool wrote ‘Hatey Bajarey’ first, the late Ashok Kumar merely enacted the role and that he did to perfection.

One does not get to see uncomplicated fully family entertainment oriented movies like ‘Dadar Kirti’ (once again the original story was by Saradindu) or ‘Balika Badhu’, the kind of movies made by Tarun Majumdar.

It is not that present day Bengali authors are not as talented as their predecessors; somewhere the marriage between the right story, the right director, the right artistes is not happening.

Once that happens, we can expect greater things from the same industry.

Bengali Music

The other day I had the misfortune of switching on the television and coming across some movie where the hero is dancing and singing a song which when translated means that “Oh I cannot take the heat of the chilly any more, only panache is the sweet smile of your sweet face”. I was told that it is a hit song.

The state of music in Bengali films is deplorable to say the least. There is nothing new in the tune, the lyrics are mundane and one feels disgusted after hearing a song.

Talk of the yesteryears; the lyrics were touching, the music melodious and the effect  long lasting.

Love in those days, was conveyed beautifully using such sweet words. Songs like “Shaat Shagorer Parey- Amar Shopney Dekha Rajkonya Thakey” (Sagarika) still creates a different atmosphere. It is eternal, it appeals to all ages and across all times.

One still wants to hear romantic numbers like “Ke Prothom Kacchey Eshechhi, Ke Prothom Cheye Dekhechhi” (Sankhabela) or “Shurjo Dobar Pala Ashey Jodi Ashuk Besh To” (Indrani).

The words were captivating, the tune mellifluous, and the effect lingers on in our mind.

Profound love between the hero and the heroine used to be expressed in sweet words, sublime expressions and soothing music and did not need the most abused three words “Ami Tomai Bhalobashi” (I love you).

There was no element of vulgarity in the whole song. In yesteryears, the same feelings were conveyed through use of such pristine words. Who can forget Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen singing in ‘Idrani’

“Tarporey Shara Raat Amra Dujoney Miley Bhabbo

Hridoyer Lipikatey Ke Jeno Likhechhey Ek Kabyo

Jonakira Dwip Jweley Amader Shathey Raat Jagbey

Duti Praney Chupi Chupi Notun Shey Shur Ek Lagbe

Jonakira Jaguk Na, Parney Shur Lagook Na

Paoatey Chaoar Hobey Shesh To”

(We will wonder through the sleepless night as to who scripted our epic love story. The fireflies will stand testimony to the tune that we sing in the dark night as all our longings culminate in attaining the cherished.)

There was no dearth of emotion, yet use of metaphors left so much to imagination. It is not always that everything has to be said in so many words, let some things be assumed by the audience and that will have a different effect altogether.

Songs like ‘Jiboney Ki Pabona’(Teen Bhuboner Paarey ) where Soumitra Chatterjee plays the role of a road side Romeo in trying to eve tease Tanuja or “Hoy To Tomari Jonyo” (Teen Bhubaner Paarey) will be enjoyed for ages.

Songs with a comedy effect like ‘Ek Poloker Ektu Dekha’ (Lukochuri) or ‘Arey Kya Sharam Ki Baat’ (Chadmabeshi) are eternal creations; these songs were not the stereotyped hero heroine songs but they will remain with us forever.

Is the decline attributable to the fact that we do not have playback singers like Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Shyamal Mitra, Gita Dutta or Manabendra Mukhopadhyay amidst us or the likes of lyricists and musicians like Gouriprasanna Majumdar,  Salil Chowdhury and Pulak Bandyopadhyay?

Today we have Bengali singers who are ruling the Bombay film industry; most notable being Shaan and Shreya Ghoshal. There lies the grief and agony; if they can rule Bombay, why cannot they resurrect Bengali film music to its former glory?

Talking of non-film music, somewhere around the eighties, we first stumbled upon songs of a different nature by a group called “Mohiner Ghoraguli”. While we had to wait for the Indian Pink Floyd Suman Chattopadhyay to make his mark through ‘Tomake Chai’,  concurrently in Bangladesh we had a host of groups like ‘Feedback’, ‘Souls’, ‘Miles’ and ‘Renaissance’ coming up with these so called ‘Jibonmukhi Gaan’.

Slowly and steadily, we had this trend in Epaar Bangla ( West Bengal) as well with the likes of Anjan Dutta, Mousumi Bhowmick, Nachiketa, Shilajit and Pallab Kirtoniya to name a few.

The first few Bengali bands to make a mark were ‘Bhoomi’, ‘Chandrabindu’, ‘Cactus’ and so on and today we have numerous ones like ‘Dohar’.

‘Jibonmukhi Gaan’, as the name suggests were songs of life.  Simple language used to convey a sense of revolt,  had a tremendous appeal to the teenage segment and created a revolution. Gradually over time, the themes assumed more mild proportions. The catalysts that contributed to the popularity of these songs were ‘catchy’ tunes, simple words interspersed with abuses to create a revolting effect and of course the theme which was designed to curse the existing state of things, all  so reminiscent of the youth.

Today we have numerous singers possessing the highest level of talent who sing in bands or as solo performers. However, with time, there has been a sharp deterioration in terms of content and quality.

Again, one gets to hear in every other song , the words ‘Raater Abdar’  or ‘Bichhanar Chadorey’ or ‘Leper Adorey’ so frequently that at times one feels the sanctity of nuptial love and conjugal relations is lost.  These songs have now lost the freshness and appeal of their initial years.

What happened in the process is that amidst all this turmoil, the so called “Adhunik Bangla Gaan” went into some kind of oblivion. Who can forget Shyamal Mitra’s golden numbers like  “Keno Tumi Phirey Eley Ami Andhokarey Khnujey Pai Ni Jarey Jodi Aloye Taarey Peley”.  In another of Shyamal Mitra’s unforgettable numbers “Dur Noye Beshi Dur Oi Shajano Shajano Bokul Boner Dharey” , the sweetness of our mother tongue  and the use of words leaves us spell bound. I die to hear words like

“ Bono Horini Torito Chokito Charaney Chomoko Lagaye Diye

Taar Cheye Bhalo Chok Duti Dekhey  Jekhaney Jeto Shey Dnariye
Shekhaney Amar Matal Hridoy Shedin Giyechhey Hariye”

( Even the frightened doe stopped in her tracks  as she witnessed the eyes of my beloved)

One still fills a sense of intoxication to hear Arati Mukherjee’s “Tokhon Tomar Ekush Bochhor Bodhoy, Aami Tokhon Ashtadoshir Chhoyaye” or “Ei Mom Jochonaye Ango Bhijiye Esho Na Golpo Kori”.

Today we do not get to here songs like “Kotha Bolo Na Keu Shobdo Koro Na Bhagoban Nidra Niyechhen Golojog Shoitey Parenna”. Tarun Bandopadhyay, Protima Bandyopadhyay and Nirmala Misra were luminaries at one point of time but the art that they practised and propagated has gradually moved into obscurity.

In summary, we have to work together to resurrect Bangla music, how and when is for all of us to see. We have the talent, we have the words, we have the tunes. It is just that we need to think in the right direction.

In the words of Tagore,

“Protidino Tobo Gatha Gabo Ami Shumodhur

Tumi Deho Morey Kotha, Tumi Deho Morey Shur”

(Everyday has been woven by Thee, give me the words and the tune to sing Thy praise)

Saving grace

Developments have their negatives but I cannot ignore the blessings of this boom. Cultural degradation may have happened but there are still some sublime moments that you can pick up from the wreck.

My three year old niece, an American by birth, after watching Gaaner Oparey on You Tube, sings to me on the phone

“Gaye Amar Pulok Lagey Chhokhey Ghonaye Ghor

Hridoye Mor ke Bnedhecchey Ranga Rakhir Dor”

(An inexplicable sense of pleasure grips me and sends me into a frenzy as I wonder who is it that has tied the pleasure strings around my heart.)

As I hear her, I can only think of what Tagore had said (who else could have said it so aptly)

“E Shudha Bochono E Shukho Porosh Angey Baajichchey Bnashi”  

(These sweet words, this pristine touch, rings all the bells)

Could I have asked for anything more ethereal?