No one can say that Raghav Chatterjee does not sing well. He does. He is an extremely talented and skilled singer and performer. But he came up short in delivering for the major and I stress, major part of his audience at Kallol Puja. He was too loud and sometimes painfully screaming. His repertoire was too post modern and convoluted for our liking. He possibly was targetting relatively young Calcutta born crowd present, but he definitely did not cater to the people who paid most for hiring him. The fault does not lie with him. The so called younger group of Kallol is ostensibly in control of the stage and what goes on there. Programs are chosen and directed by them with a trace of arrogance and a little bias. We heard Raghav at Banga Sammelan in New York and really liked his not so hip performance on the sober side. But his program at Kallol was disappointing to many and I dare say most of us. 50 people who danced with his singing at Durga Puja are not the final arbiters, I am afraid. This is neither new nor an isolated instance. Larger question is: are we being culturally manipulated by a few? Have we always been? By we I mean people who have been here for two or three decades or longer. In the beginning we had amongst us a self proclaimed intellectual coterie, the "better than thou" crowd. They fed us with all sorts of revolutionary cliche'd theatrical performances and obscure plays. We the intellectually challenged masses sat through them approvingly lest we were branded un-intellectual. Then there were literary seminars and classical musical soirees. We also suffered through them silently. While we prided ourselves of being in elite intellectual company, they really needed an audience and mostly our money. Now, there are friends and close acquaitances, who consider themselves artistically gifted, eager to present their wares in public, at a price of course. Saying no to their entreaties to buy a ticket or two will not take you far. What is a friend in need if the most expensive tickets are not bought? They also badly need a crowd. So attenedence is a must if you do not want to flush your relationship down the drain. I say, where the culture is doled out wholesale as in Durga Puja we have to excercise our collective power in letting the organizers know what we want. In retail performance area we have to excercise our individual buying power in choosing what we like. Sitting through poorly presented and histrionically deficient plays, listening to Rabindra Sangeet in Hindi or Sukumar Roy in English translation is ultimate undermining of our cultural sensitivity. We are not doing any favor either to our friends by encouraging them to hold on to their delusional views of their thespian and musical talents. Amitava Sen

If you'd like to receive an email notification whenever an article is posted (one email per day) then fill up the following form to
Subscribe through Feedburner:

The Bengali-American group Ethnomedia from New Jersey, which stunned Calcutta last year with Ron, returned for the world premiere of dramatist-director Sudipta Bhawmik’s Satyameva. A senior executive body-shopping software engineers fires his incompetent new recruit, who pleads that he should not be sent back to India. By a remarkable plot of twists and turns (perhaps too many of them) Bhawmik conveys older Bengalis’ nostalgia for their birthplace and younger Bengalis’ desire to emigrate to America. Sankar Ghoshal and Indranil Mukherjee respectively give realistic portrayals of these parts, but the playwright’s craftsmanship tends to get the better of heartfelt emotions, which we had found in Ron.

Synopsis: Sukomol, the protagonist who lives and works in USA, suddenly, arrives at his home to the utmost surprise and joy of his parents Satyasadhan and Mrinmoyee and his sister Sikha. Later in the afternoon, Sukomol breaks to his would-be father-in law Ramapada and his mother that he has come back for good and would like to work in India or possibly set up a chemical plant in his hometown. Mrinmoyee is delighted at the prospect of her son staying back in India, but Ramapada rebukes him for his naivety and foolishness. Being a failed politician himself, Ramapada reminds Sukomol of how impossible it is to build anything in West Bengal with its business hostile political environment. At this moment comes Bibhas, Sukomol’s childhood friend and gives him hope by promising that he will make all arrangements to make Sukomol’s dream a reality with the help of the local member of the legislative assembly. However, in the very next scene in an interesting twist, Bibhas confides to Sukomol that all that he had said was pure bluff, just to settle a score with his political rival Ramapada. He advises Sukomol to go back to USA and even pleads to take him along. Sukomol gets another jolt when his fiancée Krishnaa makes it very clear that her only goal in life is to go to America, and if Sukomol decides to stay back in India, she’ll do it alone. However, the final blow comes when Sukomol overhears his father who almost breaks down at the possibility that the flow of dollars is about to stop. Satyasadhan, who himself is an immigrant from Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), struggled all his life to take care of his family, his parents, his brothers and sisters. He never had the chance of enjoying the slightest of luxury. Now, with his son working in USA and with his regular dollar remittances, Satyasadhan has started to get used to the better things of life, the small luxuries like traveling in a rented car and having a luxury bathroom. He dreads at the possibility of losing his current life and going back to the days of hardship. Only, Mrinmoyee, the eternal mother, tries to defend her son’s decision to the last moment.

Of the three contests, "Gane mor Indradhanu" is the most elaborate and competitive (and possibly the most funded) show. The previous round of this show focused solely on Bangla songs and featured the adult performers. And what performers they have been. The show demonstrated that the depth and breadth of musical talent in Bengal is something that we should be really proud of. In the current round of "Gane mor Indradhanu - Tarana", the competitors are the teenage and pre-teenage boys and girls from all corners of Bengal. Listening to them is an amazing experience. Some of the young boys and girls are so talented that their songs bring tears to the most critical of the judges on the floor, not to mention the audience on the set and the viewers on the other side of the screen. Singers like Ahinjita (7-8 years old) or Debdyuti can sing at par with any of the established musicians. The contest is judged by a panel of distinguished musicians like Monomoy Bhattacharya, Jojo, Sudeshna Ray, Sampa Kundu and others and they do not hesitate to make critical comments (in a constructive manner) to point out the shortcomings of the performers. But they too are often awed by the sudden flashes of talent demonstrated by these youngsters. If these talented performers are properly trained and groomed, I am sure that they will make us all proud one day and Bengal will retain its esteemed position in the field of Indian music for many more years in the future. Kudos to ETV Bangla for bringing this show to us. The only complaint I have is that the show could have retained its focus on "Bangla Songs" only as it did in the previous round.

The Bengali-American group Ethnomedia from New Jersey, which stunned Calcutta last year with Ron, returned for the world premiere of dramatist-director Sudipta Bhawmik’s Satyameva. A senior executive body-shopping software engineers fires his incompetent new recruit, who pleads that he should not be sent back to India. By a remarkable plot of twists and turns (perhaps too many of them) Bhawmik conveys older Bengalis’ nostalgia for their birthplace and younger Bengalis’ desire to emigrate to America. Sankar Ghoshal and Indranil Mukherjee respectively give realistic portrayals of these parts, but the playwright’s craftsmanship tends to get the better of heartfelt emotions, which we had found in Ron. - Ananda Lal, telegraph

India during the 1930s and ’40s was in a state of turmoil. Violent revolution against British rule, ethnic riots and widespread famine and disease on the national scene were eventually reflected in even the most remote villages. A Living Memory, retreats to that local, personal level, revealing the intricate psychology of social stigma, of love under adverse circumstances, and of the inescapable duality of dreams and disappointments. Surrounding a sugar mill, the village of Alipur on the Mahi River is a close-knit community where families live in harmony. Bloody revolts against British colonialism, Hindu-Muslim riots that turn into massacres, and famine and epidemics have not yet disturbed the village’s tranquility. One day a young girl, Runu, is found missing from her home. She has been taken captive by Mr. Bose, the most influential man in Alipur, who thinks he can take whatever he wants. By coincidence Runu is recognized by a boy named Tushar, who brings her back home, and a bond forms between them. Over time their intimacy deepens, but circumstances keep them apart. Runu’s life is filled with uncertainty and disappointment, with love and hope. Although she enters into an arranged marriage, her dreams of Tushar remain. Fourteen years later, her husband dies of a heart attack. Runu becomes obsessed with returning to Alipur and reuniting with Tushar. But everything has changed. The mill has been shut down. Rampant ethnic discrimination has robbed workers of their jobs. When Runu finally finds Tushar after a hard and complicated journey, she cannot connect with his world. Dismayed that the harmony of her youth and the promise of her happiness have been shattered, Runu is left with only a living memory.

"My initial motivation for writing this book was to have a glimpse of my own childhood. First few chapters illustrate the environment under which I grew up till age 10, in Bihar and in a sugar mill community. However, as I was writing it developed as a fiction based on facts, not necessarily happened at the same place or to the same characters that I portrayed in the book. However, the incidents were true, happened to somewhere and to someone. Because I started with my childhood so I had to chose that specific period, late 1930s onward. I also wanted to illustrate the the incidents of Independence movements and the horrors of famine, flood and riots during that era."

"No, it's neither one that you stated. I like to write in Bengali, but I cannot type Bengali and never took time to practice it. Writing a 300 page book in longhand and then to keep on revising and rewriting is extremely tedious and I don't have that patience. Typing in English and making revisions and editing have become technically very simple with Microsoft Words and that's the only reason I wrote in English."

Balaji Temple Auditorium (HTCS) 780 old Farm Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 4th May at 4 p.m. to 7 P.m. Admission—members $15.00, and non-members $20.00

Contact (732) 241-7063, (908) 240-8289, (609)-890-4890 or email bhawmikm@gmail.com, mayuresh.khare@gmail.com,dhu92@optonline.net. RSVP will be appreciated.

Raag-Rang Inc. is a not-for profit tax-exempt 501(3)(c) organization dedicated to the promotion of Indian music.

Character A: Bengali speaking male, mid to late twenties, tall and thin built. Character B: Bengali speaking female, late teen - early twenties.

ECTA (Ethnomedia Center for Theater Arts) Inc. is a not-for profit community theater company dedicated to produce and stage quality theater. ECTA's past productions include, "Phera", "Alibaba", "Kalsudhhi", "The Redemption", "Durghatana", "Ron" and "Satyameva". ECTA has staged plays all across USA and also in India. ECTA's mission is "to tell our own stories through theater."

Dr. Debesh Das, IT Minister, West Bengal is currently touring USA to meet several technology companies and investors. He will meet several entrepreneurs and investors in New Jersey on the 20th of May, 2008.

Synopsis: Ashomoy A play by Sudipta Bhawmik A phone rings in the middle of the night in a middle class Bengali home in suburban America and throws the life of a married couple in complete jeopardy. Produced by Theater Practitioners of Cleveland OH. Directed by Saubhik Sengupta Duration: 30 mins

Synopsis: Taconic Parkway A play by Sudipta Bhawmik Manasij, a veteran Bengali screen actor is visiting USA with a theater group to stage some shows in multiple cities. During his first stop in New York, he is hosted by Dipak and Sharika at their multi-million dollar mansion in upstate New York. The enthusiastic host, Dipak, expresses his desire to make a film with Manasij as the hero and their daughter Pom as the heroine. But Sharika objects to this proposal vehemently. She would never let Pom take part in this dream project of Dipak. Manasij tries to mediate, but soon realizes that he is being pulled into a dark vortex of suspicion and animosity that was carefully camouflaged by the opulence and the veneer of apparent happiness of an affluent NRI family. Produced by ECTA Inc. Duration: 1 hour.

Synopsis: Ashomoy A play by Sudipta Bhawmik A phone rings in the middle of the night in a middle class Bengali home in suburban America and throws the life of a married couple in complete jeopardy. Produced by Theater Practitioners of Cleveland OH. Directed by Saubhik Sengupta Duration: 30 mins

Synopsis: Taconic Parkway A play by Sudipta Bhawmik Manasij, a veteran Bengali screen actor is visiting USA with a theater group to stage some shows in multiple cities. During his first stop in New York, he is hosted by Dipak and Sharika at their multi-million dollar mansion in upstate New York. The enthusiastic host, Dipak, expresses his desire to make a film with Manasij as the hero and their daughter Pom as the heroine. But Sharika objects to this proposal vehemently. She would never let Pom take part in this dream project of Dipak. Manasij tries to mediate, but soon realizes that he is being pulled into a dark vortex of suspicion and animosity that was carefully camouflaged by the opulence and the veneer of apparent happiness of an affluent NRI family. Produced by ECTA Inc. Duration: 1 hour.

"Very powerful. Aami maajhe maajhei naTokTa mone mone replay korchhi. Thanks for writing our stories." - Sambit Basu, ENAD, CA. "Sudipta Bhawmik is rather established in theatrical area. That's what many told me there. I built up lot of expectation from this play. And, I got more than I expected. I can not thank the committee enough to bring this production all the way from New Jersey. We were totally engrossed. I can not mention any single moment as great. It was so seamless. The dramatic turn at each moment was just like a hide and seek. At the end what you get is a pleasant surprise." - Jagat Bandhu Das, San Francisco, CA. "New Jersey-r natok ekebare tan tan. Dipak ar Sarika ki bhison ujjol. Dipak bodh hoy sobaikei chhariye gechhen. Monosij-ke khub maniyechhe choritre. Emon thas-bunot-er natok to kotodin dekhi ni. Golper ki othapora! Ki bandhuni! " - Debaraoti Sen, Livermore, CA. "Durdanto...oshadharon natak ei Taconic Parkway...amar pore eto bhalo legechhe...je...ki bolbo...anekkei nataktar kotha bolechhi." - Amitava Dutta, Ganakrishti, Kolkata.

"Baad Protibad" A Hilarious Play in Bengali by Sudipta Bhawmik Produced by ECTA Inc. Directed by Indranil Mukherjee Cast: Subhodev Das as Ashok Aparajita Das as Kakoli Indranil Mukherjee as Soumen Anisha Das as Jhimli Recorded and mixed at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, NJ, Studio by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee Edited by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee and Indranil Mukherjee Music and effects by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee.

"Baad Protibad" A Hilarious Play in Bengali by Sudipta Bhawmik Produced by ECTA Inc. Directed by Indranil Mukherjee Cast: Subhodev Das as Ashok Aparajita Das as Kakoli Indranil Mukherjee as Soumen Anisha Das as Jhimli Recorded and mixed at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, NJ, Studio by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee Edited by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee and Indranil Mukherjee Music and effects by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee. Song "Need some cash to fill up my gas" by Vikram Kumar

You are one of the foremost literary personality in the United States who has helped the cause of propagating and nurturing Bengali culture in North America, the goal the Cultural Association of Bengal cherish. You have done so as founder of NJPA and through years of association with Kollol of Jew Jersey, Ananada Mandir and other well known organizations. Your contribution to literature and work on arsenic cleaning in water is also well known. In recognition of your dedication, we have the honor to award you the “Distinguished Service Award’ during the 28th North American Bengali Conference.

• Palki
uses dynamic font.
• Guruchandali has a unicode version and can be viewed in all browsers and operating systems that support unicode.
• Anirban - a magazine as well as a portal.

• Gautam Dutta wrote about "Satyameva..." in Sambad Bichitra (published by CAB). The review is in Bengali and to read it click here.
• Gayatri Gamarsh wrote about the second day of the festival in Ananda Sambad. Click here to read that review.
• Alolika Mukherjee's detailed review appeared in Saptahik Bartaman in Kolkata. Click here to read it.
• Madhu Rye Thaker writes about Satyameva in India Abroad. Click here.
• Jyotirmoy Dutta writes about ECTA and Taconic Parkway in DesiTalk. Click Here.
• Sambit Basu writes about Taconic Parkway in his blog "Monk's Pearl".

Ananda Mandir is starting a regular Sahitya O Alochana - Meeting of literary readings and discussionswith a meeting this Friday, 22 August 2008, at 8:30 PM.

The aim is to have a quasi-monthly meeting of literary readings and discussions, occasionally interspersed with lectures on religion or philosophy. The first meeting will focus on how to get the effort organized, but we will also have invited speakers from our community speaking on selected topics. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

Artists Vocal: Dr. Mohan Deshpande Smt. Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik Smt. Astha Shukla Tabla: Dr. Amod Dandawate Harmonium: Dr. Kedar Naphade.