Nasal voice, faulty pronunciation, not fit to be recorded….that’s how S.D. Burman, the prince musician from Tripura’s famous Bengali clan and one who went on to create musical history in Bollywood, was rejected. The above verdict was passed by none other than HMV after Burman’s
Dhanni Meye (1971) Cast: Uttam Kumar, Sabitri Chatterjee, Jaya Bhaduri, Jahor Roy, Rabi Ghosh, Tapen Chatterjee, Partho Mukherjee, Tarun Kumar, Chinmay Roy Director: Arabinda Mukhopadhyay On the face of it, Dhanni Meye is a laugh-a-minute caper about football, two brothers, their two wives, and one shrewd uncle. Based
Kalyani, the satellite town in Nadia district that is barely 50 kilometers from Kolkata, is a relatively young town that was conceived by Dr B.C. Roy on the site of what had been US air base Roosevelt Town in World War II. But the town
In this 3-part series, GB brings a fascinating tale of Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestors, the Pirali Brahmins and how they descended from a converted Muslim of Jessore Hazrat Khan Jahān `Alī, also known as Ulugh Khan and Khan-i-Azam, was a noble under the Tughlaqs, who probably came
Srijani Shilpagram, Santiniketan, Bolpur Tucked cosily in Bolpur, opposite Prakriti Bhavan, lies Srijani Shilpagram, the hub of Bengal’s art and culture. Despite not being a village in and of itself, it may be referred to as the gramme or griho of Bengal's art and culture. The location is
The rituals and offerings date back to late 19th century in the village of Keshiyari, District Medinipur , West Bengal, India.There is an interesting story about how this puja got started. On a summer evening, the Zaminder (landlord) of Keshiyari village, Mr. Padmolochon Dutta, was on his
It is that sacred time of year when Lord Jagannath, the beloved deity of Puri, leaves his sanctum and embarks on his annual journey to his aunt’s abode. Accompanied by his divine siblings—Subhadra and Balabhadra—he ascends his grand chariot, greeted by oceans of devotees who pull
Boroli fish, also known as 'Ilish (Hilsa) of Teesta' Bengalis and their love for fish need no introduction. Fish is not just a delicious addition to daily food but an integral part of many of the rituals and celebrations too. They are even revered, worshipped
The sweet-makers of Bengal’s villages are no less than Nobel-winning scientists when it comes to their craft. Take boondi, for example, a sweet whose name comes from the Sanskrit word Binduka, meaning tiny drops. Normally, we consider it a bright mix of red and yellow. But Bengali sweet-makers
Some actors are born with such a prowess that even if they feature in side roles, they steal the show. One such actor was Bankim Ghosh, who was equally successful as the cunning criminal as was in the role of a friend scheming and helping