Kolkata Aamar : Part 1.

Kokata Aaamar : Part 1.

Like any other city in the world, Kolkata too has seen many changes over a period of time. With much interest I have observed the changing face og the city over the last 50-55 years. The Kaleidoscopic view I have seen over years have surely left a permanent imprint in my mind. Here goes the 1st instalment.  (Photo courtesy : Internet)

Happy viewing.

Robin Banerjee

21701/362343

Bhudev Bhagat - whose life itself was a picture!

Bhudev Bhagat - whose life itself was a picture!

170th Post : 

You may have been wondering on not finding any post in my Blog since I wrote about the Nepal episode on 5 May 2015. Reasons were manifold - treatment of my eyes in Delhi, my ill health and last but not the least, the sad demise of my friend, mentor and Guru of pictorial photography, Mr. Bhudev Bhagat at Jamshedpur on 21 June 2015 after a brief illness.

Bhudevda, as I affectionately used to call him was a soft spoken and introvert person himself. A fine arts graduate from the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Kolkata in the early 70's, Bhudevda was a master illustrator cum painter, a creative writer of short stories and above all, an ace pictorial photographer of international repute. He was admired by one and all for his artistic pictorial works.

The man behind the lens was a shy person himself and would normally prefer to remain 'out of focus' himself - quite unlike his photographs that were always 'in sharp focus' in terms of  content and their universal appeal in establishing their 'real' identities. My first meeting with him was quite disappointing from my side, because, Bhudevda made negative remarks on many of my 'works' (colour slides) that I clicked in Kashmir and which in my opinion were 'real good. It was my 2nd or 3rd meeting with him - way back in 1985 or 86 and now I realize how correct and impartial he was while rejecting a good number of my so called 'good photographs'!

A recipient of innumerable national and international awards, Bhudev Bhagat received an UNESCO award in early 1990's and I too was lucky to have received the coveted prize about the same time. In fact, Jamshedpur was the proud recipient of a 3rd UNESCO award too (courtesy : Tarit Ghosh, another renowned pictorialist). I still consider Bhudevda a master teacher - without whose advice I could have not learnt what pictorial photography is all about.

"Death is the destination we all share, no one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life (- Steve Jobs)" and now I know how true it could be!

R.I.P. Bhudevda. We'll miss you. Miss you for ever.


Robin Banerjee.
20538

P.S. All the attached pics are by Bhudev Bhagat.

Oh, Nepal!

169th Post :

Oh, Nepal!

Peeping into the past, memories crowd my mind when I look back and recollect the wonderful moments that Nepal has presented me always. When I visited Nepal for the 1st time - forty years ago, in 1975, I found it nothing short of a slice of paradise - majestic, colorful and picturesque. This Himalayan kingdom introduced me to its people, its marketplaces and thoroughfares and also with its royal heritage spread across its length and breadth. The Pasupatinath Temple by the river Bagmati, the temple of Swawambhunath and the Bouddhanath Stupa, the Hanumandhoka Square, the Budhanilkantha have been ever alluring with their respective attractions.

Every time I visited Kathmandu, its Royal Palace, the famous Durbar Marg, Kanti Path, Ganesh Path and other lanes and markets were in my 'must see' list. The Durbar Squares of Bhaktapur, Patan and the city itself mesmerised me with their heritage looks. The pagoda like structures, the pillars, lanes and the iconic buildings and the monastries ever introduced me to their centuries old histories and traditions. The Dharahara Tower was simply majestic! I also remember having visited Pokhra, Dhulikhel, the Gurkha and other villages nearby, only to receive warm hospitality from their wonderful people. I still remember the cordial welcome addresses of 'aanus, aanus, bosnus' (come & be seated) by my local friends in Nepal and can not forget the warmth of their hospitality even today. I even purchased my 1st ever camera, an analogue, a twin reflex Russian, Lubitel 2 from a market in Kathmandu in 1975.

Memories crowd my mind when I look back into the past and recollect the memories I had in Nepal. Its exotic landscapes, incredible heritages and the smiling faces I came across - all added to my mind's canvas whenever I visited the royal Himalayan kingdom.  And to tell you the truth, Kathmandu and Nepal have been always too close to my heart!

The devastating earthquake dated 25th April 2015 changed the world of the Nepalis overnight. I sympathize with their agonies and woes and pray for peace of the 7000+ departed souls. I feel sorry for them and pray that normalcy be back to their lives as soon as possible.  When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Robin Banerjee.
19070/311324

P.S. : None of the pics below (except Pic No. 4 of Durbar Square, Kathmandu taken by me in 1984. Sorry for the poor quality of the old 'transparency'.) are owned by me and have been collected from Internet.

My friend, Lullu.

168th Post :

My friend, Lullu.

When I came across Lullu at the fag end of night last Saturday at the corner of a lonely thoroughfare, he wasn't sure that I would recognize him after so many years. He was a bit hesitant to approach and say, "hello" to me, just in case I didn't respond. But that was not to be and I was indeed very happy to see my friend after a gap of about 20 years and hugged him happily. Like before, Lullu was having the same old physique, the same pair of glowing eyes without the eyelids and his notorious smile that would always show all his teeth and gums. His complexion was dark and his skeleton prominently visible beneath his shirt.  His voice was husky - like any other ghost of his genre. I never saw his feet firmly touching the ground, nor could I ever find his shadow even in the open sun. He was my friend and unique by all means. By now, you may have recognized Lullu, the famous (or infamous) ghost created by the great Bengali author, Rajsekhar Basu, but, believe me, they were never the same entity.

Lullu was my school friend and playmate, who continued to give me company even during my college days. We got separated only after we left college and thereafter we never saw each other. Thus, the moment we met, both of us became ecstatic! We immediately decided to sit for a chat in the Coffee House and proceeded towards College Street, as if we had to open our Pandora's box before each other. But, it was past midnight and shutters of all shops were down. Frustration gripped us and we didn't know what to do next! Suddenly, who knows what happened, a cold gust of wind drove down the lane and Lullu bade me farewell and vanished into the dark without even giving me a chance to hug him again.

This 168th post carries my nonsense poems & rhymes in Bengali on ghosts in general and Lullu in particular, just in case you may like them or hate. And in the beginning, a picture created by me has been posted in honour of Lullu.

Happy 'Lullu'-ing.

Robin Banerjee.
18742/303895

My trip to Mumbai for TRIPTYCH.

167th Post : 

My trip to Mumbai for TRIPTYCH.

The reason behind coming all the way from Kolkata to Mumbai is TRIPTYCH, an exhibition of photographs, sculptures and installations by Ritam Banerjee, Arzan Khambatta and Sona Bahadur. The photographs on display were colorful and exotic and showcased 5 continents in all their glories. Captivating as it was, the exhibition opened at Gallery Art & Soul (owned by Tarana Khubchandani), Worli on 10 April 2015 in the presence of distinguished connoisseurs of art & craft from all over Mumbai. There was music, there was fun and there was jubilance!

The photographs (except the 1st one) are not taken by me and have been collected from my son. Ritam and his team's archives. Incidentally, the number of my Google Plus viewers has crossed the 3 lakh mark and the Blog itself 18577. Thanks to you all.

Happy viewing.

Robin Banerjee.
18577/301523

Celebrating Bengali New Year tomorrow.

166th Post :

Celebrating Bengali New Year tomorrow. 

It's Bengali New Year tomorrow (Tuesday, 15 April) and sitting in Mumbai - far away from Bengal, it's time to rejoice and celebrate. There is no hullabaloo here, no special feasts, no musical treats, nothing special and thus, I have decided to spend it in my own way. Wishing you all a very Happy Noboborsho. I mean, Happy New Year (Bengali).

Robin Banerjee
18396/299184