Tuesday, 21 April 2015

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.
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Saturday, 18 April 2015

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.
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Tuesday, 14 April 2015

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
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