It was sometime in 1984 that I understood the extent of "deewanapan" that Suchitra Sen had amongst my father's generation.Stardust,the film magazine,came out with a cover picture of MoonMoon Sen which was quite "hot" from that time's perspective.We were in Delhi then,visiting our Jethu's(Father's elder brother) place with the family of my Kaka(uncle,father's younger brother).Looking at the picture,my Jethima made a sarcastic comment on the type of picture Suchitra's daughter is getting clicked.And as such the discussion started veering towards the relative beauty of the mother and the daughter.In my mid teens and having acquired a provisional and tentative permission to venture into "boroder majhe"(amongst the adults)and participate in their discussions I ventured out to put my two pence of opinion.Which was Moonmoon is too beautiful.The reaction from my Kaka was so prompt and strong that I beat a hasty retreat.But kaka was unrelenting,with support from the entire +1 generation.
Colorful teenage eyes and heart somehow couldn't accept the elders' decision;the colourful and exciting picture winning the day at my heart as a better representative of beauty.
As your hair starts greying,your conception of beauty and your outlook for it also starts becoming "colour blind" The same happened to me.The black and white pictures and movies started making meaning .And i started revisiting many of the old movies that we have seen at Miloni club at HEC Colony in Ranchi.For the bengali diaspora there,occassional hit bengali movies,along with other activities, used to get organised,i presume to keep us exposed to Bangali-culture .Before that an announcer in a vehicle used to go around the township shouting in a "mike" something to the tune of "Aagami Shonibar/Robibar,Miloni Club Prangone ekti bangla Chayachobir aayojan kara hoyeche .Chobir naam "saptapadi" aar ete obhinoy korechen Uttam Kumar(3or 4 times ) ebong Suchitra Sen (3 or 4 times)."The stress on "Uttom and Suchitra" was very clear.As clear as its impact on my Mother and other Kakimas . We kids used to get tagged along.To be frank,we never used to be very excited towards it as we had our "eyes tinged with the colours" and heart yearning for the same ( http://biswojit.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/ranchi-reminiscient-montessori-maidan/ ).So,it was post my "wonder years" when I have started founding beauty in substance,apart from beauty as in beautiful that I started enjoying Suchitra Sen's movie as also started appreciating her sublime beauty.I started watching "Saptapadi" "Saat paake Bandha" " Pathe Holo Deri" and enjoying them.Not to say Aandhi & Debdas,which i watched after SRK's one and before seeing Barua's one.Incidentally I got some real insight on her from Pramathesh Barua's son when I was staying as a paying guest with his family.But those are not something to be discussed here.
But my main connect to her happened when i found the way she has "frozen our memory of her".The way she conducted herself once she moved out of public life is what made me see the inner beauty in her.While many may find it as a part of her "fear" that she shuts herself from the world,I had a different take at it.And it is in 2012 that I realised its full impact and was convinced that my take is correct.Rajesh Khanna in the Havel fan advertisement was visually assaulting, especially for those who has grown up watching him during his Aradhana/Anand days ( http://biswojit.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/kaka-and-covey/ ).
Thus by freezing our memory of hers at the level which gives us maximum "shakun"( i cant find an English word to totally encapsulate it),she did a great service to her fans.I am sure my Kaka will surely endorse this theory of mine.Gulzar sahab has already endorsed it while writing 'Ik raah akeli si, rukti hai na chalti hai"
It was sometime in 1984 that I understood the extent of "deewanapan" that Suchitra Sen had amongst my father's generation.Stardust,the film magazine,came out with a cover picture of MoonMoon Sen which was quite "hot" from that time's perspective.We were in Delhi then,visiting our Jethu's(Father's elder brother) place with the family of my Kaka(uncle,father's younger brother).Looking at the picture,my Jethima made a sarcastic comment on the type of picture Suchitra's daughter is getting clicked.And as such the discussion started veering towards the relative beauty of the mother and the daughter.In my mid teens and having acquired a provisional and tentative permission to venture into "boroder majhe"(amongst the adults)and participate in their discussions I ventured out to put my two pence of opinion.Which was Moonmoon is too beautiful.The reaction from my Kaka was so prompt and strong that I beat a hasty retreat.But kaka was unrelenting,with support from the entire +1 generation.
Colorful teenage eyes and heart somehow couldn't accept the elders' decision;the colourful and exciting picture winning the day at my heart as a better representative of beauty.
As your hair starts greying,your conception of beauty and your outlook for it also starts becoming "colour blind" The same happened to me.The black and white pictures and movies started making meaning .And i started revisiting many of the old movies that we have seen at Miloni club at HEC Colony in Ranchi.For the bengali diaspora there,occassional hit bengali movies,along with other activities, used to get organised,i presume to keep us exposed to Bangali-culture .Before that an announcer in a vehicle used to go around the township shouting in a "mike" something to the tune of "Aagami Shonibar/Robibar,Miloni Club Prangone ekti bangla Chayachobir aayojan kara hoyeche .Chobir naam "saptapadi" aar ete obhinoy korechen Uttam Kumar(3or 4 times ) ebong Suchitra Sen (3 or 4 times)."The stress on "Uttom and Suchitra" was very clear.As clear as its impact on my Mother and other Kakimas . We kids used to get tagged along.To be frank,we never used to be very excited towards it as we had our "eyes tinged with the colours" and heart yearning for the same ( http://biswojit.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/ranchi-reminiscient-montessori-maidan/ ).So,it was post my "wonder years" when I have started founding beauty in substance,apart from beauty as in beautiful that I started enjoying Suchitra Sen's movie as also started appreciating her sublime beauty.I started watching "Saptapadi" "Saat paake Bandha" " Pathe Holo Deri" and enjoying them.Not to say Aandhi & Debdas,which i watched after SRK's one and before seeing Barua's one.Incidentally I got some real insight on her from Pramathesh Barua's son when I was staying as a paying guest with his family.But those are not something to be discussed here.
But my main connect to her happened when i found the way she has "frozen our memory of her".The way she conducted herself once she moved out of public life is what made me see the inner beauty in her.While many may find it as a part of her "fear" that she shuts herself from the world,I had a different take at it.And it is in 2012 that I realised its full impact and was convinced that my take is correct.Rajesh Khanna in the Havel fan advertisement was visually assaulting, especially for those who has grown up watching him during his Aradhana/Anand days ( http://biswojit.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/kaka-and-covey/ ).
Thus by freezing our memory of hers at the level which gives us maximum "shakun"( i cant find an English word to totally encapsulate it),she did a great service to her fans.I am sure my Kaka will surely endorse this theory of mine.Gulzar sahab has already endorsed it while writing 'Ik raah akeli si, rukti hai na chalti hai"
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