NY/NJ BENGALI: Recent Episodes
NY/NJ BENGALI
On the eleventh day morning, Karna visits the great Kaurava patriarch Bhishma lying on a bed of arrows to seek his blessings. Meanwhile in the Kaurava camp, Duryodhan is in a fix to select his new commander-in chief. After deliberation … Continue reading →
Yudhistir and his brothers beg Bhishma for his life. Bhishma obliges by giving them the only strategy that can kill him. Arjun, with a heavy heart, follows his instructions. He uses Sikhandi as his shield and attacks Bhishma on the … Continue reading →
On day nine of the Kurukshetra war, Bhishma unleashed his fury like never before. The Pandavas suffered severe losses and realized that if Bhishma continued his rampage in this form, nobody could prevent their defeat. Arjun, on whom the Pandavas … Continue reading →
The Kurukshetra battle continues for the seventh and eighth day. Pandavas clearly have an upper hand. Bhishma, Drona, Kripacharya all try their best but Arjun, Bheem and the other Pandava warriors seem indomitable. Iravan, son of Arjun, fights valiantly but … Continue reading →
As the great battle of Kurukshetra continues, both the Pandavas and the Kauravas suffer huge losses. Great warriors are killed. Thousands of soldiers lost their lives. Bhurisraba kills ten sons of Satyaki. Bhagadatta mounts his elephant and almost kills Bheem. … Continue reading →
The Kurukshetra war rages on. Bheem was unstoppable on the second day. He wrecked havoc on the Kaurava army and none of the Kaurava generals succeeded in controlling him. On the third day, Duryodhan was almost killed by Bheem. Duryodhan’s … Continue reading →
After Krishna returns with Arjuna to the Panadava formation, Yudhistir dismounts from his chariot and walks towards the Kaurava army to seek blessings from his gurus. Bhisma, Dron, Kripa, and Salya wish them victory. Then, with the blowing of the … Continue reading →
On the first day of the war, Krishna drives Arjuna’s chariot to the middle of the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Watching Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and many of his relatives and friends assembled on the Kaurava side as his opponent, Arjuna is … Continue reading →
The huge armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas assemble on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Bhisma vows to kill 10,000 Pandava soldiers a day. Arjun assures Yudhistir of victory. The Kaurava and the Pandava generals meet and decide on the … Continue reading →
The war of Kurukshetra is imminent. The Kauravas and the Pandavas prepare to engage in the battlefield. The day before the war, the Kaurava generals meet to formulate their strategy. Bhisma, tells Duryodhan and his men, that although he is … Continue reading →
With the war looming large, Kunti is scared for her sons. Although the Pandava brothers are strong and powerful, they are not invincible. The Kauravas have great warriors like Bhishma, Dron, Kripa and Karna, and with their combined might, they … Continue reading →
After failing to negotiate a peace deal with the Kauravas, Krishna tries a different route. He knew, if by some means he could convince Karna to switch his allegiance to the Pandavas, Duryodhan would give up his ambition to win … Continue reading →
Krishna arrives at the Hastinapur palace with his peace proposal. However, his reconciliatory words falls into deaf ears. Duryodhan ignores Krishna’s proposal and claims he has done nothing wrong. Dhritarashtra makes a feeble attempt to convince Duryodhan, but fails. Duryodhan … Continue reading →
Last fall, when I joined the Dramatist Guild Institute’s play writing workshop, I was told the objective of this class would be for each participant to write a first draft of a full length play. I was thinking what would … Continue reading →
When Sanjay visited the Pandavas with the peace proposal from Dhritarashtra, Yudhistir asked for only five villages for the five brothers. But Duryodhan denied. He said, he wouldn’t give the Pandavas even a spec of soil one could lift on … Continue reading →
The Kauravas and the Pandavas prepare for war while the diplomatic efforts to avoid it takes its own course. Dhritarashtra sends his trusted emissary Sanjay to dissuade the Pandavas from a bloody war. Yudhistir asks for five small villages for … Continue reading →
After Abhimanyu and Uttara’s wedding, the Pandavas get busy planning to claim back their Kingdom. They knew, Duryodhan wouldn’t give back their due without a fight. They begin to seek alliances of powerful kings. To fight the Kauravas they need … Continue reading →
King Virat was ecstatic to know that his son Uttar has defeated the indomitable Kauravas and won back their cattle. But Yudhistir’s lack of enthusiasm and unabashed praise for the eunuch charioteer Brihannala enraged him. However, his rage turned to … Continue reading →
Uttar takes Arjun (disguised as Brihannala) to fight the Kauravas and win back the cattle of King Virat. But witnessing the might of the Kauravas, Uttar panics. Brihannala takes Uttar to the Sami tree and fetches the Pandiva weapons hanging … Continue reading →
Emboldened by Keechak’s death the King of Trigartha, Susharma, with support from Duryodhan, attacks the Matsya Kingdom to steal Virat’s cattle. Yudhistir, Bheem, Nakul and Sahadev help Virat fight the Trigarta army. While Virat is busy fighting Susharma, the Kaurava army … Continue reading →
In the kingdom of Virat, the Panadvas have been spending their thirteenth year in exile. As per the contract, they had to live in disguise such that nobody could recognize them as the rulers of Indraprastha. Draupadi served the queen … Continue reading →
The Pandavas complete their twelve years in exile. Now, as per the agreement, they have to go into hiding for the thirteenth year. It is quite a challenge since the entire Bharata knows the five gallant brothers and their beautiful wife … Continue reading →
The four Pandava brothers, Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev die while trying to fetch water from a lake. When Yudhistir finds the lake, he meets a mysterious crane who claims to have killed his brothers. The crane challenges Yudhistir to … Continue reading →
Karna was born with an armor that made him invincible to any weapons. Indra, to help his son Arjuna, wanted to strip Karna of his natural defense. Indra exploited Karna’s magnanimity and asked for the armor as a gift. Karna … Continue reading →
The story of Savitri and Satyavan is one of the most popular tales of the Mahabharata. Savitri, a princess, marries Satyavan knowing that her husband had a short lifespan. As per Narada’s prediction, Satyavan dies one year after their marriage. … Continue reading →
Jayadratha, the husband of Duryodhan’s sister Duhshala, sees Draupadi in the Kamyaka forest and is enamoured by her divine beauty. Unable to control his lust, Jayadratha tries to abduct her against her will. When the Pandavas come to know of this, … Continue reading →
Plays find their life on stage. They also die on stage, just when the curtains come down. Still plays live on the pages of text. That’s how it gets transported to different parts of the world, to different readers and … Continue reading →
In this episode, we hear two enchanting stories from the Mahabharata. In the first story, Rishi Durvasa grants Mudgal an eternal life in heaven. But Mudgal declines the offer in search of eternal truth. The second story is more exciting. … Continue reading →
“Theater is an art form that makes us face our inner demons and helps us deal with them.” The phenomenon of Cold Fusion came to the limelight in 1989 when Dr. Stanley Pons and Dr. Michael Fleischmann, two world-renowned scientists, announced … Continue reading →
Duryodhan’s attempt to humiliate the Pandavas went haywire. He got into a fight with the Gandharavas and was defeated and captured. The Pandava brothers fought the Gandharvas to rescue Duryodhan and his entourage. However, instead of being grateful, Duryodhan felt … Continue reading →
Duryodhan plans to visit the Pandavas during their exile and humiliate them. But he gets embroiled in a battle with the Gandharvas and is captured by the Gandharva King Chitrasena. At the request of their brother Yudhistir, Arjuna and Bheem … Continue reading →
When asked to talk about the virtues of a woman, Rishi Markandeya tells Yudhistira how a housewife advised Rishi Kaushik about the ways of life and led Kaushik to meet the butcher of Mithila to learn about Dharma. We also … Continue reading →
Rishi Markandeya visits the Pandavas and tells them several stories from his vast experience. He narrates the story of the Matsya, Manu and the great deluge. He tells them about the celestial cycles of creation and destruction, and how the … Continue reading →
Arjuna returns from Indra’s palace in the heavens back to his brothers and his wife Draupadi in the Gandhamadan mountains. He tells them the stories of his conquests against the Nibata Kabacha demons and the demonesses Paulam and Kalaka’s army. … Continue reading →
Draupadi asks Bheema to fetch her the divine lotus. Bheema, eager to please his wife, embarks on a journey to find the precious gift. On his way, he meets an old and frail little monkey. Little did he know, it … Continue reading →
Parambrata Chattopadhyay is one of the busiest film actors in Bengal today. Noted as an actor of the alternative cinema, Parambrata has demonstrated his talent not only in Bengali films but also in the mainstream Hindi film industry. His performances in … Continue reading →
The acclaimed filmmaker Suman Ghosh was in town. He was invited to New Jersey by Dhriti Bagchi (of Mrittika) to screen his recent film “Kadambari”. Based on the life of Kadambari Tagore, the wife of Jyotirindranath Tagore and sister-in-law of … Continue reading →
The young Rishi Ashtavakra was born crooked at eight parts of his body. The deformity was caused because of his father’s curse. But later Ashtavakra saves his father from his ill fortune. Listen to this story and the stories of … Continue reading →
In this episode of the Stories of Mahabharata, Rishi Lomasha tells the Pandavas two exciting stories. In the first story, he tells the story of Rishi Chyavan who regained his youth with the help of the celestial physicians the Ashwini … Continue reading →
According to the Hindu scriptures, Lord Vishnu appeared on earth nine times to purge the earth of evil (his 10th appearance is yet to happen). Parashurama was the sixth incarnation. In this episode, Rishi Lomasha tells the Pandavas the story … Continue reading →
Rishi Lomapada tells Yudhistira and his entourage the tale of Bhagiratha and how he brought Ganga from the heavens to the earth and then led her to the oceans, thus forming the mighty river. He then tells them the story … Continue reading →
Debshankar Haldar is undoubtedly the most sought after stage actor in Kolkata. As of now, Debshankar performs in 23 productions at the same time, a feat which no actor has ever been able to accomplish. Considered to be the greatest … Continue reading →
After spending few years in the Kamyaka forest, the Pandavas embark on a grand pilgrimage to visit the various holy places around the country. and learn about their glorious legends. Rishi Lomasha volunteered to be their guide. On their first … Continue reading →
Few months ago, filmmaker Anindya Chatterjee was in the USA with his debut feature film “Open-Tee Bioscope”. He, along with his friend Saugata, was touring the country and screening the film a several venues where Bengalis flocked. For many Bengalis … Continue reading →
Arjuna visits the heavens to acquire more weapons from his father Indra. Apart from acquiring the skills in using the divine weapons, Arjuna also begins taking lessons in music and dance from the Gandharva Guru Chitrasena. There he meets the … Continue reading →
Yudhistira realized that to conquer the Kauravas, he needs to have powerful weapons. He sends Arjuna on a quest to acquire divine and powerful weapons from the gods. Arjuna travels far and meets Lord Shiva in a strange circumstance. The … Continue reading →
The Pandavas are now in exile in the forest. One day Krishna visits the Pandavas in the forest to express his solidarity. He apologizes for not being able to attend the game of dice and stop this misfortune from befalling on … Continue reading →
SQTheaterWorks in collaboration with ECTA is launching my play “TACONIC PARKWAY” in New York at the Thespis Festival 2015. The play will be staged on July 16, 17 and 19 at the Hudson Guild Theater on 441 W, 26th St, … Continue reading →
The other day, Avi and I sat together to chat about what goes on behind the scenes of “The Stories of Mahabharata” podcast. We talked about how Avi goes about designing the sound for the podcast. And I spoke about … Continue reading →
The Pandavas go into exile as per the conditions of the game. The Sun god gifts Yudhistira with the magic bowl to feed his followers. Upset by Vidura’s harsh comments Dhritarashtra banishes him. But he couldn’t live without him either. … Continue reading →
Many years ago, I heard a strange story. I was told, that there was this Bengali man (in New York or New Jersey) who had a weird hobby. Although I don’t know if one can call this a hobby. This … Continue reading →
- Theater is the most ancient performing art form. Support it for its sustenance. Although theater has survived over the ages, survived the onslaught of technology and competition from other media, it still needs support from the audience. So watch … Continue reading →
Duryodhana was not happy when Dhritarashtra returned the Pandavas their kingdom and all the wealth they had lost in the game of dice to Shakuni. So he and Shakuni came up with another plan. They invited Yudhistira back to Hastinapura … Continue reading →
The future of our culture and our rich heritage lies in the hands of our next generation. Within our community, we have many talented artists, musicians, dancers and other performers. They all need encouragement and a platform to showcase their … Continue reading →
Yudhistira bets his wife Draupadi in the game of dice and loses her to the Kauravas. Dussasana drags Draupadi to the assembly hall in front of everybody. And there, the Panchal princess is subject to the cruelest humiliation while her … Continue reading →
The greatest mistake Yudhistira made in his life was to agree to play the game of dice with Duryodhana. He knew, the game wouldn’t be fair, but still he couldn’t refuse. His excuses were, that he couldn’t say no to … Continue reading →
Duryodhana’s envy of the Pandavas keeps consuming him. Moreover, he is humiliated by falling for the illusions of the grand palace Maya had built for them. But scheming Shakuni has a plan to rob Yudhishthira of his kingdom. Even the righteous emperor … Continue reading →
Sishupala, the King of Chedi, was an invited guest to King Yudhistira’s Rajasuya sacrifice ceremony. He had accepted Yudhistira as his emperor. But when Yudhistira decided to offer Krishna his first worship as the most revered man present in the … Continue reading →
Jarasandha, the mighty King of Magadha, was feared by everybody, including the almighty Lord Krishna. Jarasandha planned to offer one hundred Kings as human sacrifice to his Lord. He had captured eighty-six of them and was in the process of … Continue reading →
Agni requests Arjuna and Krishna to help him burn down the Khandava forest for the flesh and fat of the animals in the forest would cure him of his loss of appetite. Arjuna and Krishna helps him, and a great … Continue reading →
This is the thirteenth episode of the stories of Mahabharata. We have progressed quite a bit, but we have a long way to go. In this episode we hear couple of fascinating stories. In the first story, Arjuna rescues the … Continue reading →
Dhritarashtra offered Pandavas the land of Khandava, a barren and uninhabited piece of land, to set up their Kingdom. To everybody’s surprise, Yudhishtira accepts the offer. In Khandava, the Pandavas setup their capital in Indraprastha, a grand city build by … Continue reading →
When the blind king Dritarashtra learned that the Pandavas have survived the fire in Varanavata and have gained a strong ally, King Drupada of Panchala by marrying his daughter Draupadi, he was in deep trouble. He had already declared Duryodhana … Continue reading →
Recently, Binayak Bandopadhyay took few days off from his busy schedule as a fellow at the prestigious Iowa University International Writers Program (IWP) and visited us in New Jersey. I jumped on this opportunity and invited him to our EBC … Continue reading →
After passing Drupad’s test, Arjuna wins Draupadi as his bride. But when the Pandavas arrive at their home, their mother Kunti asks them to do something that changes their lives for ever. Listen to this amazing episode below.
Listen to another episode of the stories of Mahabharata. In this episode, we go to the city of Kampilya in Panchala, where the Pandavas attend the Swayavara of Draupadi, King Drupada’s daughter. There, Arjuna passes the most difficult test set … Continue reading →
The stories of Mahabharata continues with this eighth episode – The Flaming house of Varanabata. With the advice from Shakuni, Duryodhana comes up with a devious plan to kill the Pandavas. Dhritarashtra sends the Pandavas to Varanabata to attend a … Continue reading →
The stories of Mahabharata are not only about kings and gods and demons. It is also a tale of ethics, morality and politics. The needs and conflicts that drive each character are the same that drives us today. The great … Continue reading →
In this episode of the stories from Mahabharata, Drona arranges for a grand show where his students, the Kuru princes demonstrate their prowess with arms. Arjuna dazzles the audience by his prowess with a variety of arms and weapons. But … Continue reading →
প্রতি বছরের মতো, এবছরও ধুম ধাম করে উত্তর আমেরিকা বঙ্গ সম্মেলন অনুষ্ঠিত হলো ওর্লান্ডো শহরে। আর প্রতি বছরের মত, বাংলা সংস্কৃতির নানান পসরার সঙ্গে সঙ্গে বাংলা সাহিত্যও সামান্য একটু মুখ দেখাবার সুযোগ পেয়েছিল। গান, বাজনা, নাটক ইত্যাদি অনুষ্ঠান উপলক্ষে যত … Continue reading →
In this episode, Guru Dronacharya arrives in Hastinapura and awes the Kuru princes with his skills. Bhishma retains him as the royal arms and weapons trainer for the Pandava and Kaurava brothers. Arjuna excels in archery. Ekalavya, a tribal boy, … Continue reading →
Once again, the North America Bengali Conference (NABC) or Bongo Sammelan, is welcoming the Bengalis of the world to get together for a fun filled weekend. This time, Orlando, Florida is hosting the NABC. Like previous years, star performers from … Continue reading →
The stories of Mahabharata continues. The conflict between the Pandava brothers and the Kaurava brothers began at an early age. In this episode we learn of the first attempt by the Kaurava brothers, primarily Duryodhona and Duhsashana, to eliminate their … Continue reading →
The stories of Mahabharata continues. In this episode we learn about the birth of the Kuru princes, the Pandavas and the Kauravas. We also learn about the tragic death of King Pandu caused by a curse from the dying sage … Continue reading →
After a long hiatus, we bring to you the fully produced version of the episode 2 of the Stories of Mahabharata Series – Amba’s Plight. In this episode, he learn how Bhisma abducts the three princesses of Kashi, Amba, Ambika … Continue reading →
I grew up in a small campus town where entertainment options were quite limited. We did have some limited opportunities to watch cinema during the weekends, but that was rare. So we all waited for the Jatra companies to visit … Continue reading →
Listen to the second episode of “The Mahabharata”. In this episode, we learn about the plight of Amba, and the story of the birth of Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidur.
Recently Suman Mukhopadhyay was in town. He had come to New York to attend the screening of his latest film “Sesher Kabita” (The Last Poem) which is yet to release commercially. Mriitika of New Jersey (a non profit organization dedicated … Continue reading →
I think I am not exaggerating when I say that the Mahabharata is the greatest story ever told. The story of the Kuru dynasty has inspired and enlivened not only the Indians for generations, but the entire humanity. Writers, performers, … Continue reading →
The first episode of the Stories of Mahabharata podcast series has been missing for a long time. The episode was not added because it did not have the production quality that we have been striving for. After a long break, … Continue reading →
Over the years, I have tried to capture the conflicts and struggles of our expatriate lives in America through my plays. And one of the greatest struggles we face is to rear our children in this foreign land. In many … Continue reading →
Recently, at the EBC Radio Drama Club show, I had the opportunity to chat with the noted theatre personality of Kolkata, Chandan Sen. Chandan Sen is quite well known to the theatre loving Bengali crowd of North America. He has … Continue reading →
“যদিদং” নাটক, নির্দেশনা: সোহন বন্দোপাধ্যায় প্রযোজনা: নট-রঙ্গ ফেসবুকের মাধ্যমে জানতে পারলাম স্টার থিয়েটারে জি-বাংলা নাট্য উত্সবের আয়োজন করেছে। । বাছা বাছা কয়েকটি নাটক মঞ্চস্থ হবে সেই উত্সবে। অনুষ্ঠানসূচীতে দেখলাম সোহন বন্দোপাধ্যায়ের “যদিদং” নাটকটিও রয়েছে। “যদিদং” নাটকটি সম্পর্কে অনেক শুনেছি, পড়েছি। … Continue reading →
Recently, the ECTA Theatre team gathered together at the EBC Radio studios to talk about their upcoming theatre production “Palok” or “The Protector” (to be staged at the Edison Valley Playhouse, in Edison NJ on April 5 and 6). Using … Continue reading →
“সিনেমার মতো” নাটক, নির্দেশনা: ব্রাত্য বসু প্রযোজনা: কালিন্দী ব্রাত্যজন দুপুরে ব্রিগেডে তৃণমূলের জনসভা। বিকেলে মধুসূদন মঞ্চে “সিনেমার মতো”! এই ভাবেই আজকের দিনের অন্যতম নাট্য ব্যক্তিত্ব ব্রাত্য বসু তার রাজনৈতিক-প্রশাসনিক দায়িত্বর সঙ্গে সঙ্গে নাট্য চর্চা চালিয়ে যাচ্ছেন। আমি অবশ্য ব্রিগেডের পথ … Continue reading →
কলকাতায় দেখে এলাম বেশ কয়েকটি নাটক। আত্মীয় স্বজন বন্ধু বান্ধব দের সঙ্গে দেখা করার ফাঁকে ফোকরে সময় পেলেই ছুটেছি একাডেমি, মধুসূদন বা স্টার থিয়েটার মঞ্চে। আমি নিজে নাট্যকর্মী হয়ে, অন্য নাট্যকর্মীদের কাজের সমালোচনা করতে পারব না, কারণ আমি জানি কি … Continue reading →
By Shyamal Sarkar My four year old granddaughter, Tia and I were going up in our 14th floor apartment in a building in New York. She was counting 1, 2, 3, 4…. the ascending numbers in elevator display panel. She noticed something … Continue reading →
In 2006 ECTA (known as Ethnomedia then), our theatre group, staged our play “Ron” to a packed Rabindra Sadan audience. The experience was overwhelming as well as humbling at the same time. It was for the first time, we were … Continue reading →
Few weeks ago, I went to see a play at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. But it was not one of the typical off-broadway productions that you expect to see at such a venue. It was one of … Continue reading →
by Amitava Sen As I entered Some Place Else, a discotheque at The Park Hotel in Calcutta, I actually felt like I was indeed in some place else. Deafening music and alcohol flowing, the youthful revelers were in a boisterous … Continue reading →
Madhu Rye is one of the most celebrated Gujarati playwrights and author of our times. His plays have been staged all around the Gujarati speaking world and has also been made into films. On a crisp fall afternoon at the … Continue reading →
দেখতে দেখতে পুজো এসে গেল। গত সপ্তাহে মহালয়ার রেশ কাটতে না কাটতেই পুজোর তোরজোর। নিউজার্সি তে আজকাল বেশ কয়েকটি মহালয়ার অনুষ্ঠান হয়ে থাকে। তাদের মধ্যে সবচেয়ে জনপ্রিয় আনন্দমন্দিরের মহিষাসুর মর্দিনী গীতি আলেখ্য, এবং ভারত সেবাশ্রম এ অনুষ্ঠিত দেবী আবাহন। আনন্দ … Continue reading →
Dr. Farley Richmond is regarded as one of the leading experts on traditional Indian performing arts and theatre in the western world. Throughout his career, Dr. Richmond has explored the theatrical arts of India, and South Asia, and has directed … Continue reading →
এপিক একটার্স ওয়ার্কশপের ২৫ বছর পূর্তি উপলক্ষে আগামী ২৭, ২৮ এবং ২৯ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০১৩, নিউব্রান্সুইক নিউজার্সির ক্রসরোডস থিয়েটারে অনুষ্ঠিত হবে অষ্টম দক্ষিন এশীয় নাট্য উত্সব। তিন দিন ব্যাপী এই অনুষ্ঠানে মঞ্চস্থ হবে সাতটি নাটক। থাকবে গার্গী মুখোপাধ্যায় রচিত ও পরিচালিত … Continue reading →
Once again, the time of the year for all Bengalis around the globe has arrived. There is a nip in the air, the sky seems to have a brighter shade of blue with white clouds drifting casually, the leaves catching … Continue reading →
অনেক দিন ধরেই ভাবছিলাম, ব্লগে এবার বাংলাতেও লেখার ব্যবস্থা করলে কেমন হয়? এই ব্লগ যখন শুরু করি, তখন কম্পিউটারে বাংলায় লেখার কোন সুব্যবস্থা ছিল না! সৌভাগ্য, এখন আর সেই সমস্যা নেই! গুগল ইনপুট এখন বাংলায় লেখার ব্যবস্থা করেছে। এছাড়া রয়েছে অভ্র। ইউনিকোডের … Continue reading →
Dr. Mohan Agashe is regarded as one of the best character actors of Indian stage and screen. Currently he is visiting USA to direct a play for Epic Actor’s Workshop at the Eighth South Asian Theatre Festival to be held … Continue reading →
New Jersey has many things to be proud of – the Jersey shores, the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the Meadowlands, the Pine Barrens – the list is quite long. Now you can add to that list, the South Asian Theatre Festival … Continue reading →
Anton Chekov has been on of the most celebrated playwrights and short story writers of the modern times. Konstantin Stanislavsky and his Moscow Art Theatre brought Chekov in front of the western audience at a time when Chekov was almost … Continue reading →
by Amitava Sen A Bengali friend asked rhetorically “Why do you think quite a few, a significant proportion at that, of our daughters are marrying outside the Bengali community and indeed majority of them preferring white Americans?” He thought he … Continue reading →
[youtube http://youtu.be/u85DqflMe2U] Few years ago, we at ECTA staged a two person play – “Satyameva”. The play was first staged in Kolkata (at the Sujata Sadan) with Indranil Mukherjee and Sankar Ghoshal performing the two roles and I was the … Continue reading →
By Amitava Sen This is the other Bengali convention I am writing about. Not many know that it exists, but it has lived for last fifteen years, hail and hearty. The event is organized by Mid America Bengali Association (MABA), … Continue reading →
It is well known that Bengalis have a weakness for literary magazines. Although I am not sure how much of this weakness can be attributed to their thirst for literature versus their thirst to see their name in print, but … Continue reading →
Those of you who missed our EBC Drama Club show on June 29th, 2013, don’t feel bad anymore. Here is the podcast of the show made available to you courtesy of EBC Radio and this blog. As I mentioned earlier … Continue reading →
North America Bengali Conferences (NABC) have started to develop the same look and feel irrespective of where it is held. This year, the MTCC convention center in Toronto Canada looked no different than the Baltimore Convention Center of 2011 or … Continue reading →
Often I receive requests from many of my friends to give them an opportunity to watch some of my plays which they had missed. Repeat performances of our plays happen few and far between, hence many a times, a missed … Continue reading →
Last Saturday (June 15th, 2013) at our EBC Drama Club show, we had three very distinguished representatives from three different New Jersey Community Theatre organizations as our guests. Patrick Starega from the NJACT (Perry Award) organization representing its member theatres … Continue reading →
Sharad Sathe, a playwright and director of Marathi Theatre in New Jersey , was at the EBC Radio studio on June 1, 2013 as my guest to the EBC Drama Club show. He was accompanied by one of his actors, … Continue reading →
An Open Letter from Amitava Sen Dear Sudipta, A few weeks ago, I attended and enjoyed your one-act monologue play Banijye Basate Lakhhi, a script about Bengali absence, by and large from the world of business and commerce. It may … Continue reading →
Mrittika, Inc. – A South Asian Center for Language and Heritage will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding with a musical program on Sunday, May 19, 2013 4:00pm-8:00pm at the auditorium of the Marlboro Middle School located at 355 … Continue reading →
EBC Drama Club: Episode 3 “Voice is something that not only an actor needs to develop, anybody who wants to communicate effectively must learn how to develop and use his or her voice”, says Kulraaj Anand, the popular host of … Continue reading →
Anandamandir is pleased to invite nominations for the 2013 Gayatri Memorial Awards for Literary Excellence. These awards were established by Jerry GaMarsh in 2010 to honor his late wife, Gayatri GaMarsh, who was a highly talented author, artist and sculptor … Continue reading →
Raag-Rang is celebrating completion of it’s 5th year with a concert dedicated to the memory of Pt. V.G.Jog and Pt Ravi Shankar. Date and time: Sunday, 9th June 4 pm sharp Venue: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, Channing Hall, 50 … Continue reading →
In the second part of the conversation, Sudipto talks about the impact of colonialism on Lalon Phokir’s philosophy and music, about his working relationship with director Sumon Mukhopadhyay and his future projects. Please listen to the first part of the … Continue reading →
During our second broadcast of the EBC Radio Club on EBC Radio, we had a long telephone chat with Sudipto Chatterjee, a distinguished theatre person who teaches Drama at the Loughborough University in UK. In this part of the show, … Continue reading →
Now enjoy the second part of Satyameva, performed by Satinath Mukhopadhyay and written by Sudipta Bhawmik.
Couple of years ago Satinath Mukhopadhyay, the famous radio artiste read my play “Satyameva” on one of the FM radio channels in Kolkata. The play was read in two parts. Here is the podcast of the first part. Satyameva is … Continue reading →
Recently, I was invited by Kulraaj Anand of EBC Radio to initiate a drama club for the radio. Since my childhood days, I was always fascinated by radio drama. Growing up in a small town, we didn’t have much of … Continue reading →
Our theater group ECTA is known to our audience as creators of serious theater – theater which makes us think, makes us to introspect and makes us a bit more engaged with our fellow members of the community. This however … Continue reading →
Raag-Rang presents Kal Ke Kalakar on 16th March at 4 pm. Featuring: – Megha Nair & Ariaki Dandawate Hindustani Vocal Duet – Duet Presentation of Kathak & Kuchipudi by Young Artists of Kalamandir of New Jersey and Nritya Madhavi School of Dance … Continue reading →
February is the month of Saraswati Puja and most of us have many sweet memories of this day. Although Saraswati Puja celebrates learning, education and the arts, the spring weather adds that extra zing of romance to the air on … Continue reading →
During my last visit to Kolkata, I was lucky enough to catch the Nandikar National Theatre Festival which over the years have evolved to be one of the major theatre festivals of India. During the festival, the Academy of Fine … Continue reading →
Many years ago, when I used to work in Kolkata, I used to commute regularly between Howrah and Kharagpur. The drill was something like this. After reaching Howrah station and buying my ticket, I walked down to the extreme left … Continue reading →
That’s what I am going to find out very soon. On Monday (Dec 10, 2012) morning when my flight lands on the tarmac of Netaji Subhash Chandra International airport, I will possibly see the new terminal building from the window, but will … Continue reading →
8:00 pm, November 9th, 2012. Hurricane Sandy has just battered the US Eastern Seaboard. New Jersey and its neighboring states are still trying to recover from the massive destruction all around. Several thousand households still without power, and gasoline shortages … Continue reading →
by Amitava Sen That was a Sunday afternoon not long after I came to this country; I was traveling to Kansas City on a Sunday to attend a conference in our corporate head quarter with my boss and a few … Continue reading →
The first day of Kallol Durga Puja 2012 concluded just couple of hours ago. This is a unique feature of Kallol, to celebrate Durga Puja for three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not too many Bengali clubs of North … Continue reading →
After a gap of more than six years, my play Ron is being staged again in New Jersey. Although this time it is produced by a mainstream American community theater company, Edison Valley Playhouse, a question may naturally arise – … Continue reading →
After a long gap of more than six years, the internationally acclaimed play “Ron” is coming to NJ Stage once again. This time in English. The play, produced by Edison Valley Playhouse, will make its Tri-State premiere on Nov 9, … Continue reading →
New Jersey Independent South Asian CineFest 2012 (NJISACF) NJISACF 2012 will be held at the Big Cinemas in Edison New Jersey from October 5 to 7, 2012. This year the festival will kick off with Mangesh Hadawale’s film “Dekh Indian … Continue reading →
Durga Puja is just round the corner and New Jersey Bengali Clubs are gearing themselves up for the great event. The clubs are trying to attract the Bengalis of New Jersey with a wide range of star studded cultural programmes … Continue reading →
BANGAMANCHA 2012 Algos International of Kolkata India presents Bangamancha 2012. Bangamancha’2012 is an effort to bring together a package of entertainment to the NRI Bengalis, in the form of New Bengali Movies (World Premiere ) and high energy performance by Anupam Roy and … Continue reading →
TARPAN Taalsadhana pays a humble musical tribute to Empress of Patiala Gayaki – Vidushi Meera Banerjee, the renowned vocalist and a long time disciple of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Date – Sept 15th, 2012. 5.30 pm to 8.30pm Venue – Bharat Sevashram, 3490 … Continue reading →
By Amitava Sen Lost in Translation: Language is arguably the important, if not most important component of culture because much of it is conveyed orally or in writing. It is impossible to understand the nuances and deep meaning of a … Continue reading →
Raag-Rang proudly presents RU SWARAS (Rutgers Univ. Swaras) an Hindustani and Carnatic Ensemble of vocal, instrumental music with tabla and Mrudangam, followed by vocal recital by Smt Mala Ramadurai from Mumbai. Shree Abay Datar on tabla and Shree Anant Joshi on harmonium. Date-13th … Continue reading →
RDM – Rhythms of Dance & Music announces Nrityataranga 3, a grand showcase of dances, on September 2, 2012, 3pm-6pm. @George Street Playhouse Theater, New Brunswick, NJ
By Amitava Sen Dominance of American Culture. Down in the mall between fast food joints and stores selling sportswear and sneakers, a group of young people huddle in clam-diggers or cargo shorts (Short pants extending below knee) and Nike sneakers … Continue reading →
The Mosaic Dance Festival Kalamandir Dance Company, a contemporary Indian Dance company from Central New Jersey, is proud to present the second year of The Mosaic Dance Festival, an exchange of Indian culture with international movement. This showcase features international dance styles … Continue reading →
by Amitava Sen The Bengalees are culture aficionados, big time. We live culture, breathe culture and drink culture to the point of intoxication. No doubt the Bengalees have a richer cultural heritage when compared to the other Indian language speakers. … Continue reading →
I had earlier promised to give daily updates on the NABC proceedings from Las Vegas, but I couldn’t and I apologize for that. First of all, I did not have any internet connection from the hotel and secondly, I was … Continue reading →
Waiting in Atlanta airport. After arriving from Newark, I tried to catch an early flight, but Delta folks disappointed me. I am sure the Bengalis in Las Vegas have started their celebrations. Tonight NABC is hosting a special dinner in … Continue reading →
Today I leave for Las Vegas to attend the 32nd North America Bengali Conference. NABC in Las Vegas is quite intriguing, given the fact that Las Vegas is known as Americas Playground, and Bengalis are not really the sporty kind … Continue reading →
June and July of every year seems to the season for Indian regional conferences held all around USA. These conferences, mostly based on regional languages of India, are typically held during the July 4th weekend and celebrated along with the … Continue reading →
By Amitava Sen Mike Steward loved to share my Indian lunch and I did not mind spending a part of my lunch break with him occasionally. Mike had a sense of humor and a ready wit. He mostly did the … Continue reading →
Three months of gruelling rehearsals are over. Now comes the show time. This week, the cast and crew of “Cassandra or Maybe a Chair’s Tale” have been working in building the sets, transporting the furniture and props, setting up the … Continue reading →
That’s the name of my new play when translated to English from Bengali. So what’s the connection between Cassandra and a Chair’s Tale, you may ask! But I’ll have to disappoint you here, because I’d like you – the audience – to … Continue reading →
Producing a play involves a lot of work. But the most important job is to set up a team of cast and crew members who would take the production from conception to stage. The team should be in love with … Continue reading →
Prompting in theatre is now a dying art. Most theatre productions hardly use prompters these days. The actors are expected to memorize their lines before they even think of getting up on stage. But not too long ago, prompters were … Continue reading →
Since I started using the iPhone 4S, I have been looking for free apps that are really useful. I found few, and I am going to share five of them with you. These apps help me in many ways, they … Continue reading →
Sudipta Bhawmik In 1910, a young Bengali student from Calcutta arrived at the University of Wisconsin to complete his BA degree. His name was Basanta Koomar Roy. In those days, coming to America for higher education was a growing trend. … Continue reading →
NY/NJ Bengali Blog now has a new look. After procrastinating for a while, I decided to upgrade my wordpress platform to version 3.3.1, all the way from 2.5.1 – a huge jump. During the upgrade process I had to face … Continue reading →
ECTA Presents “The Last Flames” April 15, 2012; 3:00pm and 5:30pm Fahs Theater, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton 50 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 Written and directed by Sudipta Bhawmik Cast: Sankar Ghoshal, Keka Sirkar, Abhijit Neogy Music: Akaash … Continue reading →
Recently I watched Woody Allen’s latest film “Midnight in Paris” in which the central character (Gil Pender), during his visit to Paris with his fiance’, manages to slip back in time to the Paris of the early 1920s. There Gil … Continue reading →
Recently ECTA presented a one man show, “Banijye Basate Lakshmi”, a play written and performed by Sudipta Bhawmik, and directed by Sankar Ghoshal. Gagan Goswami, a motivational speaker, talks to his audience and inspires them to be successful in business. … Continue reading →
Recently I watched this wonderful TED talk by Alain de Botton. He was talking about atheism, but unlike many other more radical atheists, he did not reject religion altogether. His philosophy is that, there is a class of people who … Continue reading →
New Jersey Independent South Asian Cinefest (www.NJISACF.org), 2011 that recently concluded at the Big Cinemas in Edison New Jersey announced the award winners at a special event. The 2011 award winners are: Best Student Film: Aadmi Ki Aurat Aur Anya … Continue reading →
By Amitava Sen Why do we buy things? Some for immediate consumption, like food, which we need for survival or mere delight of palate. We buy theatre tickets, for enjoyment and entertainment. Or, books and arts, to meet our intellectual … Continue reading →
Yet another Durga Puja festival concluded with great pomp and fan fare. And each year we see the festival transforming itself in different ways. Some people hate change. They feel that tradition is something that should be protected with great … Continue reading →
When we celebrate Durga Puja in this adopted homeland of ours, one thought keeps on playing in our minds – how much does our children enjoy this festival? Do they feel the same as we did when we were kids … Continue reading →
It is said that you can take a Bengali out of Bengal, but you cannot take Bengal out of a Bengali. I’d rather rephrase it by saying that you can never take Durga Puja out of a Bengali. The greatest … Continue reading →
Ananda Mandir, NJ announces the following winners of 2011 Gayatri GaMarsh Memorial Awards for Literary Excellence: Gouri Datta (Newton, Massachusetts) (In Bengali Publications Category) Tathagata Ghosh (Bridgewater, New Jersey) (In English Publications Category) *** The following were the judges … Continue reading →
We Bengalis have a special characteristic. We tend to setup familial relationships with almost any person we get acquainted with, especially when they are older than us. We cannot just address them by their names. We always want them to … Continue reading →
by Amitava Sen A few years ago at the annual Durga Puja, the organizing club published a booklet for the benefit of the generation born and raised here, explaining the significance and meaning of the festival and its various events … Continue reading →
Bharat Sevashram Sangha presents the following events on July 24th as part of their Fund Raising Event: Hindustani Classical Vocal by Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik with Pandit Sameer Chatterjee on Tabla and Kedar Naphade on Harmonium ablaphilia: A Presentation of the … Continue reading →
About a year and half ago, when I was researching on Rabindranath Tagore’s visits to the USA, an incident caught my attention. It said, that apparently there was an assassination attempt on Rabindranath by some Indians during his visit to … Continue reading →
On 13th of May 2001, when the entire state of West Bengal was experiencing the euphoria of change, the landscape of Bengali theatre also changed forever. Badal Sircar, the maverick of Indian theatre, passed away almost unnoticed. But I am … Continue reading →
ECTA Celebrates Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th Birth Anniversary with “Rajar Chithi” ECTA celebrates the great Indian Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary with a new play “Rajar Chithi’ (Letter from the King – a play in Bengali with subtitles … Continue reading →
Chhandayan Presents “Rabindra Natak” – plays inspired by Rabindranath Tagore in celebration of his 150th Birth Anniversary “The Last Flames” an ECTA production Written and directed by Sudipta Bhawmik Basanta Koomar Roy, an expatriate journalist from India, is credited by … Continue reading →
By Amitava Sen Have you noticed that the City of Joy has turned out to actually be a City of Billboards? The skyline as viewed from the roads is plastered with huge hoardings. If only they were placed somewhat lower, … Continue reading →
The Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey State (New Brunswick Campus) has an opening for a part-time Instructor of Bengali for 2011-2012 Academic year. Qualifications include: Native … Continue reading →
If you are a book lover in Kolkata or any other part of West Bengal or India, your options for reading books are quite limited. The local books stores have a limited stock and they may take days to get … Continue reading →
My play, “The Redemption” (the English version of “KaalSuddhi”) is now available for viewing on YouTube. This recording was done from our show at the Dixon Place in Manhattan during the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival. Here is a … Continue reading →
Anandabazar Patrika is Bengali’s most favorite daily newspaper. However, until recently reading Anandabazaar Patrika online was severely restricted due the technology it used to render the Bangla fonts. Only Internet Explorer supported the technology, but that too crashed frequently. But … Continue reading →
If you are interested, you may read a review of my collection of plays (Natak Samagra) in Parabaas.com 47th issue. The link is given below. http://parabaas.com/PB47/LEKHA/brRajat47.html Please note that your browser should be able to render dynamic font. Here is … Continue reading →
New York City has always been the launch place for successful American plays. Plays by newcomer playwrights launch their life from off-off Broadway and gradually filter to Off Broadway and then the lucky few goes to the Broadway. However, recent … Continue reading →
A review of my collection of plays, “Natak Samagra” was recently published. Read them below.
Watched this wonderful film “Goodbye Lenin” by Wolfgang Becker. It may be relevant for Benglees (WB) soon. Netflix link: http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Good_Bye_Lenin/60034095?trkid=2431210#height1682
This year we are celebrating the hundred fiftieth birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. In America several organizations are busy in preparing for the celebrations around the year. In New York and New Jersey, Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB) is joining … Continue reading →
Recently Amy Chua is in the news. Her book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” has raised a storm in American households. Although many may not have read her book, but the excerpt published by Wall Street Journal was enough … Continue reading →
Saraswati puja is a major Bengali religious and cultural festival, especially for the Bengali youth. Although Saraswati puja celebrates knowledge, learning and the fine arts, but it also had a romantic touch to it. The spring time weather, the mild … Continue reading →
Sometime ago, I had made few Facebook related cartoons that I had posted on Facebook. Let me post them here for those readers who are not on my Facebook friends list. Enjoy! Cartoon 1: I’m unfriendly? My friend, I have … Continue reading →
The other day, while rearranging the books in my tiny library, I chanced upon a tiny book titled “Thakur Barir Ranna” (Foods from the Tagore Kitchen) written by Purnima Tagore (daughter of Pramatha Choudhury and Nalini Devi). This year being … Continue reading →
Time magazine chose Mark Zuckerberg as the 2010 person of the year. A film on the life of Mark Zuckerberg is a strong contender for Oscars next February. He is twenty six years old and is worth 7 billion dollars. … Continue reading →
I often have this dilemma, is it okay to criticize? Often people ask me, how did I like a book, or a play, or a movie – and I find it very difficult to answer. First of all, if it … Continue reading →
The Naga Viper is the latest claimant to the world’s-hottest-pepper title, beating its predecessor, the Bhoot Jolokia by more than 300,000 Scoville units of tongue-scorching chili hotness. Researchers at Warwick University testing the Naga Viper found that it measures 1,359,000 … Continue reading →
Whenever I go to Kolkata, I make it a point to see as many theaters as possible within the short breaks that I can manage from the hectic schedule. This summer too I had the opportunity of watching two plays … Continue reading →
Recently I had the opportunity to watch the play “Broken Images” written by Girish Karnad, directed by Alyque Padamsee and performed by the famous film and stage actor Ms. Shabana Azmi. Girish Karnad is one of the foremost playwrights of … Continue reading →
by Amitava Sen My Sales Manager came running to my office. “What’s my Good Name?” he asked urgently. I did not understand his question. Indeed, I liked his name. I did not think it was a bad name and how … Continue reading →
All Free Screenings Seats are available Meet Seema Biswas in person Details at www.NJISACF.org Watch 16 films from 7 countries by 9 women filmmakers Opening night film MIRCH starring Konkona Sen Sharma, Raima Sen, Boman Irani on October 29th at … Continue reading →
by Brinda Guha Durga Puja is one of the most beloved times in our community – every year we get together, tempted to see all the people we haven’t seen in recent months, sometimes even years. I still remember coming … Continue reading →
by Sharmila Sen This year Kallol celebrated Durga Pujo with a new committee and with a class structure. Unfortunately, some of the enforcers of this class system had none of their own. As one long time member expressed disappointedly, “Green … Continue reading →
by Pronoy Chatterjee Gayatri Memorial Awards have been established by Ananda Mandir (Somerset, NJ) to recognize authors who have demonstrated excellence in writing through their published essays, poems, short stories or plays. The awards have been made possible through a … Continue reading →
Garden State Cultural Association invites you, your family and friends to join in the celebration of DURGA PUJA at Plainfield High School, 950 Park Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060 on Saturday, October 16, & Sunday, October 17, 2010 Program Details Saturday, … Continue reading →
New Jersey Durga Puja Committee of Kallol Cordially invites you with your family and friends to participate in our 2010 Durga Puja Celebration Durga Puja will be held on October 15, 16 & 17, 2010 At the Ukranian Church and … Continue reading →
Few minutes ago an old friend of mine called to wish me for the upcoming Durga Puja festivals. He said, “It’s Mahasasthi in Kolkata today!” I wished him back, but it occurred to me that it’s Mahasashti everywhere, not only … Continue reading →
Ananda Mandir for the seventh year in a row will present “MAHISHASURA MARDINI”, the famous musical show, live on October 10th, at 4.30am. This show has become synonymous with the celebration of “MAHALAYA” in Bengal and around the world for … Continue reading →
SKN Foundation Proudly Presents: “Sangeet Sandhya” “An Evening of Classical and Semi-Classical Songs” “A fundraiser for the preservation of Hindustani Classical Music” Date – Oct. 2 nd , 2010 – Time – 4 PM to 8 PM Venue – Stonecrest … Continue reading →
Raag-Rang presents for the first time an Informative, interactive and intimate session on different styles(Gharana) in Hindustani Music. A Lecture-Demonstration by Dr Mohan Deshpande. Dr Deshpande, a musician and musicologist, will talk about different styles of Indian music and how … Continue reading →