People in Television media is used to hear this term "Channel Bolechhe" (Channel Said). I often wonder who is "Channel"? How he looks like?!! I suspect people (no matter who he is) often give their own opinion as "Channel's"!!
I anchored the daily morning show "Anurodher Asor" for 7 months. I don't do it any more. May be it's a coffee break. Or may be I will never do it again! Lot of people, including strangers asked me, complained me for that!!
Well, as I used to do the out door part of the show; in rainy season it was hard to shoot. Also I was hard pressed for time, as I have other commitments as well. So, if I have enough time after Durga Puja, and if they need me then, I will return.
Currently I am shooting for a Puja Special Show 'Ajker Uma" which will start to telecast from 22nd Sep in Zee Bangla.
"Ajker Uma" starting from 22nd Sep, 1PM, Mon-Sat, Zee Bangla
Me and my co-anchor Suman Banarjee played with 84 workig women and house wives. All of them have seen me in Akash Bangla show "Ei Toh Sujog". Which is expected as "Ei Toh Sujog" is in Prime Time.
But surprisingly most of them have seen the morning show "Anurodher Asor" also. The feedback I got from them and other places, don't tally with the opinion I was made to believe.
First of all they loved my "keoramo"![Street smart ness?!!]. They wanted it more.
But I was told "The Channel has said" to cut it down a bit!!
They loved my language, humor.
But I was told "Channel said follow the script."
To be very honest, I never followed the script. What ever is written in the script can't be followed in a street show. I can't discuss about how romantic is the moon standing in the middle of a field at 12noon!! So I had to improvise!
But as the channel said....so...
Once there was written in the script "Bibhuti Bhusan Mukhopadhay"!! As they told me to follow the script, so I did!! No body complained!!
I suspect channel never told me anything. Just about everybody, starting from the camera person to the spot boy gives their own opinion in the name of channel.
I do a show for Akash Bangla. It's the channel's own production, so I know everybody in the channel. It was like working for your home! "The Channel" didn't told me anything that way!!
I love to read biographies. It inspires me, it gives me hope in lean times! One of the most incredible biography I have ever read is of Oprah Winfrey. A person, who isn't a looker, had everything stacked against her, can go so far by sheer talent and hard work! It's an amazing phenomena. I will like to change my blog name from "Anurodher Asor" to "The Kousani Roy Show". I do more shows as well as "Anurodher Asor". I will like to write about my experiences from them too. Though as a blog writer my capacity to be candid is severely compromised because of nature of our mindset. People do react, controversies are created very quickly.
Sometimes I am scared of people! Scared of harm, pain. Sometimes I want to hide. Sometimes I really wonder if it's worth it..communicating. If I keep mum, I will be far away from lot of things. But that joy to express...it's something for which I come back to net.
I researched a lot about Oprah. I feel the success of her show is in her nature. The interviewer feels every emotion of the guest. She cries, she laughs, she feels. That's why people relate to her easily and tell her things on national television, that otherwise they wouldn't tell anybody even in privacy!
In a show I recited a Joy Goswami poem about working women, who travel by train with rice bags.
"Sato Barsho Egiye Ase Satobarsho Jai Chal tolo go masipisi Lalgola Bongnai."
I felt that. In my college days I used to travel by train to attend private tuition. I used to watch them very closely. I felt their stories and I cried out loud. I just cried my heart out, it was not fake. I wasn't acting. It was genuine emotion. It affected my guest too, she also cried. That footage was edited out. May be it wasn't possible in a time format to include it.
Another very well known host is Howard Stern. He is very rude and creepy! He attacks everybody. He is so mean that people love to hate him!! It's a style. There are some stand up comedians who also attacks people, attacks his audience verbally! It's all fun. In "Anurodher Asor" I am a bit aggresive! I am street smart! It's a character I portray!! But there are conventions! Compulsions! I have to keep myself in check!
To incorporate something new is always tough!
I just hope that someday I will get my freedom!! May be that day I will name it "The Kousani Roy Show"!!
First Cobra then Tidal wave!! God somebody is conspiring against me!!
Yesterday I was shooting in Princep Ghat. This was my first visit there. As I am living in this city for about two years now. The view was really nice! The bridge over, below boats and steamers sailing. In Murshidabad Ganges is narrower. But here she is more wider!!
I went down straight to the Ganges. My feet were in water when we started shooting. The camera person was also close to water! Shooting was going on. Thank God I don't have that habit of facing the camera all the time when talking! I suddenly heard a sound!! Instinctively I got off from the water running!! A huge tidal wave came and our camera-person was under it!!
I never had any idea that I can see a wave in a river!! The camera was completely wet and useless! I saw the water has current which can draw a human being to the deep if he/she is unbalanced! And I am the definition of "unbalanced"!! My folks tell me even when walking I can meet accident forget anything like driving!! Princep Ghat at Night:
When we were looking at the useless camera suddenly my phone rang. A very familiar voice from another show. I don't know how my mobile service provider has given me a "Gayatri Mantra" caller tune and deducted 25Rs!! I never subscribed for anything! And then they had sent me a message to unsubscribe I will have to call in a 6digit no:, if I call in that no: they will again charge me 6Rs/per min!! In plain words my mobile service provider is robbing me!! Anyway first that told me,"Ki re khub paap korchhis naki, mobile e Gayantri Mantra lagiyechhis?"[Are you committing too much sins, you have chosen such a religious caller tune?"] With a scorching Sun overhead, with a wet camera to shoot, my mobile service provider is making a mockery of me!! I told him "****** er paaper ghara purna hoyechhe, tai lok ke mantra caller tune pathiye abar taka o katchhe!"[******(read mobile service provider) has committed so many sins that they are sending religious caller tunes to the customers without their consent and they are even so outrageous that even charging for that!]
I told my Director that I need a written statement! That if I die doing "AnurodherAsor", they should compensate my family!! I climb up the trees! I go down to the rivers even though I can't swim!! I even go to paddy fields in this kind of heat and face Black Cobra!! That snake don't even need to bite me! I could have died by the shocking sight of it!! For the next few hours we tried to shoot, but the camera wouldn't open! So we had a early pack up!
At there we saw Director Sangha Mitra Banarjee shooting for a Bengali Movie! She came to us and talked to me. She agreed in this kind of extreme heat, it's almost impossible to shoot outdoors.
Yesterday it was some day for me!! We went to "Bantala", a place very near to Kolkata which is a village!! We shot in the paddy fields there for my show "Anurodher Asor" and was returning. It was a narrow divider(aal). In one side there was a dirty pond and on the other side thick mud! We were about six people walking on the divider with no place to step out or go back! Suddenly we saw a black cobra coming towards us!!
There was no place to step aside!! If the Cobra doesn't change it's path we have no place to run!! In one side of the divider (aal) there was a dirty pond (which was surely home for lot more snakes!) and on the other side there was 2ft deep mud, which can also be very dangerous!!
Our Director is a very calm headed person!! No matter what happens he remains cool! He just screamed "ore baba re"[God help us] and jumped over the coming snake!! In the manner he screamed it was like a mosquito has just bitten him and it's not a big deal!!
Next was our camera person who was also carrying the camera!! He hopped stepped and jumped!! The snake passed by! There was only inches difference between the snake and his leg! May be his jump made the snake angry!! The snake suddenly raised his "fana"(hood)! At that time we realized it's a Black Cobra!! It had a reach of at least 3feet!!
I have never seen such a huge venomous snake in open!! The snake was irritated and was just coming towards me!!
I screamed out loud and jumped in the mud!! I screamed so hard that my voice got cracked!! May be because of that jump the snake also changed it's path and went down to the pond!! That way people behind me were saved!! But due to my jump in the thick mud I twisted my ankle and had a sprain in my waist!
But thank God we were all safe!! Black Cobra is a sub species of Indian or Spectacled cobra. Black Cobras are normally seen in North India and in Pakistan.
I think the Cobra we encountered with was at least 8ft long!! Here is a picture of how a Black Cobra looks like:
Even after that nerve jerking incident we continued shooting at other locations! We went to "Gaan Mela" [Fair of Songs] in the Nandan, Academy of Fine Arts and Rabindra Sadan area! It's a huge fair, and we spotted lot of eminent singers including Pratik Chowdhury there. We visited the "Prime Music" stall there! And to my delight I found my posters on the wall!! At the end of the day it feels nice!! If you visit "Gaan Mela" surely do visit the Prime Music stall. Also there is show going on every evening at Rabindra Sadan!!
Prelude: When I first talked to Ayan Guha Thakuta, I was tempted to tell him that his name reminds me of Ruma Guha Thakurta. I only knew that he is a sound engineer in SRFTI. Then one day he told me that Rumadi is his mother. I casualy asked him if it's possible to shoot with her for my show "Anurodher Asor". I wasn't sure because I knew that Rumadi wasn't in best health. Thanks to him it was possible.
First I met her in her residence! I was so touched with her warmth! She has absolutely no air about the fact she is a legend in her own right! We spent a few hours chatting. I touched her feet and asked for her blessing! I felt so happy!! She was Rumadi for me from that day! At the first meeting with her. Picture taken by Ayanda.
We weren't able to schedule date and time with a long notice. But I explained my situation to Rumadi and Ayanda. Ayanda helped me a lot.
I asked Anirban, a young kid for covering the shoot. I thought he is a promising photographer. I always want to involve people around me in various ways. I have a soft corner for unrecognized talent. When I mentioned Anirban about Rumadi, he accepted that he doesn't know her name!!
That is a very sad case with most of our young generation. They know everything about Cricket or Bollywood. They will tell you name of every member of a English Premier Leauge club. But they are unaware of our traditional and cultural wealth!
So for people unaware of our history here is something about Ruma Guha Thakurta.
She is most known for founding the Calcutta Youth Choir. She is a legendary singer, powerful actor, dancer and choreographer. In her lifetime she has already achieved so much in every sector where she worked, we can only dream about it. She was married to Kishore Kumar for 8 years and her son with him is Amit Kumar, another well known name. Satyajit Ray is her own maternal uncle. Her last film is "The Namesake" Directed by Mira Nair, which also featured Tabu, Irfhan Khan and Kal Penn.
About her songs: Who ever you are, no matter how much ignorant Bengali you are, you have surely listened to her songs in various forms of remake!! My favourite is 1. Bistirno Dupare Ha ha kar Suni [Sung by Bhupen Hazarika later]
Preparation: I wanted that interview to be more personal. I was skeptical about whether I should ask her about Kishore Kumar or not! But I saw that she has worked with Kishore Kumar even after her divorce! I called a few people and got to know, she had no problem with him some years after the break up.
Shooting: My work was to help her talk! It's her mental strength that is moving her! She has severe problem in her spine. In spite of that she sat through the one and half hour long interview. And after that chatted with our unit for another hour or so! I was just touched by her warmth!
One curious thing happened during shoot! Rumadi was forgetting that the camera is rolling and sometimes was talking to people outside frame!! I was wondering what will happen in the editing table!! A person who has acted in 36years is forgetting that the camera is rolling!! Normal old age aliment! I was so humbled by that, may be I will never even think about working at that age and with that fragile health.
Moments: We had some intimate moments revealed in the interview, which may be no body knows yet!!
About Uttam Kumar: Rumadi bought "The Director" written by Sidney Sheldon to gift it to Uttam Kumar. Because she felt that character will go very well with him. But before giving him the book Uttam Kumar passed away. Note: Rumadi has done a few films with Uttam Kumar as the leading lady.
About Kishore Kumar: After their marriage Madhubala said to her jokingly that she will steal her man. And Madhubala did exactly that. Long after their divorce Rumadi had a very cordial relationship with Kishore Kumar. And he accepted that with her he was happiest!
Telecast: I told Anirban that you will not understand what oppurtunity you have got today! But one day you will tell your grand children that one day you captured a picture of "Ruma Guha Thakurta". After watching the telecast I realized completely what an enormous moment this is!! I will cherish those moments forever. I saw her warmth in her every word. And her songs were so sweet!!
Last words: When I was a kid, my father used to play Ruma Guha Thakurta's records in his gramaphone. I never dreamt that I will one day come to Kolkata and take an interview of her!! Today one of my dreams are fulfilled! I jell very well with older people. I can feel their blessings for me. As I am an artist, I am very emotional person. I have met a few people and worked with them whom I am watching from childhood. I can never met Hemanta Mukhopadhay, Kishore Kumar, Uttam Kumar. But I met, talked, touched, and worked with Ruma Guha Thakurta! I hope someday I will meet and work with Soumitra Chatterjee!
Watch Online: Part-1
Part-2
And a Wish: I wish her good health for the years to come. And I hope that I will work with her again and again. "Rumadi bhalo thakben, apni amader garbo!"
