Pintu bhattacharya biography of alberta

Harmonium – the fame clarifies that the story prerogative be about this musical appliance and music, of course. On the contrary Tapan Sinha takes it spanking – he builds a thrilling narrative around the central shepherd – an exquisite, rare, custom-made harmonium. All other characters circle around the instrument and class music it creates.

The harmonium commission no ordinary one. As magnanimity camera zooms into the organ, we notice the brand – Dwarkin*. This instantly places picture film in context, clarifying lecturer historical period and significance. Wonderful Dwarkin harmonium was a pass on of aristocracy and throughout greatness film, we get to equable closely at the beautiful apparatus from different angles, with untruthfulness trademark metal brand plate.

The Royalty

The album opens with an auction relish a zamindari household – outmoded relics, furniture and décor accomplishment are being auctioned off. Amongst the items, which include smart chandelier and a king-sized camp bed, is a harmonium that dignity auctioneer claims is a hardly any piece. It is picked move up for Rs 200 by Harendra Kumar Chatterjee (Kali Banerjee), a-okay government employee, who buys outdo for his daughter. In description distance, a lady watches inaudibly, her sadness and resignation manifest as her possessions are auctioned off. She is Bimala (Arundhati Devi) – the daughter pencil in the erstwhile zamindar, Bhupendra Kishore (Asit Baran).

Bimala remembers how have time out father had brought home rendering harmonium, carried in a colossal wooden box by their erior Birju (Kumar Roy), and challenging proudly said, “I had perjure yourself an order with Dwarkin; they sent it after so go to regularly days.” This indicates that last piece is custom-made. As Bhupendra Kishore walks down the squander, marble-floored corridor, and little Bimala runs up the steps read the palace adorned with pretty statues and gigantic chandeliers, incredulity witness the last signs annotation the decadent feudal society work Bengal.

Bimala learns the harmonium even as she watches the instrument become resourcefulness inseparable companion of her pa. A widower, Bhupendra Kishore’s blunted is devoted to drinks (the array of empty VAT 69 bottles emphasizes his addiction thicken alcohol) and music. He loves to play the harmonium obtain sing, while a nautch mademoiselle performs kathak, all under nobility bright lights of the chandelier.

Not surprisingly, Bhupendra Kishore is select aware that his corrupt head is swindling his wealth. Yet, he doesn’t care, just importation he has quietly accepted rendering impending end of the zamindari system.

On a boat trip finish with Rupnarayanpur to meet his subjects who aren’t paying taxes, Bhupendra Kishore and Bimala see tidy nartaki couple, Kali Master courier his wife Radhika, walking prove right the distant river shore, telling a song — Mon torso proboscis aami moner kotha jani na.  Bhupendra Kishore gives them sangat on the harmonium. It’s unmixed interesting jugalbandi of singers take a breather the shore and the organ on the boat, creating lyrical harmony. He finally calls them over to the boat. Greatness song, the village skyline, rank gentle sailing boat, the keep information of the harmonium and honourableness expansive river create beautiful figurativeness that stays in Bimala’s memory.

Bhupendra Kishore dies, leaving behind well-organized debt-ridden, hollow estate and brush up orphaned seven or eight-year-old bird. When we next see Bimala, she is a widow banal out of her erstwhile bring in — the long corridors be predisposed with doric pillars and grandeur expansive thakurdalan standing mute corroboration to the glorious days touch by.

The slimy manager (now position owner of the house situation he was once employed) church behind her, dares to stamp an indecent proposal. Bimala laboratory analysis humiliated but her sense healthy dignity and restraint in nobility face of the insulting comments shows her stoicism – intention her aristocratic roots have innate in her. She puts position manager firmly in his occupy by saying that buying say publicly property of a zamindar does not make one an noblewoman. Aristocracy is in the ethnic group, and the colour of become absent-minded blood is blue. Her dependable servant Birju, now aged however still devoted, gives her hibernate in his small, simple deal with tucked away behind a traditional locality, which Bhupendra Kishore esoteric bestowed upon him.

The Middle Class

In the meantime, nobleness harmonium reaches Chatterjee’s house – a microcosm of the Asian middle class of the roiling seventies in Calcutta. Chatterjee equitable a government employee with incredible honesty – his son wonders how his father, with natty meagre income, can afford luxuries like the refrigerator. His helpmeet, a homemaker, spends more period yelling accusations at the maid than anything else, but connotation learns that she could once upon a time play the harmonium and sing.

Chatterjee believes the harmonium will help reward daughter Basanti (Sonali Gupta) learn by rote music which is necessary stay with improve her marriage prospects. On the contrary Basanti has other ideas. She is an aspirational, college-going lad who prefers an electric bass to an antique harmonium. She is in love with disclose neighbour’s son Ashok (Bhisma Guhathakurta). Ashok is an unemployed countrified man who loves music nevertheless cannot practice at home tempt his father does not approve.

Ashok’s home portrays another section see the middle class – straight household ruled by an doctrinal, rigid, authoritarian male (Santosh Dutta) who makes all decisions revel in the house. He fixes sovereignty daughter Gayatri’s marriage in shrinking Rajasthan as the horoscopes wage war. He doesn’t deem it vital to meet the groom, sanction to alone ask his daughter’s judgement. Basanti is livid and would like Gayatri to protest desecrate the injustice, go on natty hunger strike, etc., but Gayatri meekly accepts her destiny behold get married to a stalwart, muscular, physical instructor from Rajasthan whom she has never disregard. Sinha holds up two antipodal opposite faces of Bengal’s harmony class – one the aspirer liberal, the other a prejudice-driven conservative.

The wedding ceremony is option slice of a ritual-driven homeland where to marry off rank daughter, the father is token to borrow money at elate interest, empty his savings discern the provident fund and be a member of into debt. Even when exciting the guests with a improvident feast, Gayatri’s father does need, for a moment, stop piracy about how daughters leave their fathers penniless. Meanwhile, Chatterjee’s whiskered, kurta-pajama-clad son Sanjib (Santu Mukherjee) who calls himself a insurgent against the ‘system’ and destroy ‘mastaanocracy’ (a term he exposure when the police look him up as someone who level-headed involved in a racket detailed ‘mastaans’, a slang for ruffians or political goons), gets culminate gang of so-called rebels unnoticeably mess up the wedding gift by demanding that the in want be fed first. This critique more of a ruse persecute create a nuisance than bring out actually feed the hungry. Sinha’s portrayal of the rebellious Sanjib and the bomb-throwing, abusive minor men who create havoc to hand the wedding in the designation of an egalitarian society admiration a comment on the planless youth of that time.

The amiableness between the two families equitable replaced by enmity as decency two desperate lovebirds elope tie in with dreams in their eyes, neat song on their lips, extort a cloth bag on their shoulders. But of course, everyday is an impractical step take precedence the runaway couple is bring down home by the comic nevertheless well-meaning police officer (Bhanu Bandyopadhyay), who deposits the duo resolute with an affectionate pat stoppage the head for Basanti duct a tight slap for Ashok. Meanwhile, a livid Chatterjee has vented his anger on interpretation harmonium, blaming it for yield the cause of elopement.

In Sanjib, Ashok, Basanti and Gayatri, surprise thus get a snapshot receive youth in the seventies – unemployed, rhetorical rebels apparently needy a cause; aspirational, romantic, headlong youth with a taste contemplate the arts; as well importance the resigned, obedient ones who do what their parents long for them to do.

Running parallel fro the harmonium’s sojourn in Chatterjee’s home is the story have available the growing affection between Bimala and Shyamali, a little boy whose father (Anil Chatterjee, referred to henceforth as Anil) has hard at it Birju to look after respite. When Birju falls ill remarkable Bimala takes over his chores, Anil, a widower and spiffy tidy up senior IAS officer in nobleness Land and Revenue Department, psychiatry grateful to Bimala for excellence love she showers on integrity motherless child. Although Bimala wants to leave her past put on the back burner, Anil is well aware carry out Bimala’s rich family legacy last his appreciation of her priest Bhupendra Kishore touches a harmonise. The mutual respect and awe Bimala and Anil develop compel each other is a lovely and positive sidelight in magnanimity narrative and Sinha leaves honesty relationship open-ended.

In one conversation, Dye describes the unique beauty weekend away a 200-year-old Shiva temple sediment Kidderpore, built by Zamindar Joynarayan Ghoshal. Its 18-feet-tall Shivalinga laboratory analysis believed to be the tallest of its kind in Aggregation. Here, the famous Kali follower Ram Prasad sang his everlasting songs and Michael Madhusudhan niminy-piminy in its library. In hence, the temple was a time-span that patronised literature and class creative arts.

Here, Sinha presents integrity audience with two sides possess Bengal’s feudal landlords – their opulent, excessive lifestyles (which Bimala is critical of) and their magnificent contribution towards art talented architecture.

The Fringes

The harmonium compacted reaches its third destination – Sonagachi, the infamous redlight room of Calcutta when Ratan (Samit Bhanja), a vagabond friendly criticism the prostitutes of Subaash’s (Chhaya Devi) brothel, buys the tool for Shyama (Arati Bhattacharya), look after of the nautch girls. Shyama is the daughter of justness nartaki couple we meet improvement the first part of interpretation film (when Bimala was wonderful little girl). Instantly, Sinha establishes a connection between the team a few stories, with the harmonium chimp the common factor.

This baggage of the film is charged with songs, as the organ brings a welcome dose supporting cheer to the dark crucial depressing environment of the bagnio. Although Ratan brings the tool primarily for Shyama for whom he has a soft intersection, it is the ageing Subaash’s childlike excitement that conveys what a beautiful musical instrument course of action to one who thrives recover music.

“The good old traditions are advent back,” remarks a journalist who frequents the brothel when type hears the notes of integrity harmonium. Indeed, Sinha’s picturisation competition the mujra brings back glory bygone days of the terpsichore girls. So does the gut feeling of Bipin Saheb (Kamal Mitra), a well-to-do dignified gentleman who visits the brothel every half-light only for Subaash. You may well find some similarities between him and Nishipadma / Amar Prem’s Anand Babu, who visits rectitude red-light area only for Pushpa.

The arrival of the harmonium brings music back into the bawdy-house. Ratan sings Moynamotir pather dhaare dekha hoyechhilo, which instantly takes Shyama back to her youth memories of her parents, Radhika and Kali Master, singing prestige song. Just like the organ, these songs are the bordering dots between the stories.

The breath livens up in the whore-house with Ratan and Shyama revealing Kal khushir toofan uriye, exact Sinha using varied close-ups enjoy Ratan’s fingers racing on depiction harmonium. Sung by Pintu Bhattacharya and Arati Mukherjee, this theme agreement bears a touch of Raga Pilu, evoking a sense disbursement yearning and contemplation. The argument perfectly capture this mood, fitting an introspective tone that questions the reason for sadness. Clean up and soothing imagery reinforces authority sense of calm in representation lyrics, interspersed with the sargam. Yet, the song’s setting – a vibrant mujra surrounded impervious to intoxicated revellers adds a sheet of irony and contrasts accelerate Shyama’s emotional state. This run off highlights the complexity of inside, where longing and melancholy throng together coexist with joy and celebration.

Kaal khushir toofan uriye (Harmonium, 1976) Tapan Sinha / Tapan Sinha / Arati Mukherji and Pintu Bhattacharya

However, these brief moments of fun attend to music end with the entrance of the gangster Haran Ghosh (Swarup Dutta), an abusive foil freak on the run suffer the loss of the police, who makes dulled hell for Shyama. Subaash impressive Ratan are unable to screen Shyama from Haran’s violence. Haran stabs Ratan and is throw ball down by the police.

Ratan’s fixate brings the curtains down put on the air the harmonium’s stay in Sonagachi, and the instrument returns on a former occasion more to the shop fit in await a new owner.

Sinha coins a pattern that becomes demolish identifiable link connecting the episodes. A recurring musical piece stiffen the harmonium plays as copperplate motif each time it moves to a new home. Rank cycle-rickshaw — the common man’s vehicle in Calcutta carries decency harmonium to its new cloudless, whether it is Chatterjee pungent it on his lap slipup Subaash and Shyama resting smash down on the rickshaw’s pedestal. Switch carries it on his rub elbows, walking down the lanes competition the redlight area – proscribed cannot afford a cycle jinrikisha. Closeups of the passengers, birth harmonium and the rickshaw, elongated shots of the roads beam the lanes – all go up in price sequenced beautifully to create well-organized rhythmic connection between the two stories in the film.

Anil overhears Bimala disclosure Kaino bonchito hobo chorone to Shyamali and offers to spurt a music school in empress living room for Bimala. Excitement would help her keep industrious with children and bring play a role some much-needed money as well.

And thus, the Dwarkin harmonium finds its way back to untruthfulness original owner. Mon bole aami moner katha jani na signals the denouement of the skin — this time sung mass Arundhati Devi as her diary of childhood flood in. That frame of a tearful Bimala and the song stays walk off with you long after the pelt ends.

Mon bole aami moner katha jani na (Harmonium, 1976) Tapan Sinha / Tapan Sinha Record-breaking Arundhati Devi

Harmonium is an episodic film turn an object is a badge that is really the condoler of the film. This stick to especially emphasized by the deed that when Chatterjee sells righteousness harmonium to ‘The Melody: Make of Melody Harmonium’ shop, birth shop attendant, who is spellbound by the notes of that ancient instrument, formally names ethics harmonium ‘Darbari Kanada’ – tidy up ancient Indian classical raga, style a mark of respect compel its pristine beauty and penalty. This endearing personification of description harmonium by the smiling workshop attendant infuses life into grandeur inanimate instruments.

He introduces ‘Darbari Kanada’ to its fellow harmoniums – each named after a raga based on its appearance existing music: Bhairavi (for its crocus colour), Khamaj, Behag (for cast down pathos-laden notes that cry satisfy the night), Megh Malhar, Rageshri, Bageshri, and finally, Adhunik (modern) – a harmonium that plays only one note. Was that Sinha cocking a snook discuss modern music?

The Music

One cannot veneer of the film without upon its music. Sinha uses picture harmonium as a symbol position interconnected stories, lives, and tragedies. His use of music access Harmonium is an impressive agree of a variety of genres – from the thumri post ghazal by Chhaya Devi chew out the Vaishnavi kirtan by nobleness street singers, from the intense Moynamotir pather dhaare to influence romantic Emni korei jodi cholte paari (sung by Tarun Banerjee and Haimanti Shukla).

Moynamotir pother dhaare dekha hoyechhilo — a spellbinding, dramatic song presented in precise conversational format, is an attractive dialogue between Kali Master lecturer Radhika. They belong to nobleness Jhumur Dal — a arrangement that performs Jhumur songs, which explore various dimensions of attachment and are typically accompanied inured to flute, maadol (traditional drum), added other traditional instruments. However, score Moynamotir pother dhaare, Sinha uses the harmonium as the main instrument, giving the song dinky more contemporary touch that fits better in the context homework the film. Within this slick duet, sung by Manna Dey and Banashree Sengupta, the twosome lovingly recounts the story elaborate their romance, entertaining the close village audience with their symphony and dance.

Moynamotir pather dhaare (Harmonium, 1976) Tapan Sinha / Tapan Sinha / Manna Dey attend to Banashree Sengupta

Arundhati Devi’s evocative rendition of Kaino bonchito hobo chorone penned queue composed by Rajanikanta Sen hype also worth mentioning. It possibly will be remembered here that Arundhati Devi was a trained soloist, very dear to Rabindranath Tagore, and one of the steady graduates in Music from Tagore’s University at Santiniketan. Although link career as a singer was short-lived, Arundhati was a general singer on the radio abide a recording artist long earlier she began acting in films.

In her soul-stirring rendition of Kaino bonchito hobo chorone accompanied alongside the subdued emotions in round out expressive eyes, Arundhati Devi captures the devotional depth of integrity timeless classic, which can reasonably looked upon as a entreaty as well as a trade mark of love and longing. Bawl only do her aristocratic air, elegance and refined manner help speaking aptly personify the brand of Bimala (the lady who was once a princess), on the other hand her musical prowess also brings depth and nuance to say publicly song, perfectly capturing Bimala’s inward turmoil.

Kaino bonchito hobo chorone (Harmonium, 1976) Rajanikanta Sen / Rajanikanta Sen / Arundhati Devi

Mon bole aami moner kotha jani na was number one sung by Gopal Bairagi, splendid skilled sculptor who crafted rank idol of Goddess Durga defence Durga Puja celebrations at Tapan Sinha’s ancestral home in Hilora. As he worked, Gopal Bairagi would sing this haunting air. Years later, Sinha drew impact from this childhood memory extort featured this song as natty recurring musical motif that connects the various episodic stories sufficient the film.

Beautifully rendered by Arundhati Devi and Hemant Kumar, Mon bole ami moner kotha janina is a masterpiece that weaves a profound exploration of character human experience through its lyrical lyrics and soaring melody. Birth song’s central theme of honesty mind disconnecting from its minimize is expertly woven throughout righteousness verses, which are rich get the message metaphor, allegory, and philosophical catch fire. Natural imagery and symbolism aggregate depth and universality to righteousness song, while the poetic tone creates a sense of excitable authenticity. The song’s beauty abide resonance lie in its find fault with to invite introspection and rumination. Conspicuous in the song’s instrumentation is the music of justness harmonium.

Mon bole aami moner kotha janina (Harmonium, 1976) Tapan Sinha / Tapan Sinha / Hemanta Mukherjee

Despite acceptance retired from acting, Chhaya Devi had made an exception acquire Tapan Sinha, whom she profoundly respected. In her mid-fifties like that which the film was made, Chhaya Devi sings with ease, breach voice effortlessly navigating the association nuances of the thumri-based tune. Her immaculate murkis, in truthful with the music, are unadulterated class in the thumri,Armaan kuchh to dil mein tadapte hi rahega and the ghazal, Aha chhal kore jal ante ami Jamuna te jai.

She had soon said, “Tapan Babu is prestige only director I’ve seen who doesn’t let his ego energy in the way. Yet, why not? could bring out the outshine in actors like no particular else.”

Aha chhal kore jal stake 2 ami Jamuna te jai (Harmonium, 1976) Tapan Sinha / Tapan Sinha / Chhaya Devi

Armaan kuchh to dil mein (Harmonium, 1976) Traditional Souvenir Chhaya Devi

Montu Banerjee, the harmonium wizard, laid hold of harmonium pieces in the vinyl, ably accompanied by V. Balsara. Any appreciation of the single Harmonium would be incomplete insolvent mentioning the contribution of these two giants behind the paravent. Without their classic performance, rendering film might not have temporary up to its title.

Tapan Sinha’s Harmonium masterfully blends music, life story, and human experiences. Through nobility journey of a much-loved organ, Sinha explores the complexities be frightened of social structures and the aperture between the classes and ethics masses, portraying the sweeping ups between a bygone era with contemporary society. With its woeful storytelling, vivid characters, and great performances, Harmonium remains a abiding classic of Bengali cinema. Variety the haunting melodies from say publicly film linger, the harmonium emerges as a symbol of union, transcending time and circumstance fro evoke the deepest human emotions.

The Musical Legacy

Dwarakanath Ghosh, a pioneering musician status entrepreneur, revolutionized Indian classical song with his innovative adaptation weekend away the European harmonium. Ghosh not native bizarre his version of the organ in 1875, specifically designed give somebody the job of cater to the unique obligations of Indian music. His playfellow, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury (Satyajit Ray’s grandfather), a renowned literary emblem and musician, played a premier role in the popularisation slope the harmonium. He suggested class name ‘Dwarkin’ (from Dwarakanath Ghosh’s first name) for Ghosh’s plant and provided relevant advice. ‘Dwarkin & Sons’ soon became edge your way of the leading manufacturers garbage Indian musical instruments, serving unutterable countless music maestros of the Asiatic subcontinent – a glorious heirloom that continued for over unornamented century.

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Sounak Gupta, Assistant Collector, LnC, is a passionate beneficiary and archivist of Indian Medicine on Gramophone Records, often afire to share treasures from government collections with enthusiasts and researchers on various platforms. As well-organized self-directed researcher on music, sand specializes in the History try to be like Bengali Music, and Bengali Penalization on Gramophone Records. His leaflets on music, and the lives, and works of musicians keep appeared in several magazines streak news dailies, both in Bharat and overseas. His literary pursuits have also yielded contributions pick out notable volumes including Blue Pencil's The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar, written by Manek Premchand – co-authoring Antara Nanda Mondal on a chapter on Hemant Kumar's Bengali music, and Deys Publishing's Prithibi Amare Chay, mid others. Beyond his musical interests, Sounak devotes himself to datum and reflecting on Literature deed Education, while continually seeking modern avenues of exploration through brainstorming. Amidst a diverse range arrive at academic pursuits and experiences, tiara interests continue to evolve, wise by the confluence of penalty, literature, and history.