Friday, January 04, 2013

Random Thoughts

This evening, spent considerable time at Music World on Park Street. Bought a number of CDs, almost all of them -- predictably -- compilations of Kishore Kumar and R.D. Burman. The real treasure among them being a new release called Parampara, a set of two CDs that feature  songs of the Burmans that have been inspired by traditional Bengali music. Was surprised to learn that Jaane woh kaise log thhe jinke (Pyaasa) was influenced by the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana (play the two tunes in your head and you will see the similarities). What fun!

At Music World, Hindi songs by Abhijeet were playing in the background. Perhaps he has released a new album, or maybe a new movie in which he has sung all the songs. Listening to his voice, memories went back to 1977 or 1978, when I, as a child, had watched Abhijeet sing live in Kanpur during Durga Puja. At the time, he was the lead singer of an orchestra group run by a local legend called Prashant Chatterjee.

Prashant Chatterjee -- Proshanto for Bengalis -- lives on The Mall: his house sits right where the Murray Company bridge begins. Those who are familiar with Kanpur will know. I hope he continues to live there (I did notice the familiar signboard, 'P. Chatterjee', until a year ago); I also hope he is still alive. These days you never know, considering that 2012 has particularly been a year of goodbyes: even A.K. Hangal, who had one foot in the grave for many years now, chose to breathe his last in 2012. Basically, the generation that nourished us and played the cushion against realities of life is in the process of taking the final bow. It's our turn now to take over.

I turned 42 about ten days ago -- my first ever birthday in Calcutta -- but somehow I don't feel that old. When my father was 42, he seemed old to me because I was already 16 by then. He had shaved off his moustache at the first sign of greying in order to look young, and he remains clean-shaven ever since then. Whereas I happily wear the grey on my chin, because I believe that you can't shave off the years by merely shaving off facial hair. Age lies in attitude, not in appearance. You can't beguile people into believing that you are still young, the idea is to make them realise that you are still young despite the grey on the chin.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Belated Happy birthday Bishi.
I always say age is just a number cliched but true you are as young or as old as you feel. Have a great year ahead may you be blessed with all you aspire for and more.All the best.Hope you will write more blogs this year :)

Anonymous said...

Welcome back! Was checking your blog almost daily.....
As usual its a delight to read you......

Zig

Anonymous said...

i knw nw that i m nt the only who chks this blog daily.... everyday...Mr Ghosh
hwever bas itna hi.... ki... the salt n pepper chin is really.....
cheers to ur youth...
P...

Anonymous said...

True checking out his blog regularly even when he has not posted one recently...gives an option of going back to one of your own favorites of his earlier ones and re-read...this is as much a delight as reading any of his new posting...

Anonymous said...

Not sure how many different anonymous appreciate other blogs/bloggers...normally anonymous only remain so to abusively critic or something like that...but here so many different anonymous take this route to appreciate,praise...Kudos to BG blogs and his blog followers...

Anonymous said...

BG! maybe its something like this - Yesterday's Forty is today's Thirty more pronounced in modern India's metros....not sure about the rural India though...Anyhow Is it something that we can attribute in a positive sense that is an outfall of globalization and liberalization....

Anonymous said...

Let other bloggers not think that these are fake anonymous...as for as myself,Im very much a original anonymous who like to be nameless/faceless,who may not like to take credit even while to appreciate/praise a good work,good piece of writing that BG keeps doing quite regularly...

Anonymous said...

impressive last few lines...hope u dont mind me telling u .... that u look like a sparkling doll
-sam

Anubhuti said...

I think Abhijit also came over to our school for some functions few years later. Though I left Kanpur at a very young age, it was the city of my childhood too & your writings bring those images rushing back to my mind. I can actully see the Music world store and of course the streets of Kanpur, as I remember them.