A few wacky samples of what Bertie’s students are saying about him behind his back!

An Orkut community dedicated to the professor, called “BD’s Hipster Commune”, has 290-plus members. One post says ‘Ancient Nordish folklore states that BD hails from the bloodline of the mighty god Thor’.

Another post on the community mentions that he is very fond of his dog. Once when a girl (possibly a student) squealed on seeing him and his dog he quipped: “Don’t frighten her. She may get a heart attack.”

A class asked Bertie if he had watched Shakespeare in Love. He replied, “Give me that piece of celluloid and I’ll burn it.” And an ex-student claims, “Those of us who enjoyed the film changed our minds almost immediately!”

Another student has a different theory: “Considering they are both generally moody, vague and verbally obscure, I suspect Bob Dylan and Bertram Da Silva are actually one and the same! Dylan’s nasal whine is a put-on when he takes on his rockstar avatar. When he comes back to Calcutta as a teacher, he puts on a gruff disposition and gets rid of his instant height extender shoes. Ever thought why BD does not come to college on certain days of the week? Think again the next time you see Bob Dylan on VH1,” he says.