Bhorer Nil Akash
Poila Baisakh may be a day of celebration, but it’s no excuse to skip your workout! So members of the EE Park-based laughing club Bhorer Nil Akash began the day as they do every morning — with yoga and a laughter therapy session led by secretary Latikanta Dandapath, who then went on to anchor a colourful collage of cultural programmes.
Jamuna De began with a self-composed poem on the club itself, while Srinjan Sen serenaded with a harmonica performance. A scripted musical piece featured songs such as Esho hey Baisakh and Amra notun jouboner doot, with narration by Sudeb Kumar Debnath and Mandira Mukherjee Dandapath. The singers included Rina Dutta Majumdar, Dalia Biswas, and Kalpana Sen Majumdar. The chorus was directed by Amita Guha, who also choreographed the dance elements for the show.
Besides singing solo, Tapan Bhattacharya accompanied other singers on the harmonium, while Surajit Basu, another member, played the tabla.
Sutapa Das had the audience in stitches with a humorous poem on the things people are expected to give up as they age. “We have to give up our posts, our belongings, our loved ones — we even have to give up chewing mangsher haar if we want to keep our teeth intact!” laughed Das, borrowing from the anonymous piece she had stumbled upon on Facebook. “We’re at a stage in life when the responsibilities are behind us, the children are grown and settled, and now it’s time for ourselves — so we must learn to laugh.”
Das also performed to Banani Mukhopadhyay’s audio drama Ki Gero, alongside Tapan Roy. The comedy portrayed an exchange between an author and his domestic help. Das said she was able to bring added emotion to her role as the help, as her own help has been missing for a week!
This is the second year of the club, which now has nearly 70 members, but it was the first time they celebrated Poila Baisakh. “We wanted to begin the New Year with positivity,” smiled the 82-year-old club president Swapan Basu.
Sucheta Saha, another founding member, recalled how the World Health Organisation defines health as a state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. “We work on the physical aspect daily, but events like this help us socialise — and that’s just as important,” she said.
Brinda Sarkar
Action Area 2B
Residents of Action Area 2B began the new year with a probhat pheri, followed by food and cultural programmes.
They met up at Eco Urban Village (EUV) and walked together across nearby complexes before culminating at their starting point. “This was the third year of this probhat pheri, and we wanted to break the myth that it’s just for women. This year we specifically invited men and children and were happy to see them participate,” said Ritu Dey, one of organisers.
Also on the organising team were Mitali Das of Hiland Willows, Mandira Banerjee of Sunrise Symphony, Gautomi De of Anahita and Sharmila Banerjee, who lives in a standalone house near EUV.
Women came dressed in white saris with borders of any colour and men in white panjabis. During the procession, they sang songs like Esho he Baisakh and Aloker ei jhorna dharay,
and once they reached EUV, it was over to more cultural shows.
There was recitation by the likes of Godhuli Mukherjee of Sunny Fort and Shampa Chakraborty of Mallika Malancha. Shraman Gangopadhyay of Anahita played Purano sei diner kotha on the guitar with Shusnato Banerjee from Sunrise Symphony singing along.
There were several solo and chorus songs and dances too, including some by kids. A few residents had even set up food stalls selling breakfast.
Brinda Sarkar
Greenwood Nest
The Bengali New Year celebrations at Greenwood Nest carried a touch of Assamese culture this year. Naaznin Haque, a resident originally from Guwahati, performed a traditional Bihu dance at their meet.
“Today is also Assamese New Year and we call it Rongali Bihu back home,” smiled Naaznin, who is also a kathak dancer. The audience sat spellbound as she twirled gracefully with a jaapi – a traditional conical hat – and a metallic plate called a kahi. “I’m settled in Calcutta now, but on special days I do miss my hometown. Back home on this day, we eat pithe and apply turmeric and gram paste to the skin before bathing – a practice believed to cleanse the body and symbolise a fresh start to the new year. With this dance today, I thought of bringing a slice of Assam to Bengal.”
Naaznin’s performance was so well-received that she was nearly mobbed her with hugs and congratulations the moment she stepped off stage.
To showcase Bengali culture, Shiuli Chatterjee sang Rabindrasangeet, while Aviraj Kumar Dugar and Sonakshi Mustafi narrated Tagore’s Samanyo Khati. Ashmit Chatterjee of Class VIII strummed the guitar as his friend Aishee Bhattacharya sang Tumi amar nei shey tumi, lending a fresh feel to the timeless SD Burman classic. “I love listening to rock music but don’t want to limit myself to any genre. This song felt appropriate for today,” said Ashmit.
The most adored segment of the show, perhaps, had children dressed as Bengal’s iconic figures, narrating their achievements as they took to the stage. Ujaan Majumder played Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, while Rajanya Samanta portrayed Sarala Devi.
Ananya Goswami confessed she hadn’t known much about Rani Rashmoni before the event, but now greatly admired her. “She stood up to the British and even outwitted them. I find that admirable,” she said.
Ananya Mukherjee was most impressed to learn that her character, Jnanadanandini Devi, had introduced the concept of birthday parties in Bengal and pioneered the sari-draping style that gave women more freedom of movement.
“I want to become a doctor when I grow up, so I was excited to have got the role of India’s first woman doctor, Kadambini Ganguly,” smiled Drishani Saha, stethoscope in hand. One wondered, however, why Deeptoman Mukherjee played Rabindranath Tagore without a beard. “It’s because I was playing the teenage Tagore, of course!” he laughed.
While some children read out their lines, Rishav Kumar Dugar recited his speech as Swamiji by heart. The audience was sporting too, bursting into spontaneous applause when he said: “Sisters and brothers of America,” like Swamiji did in Chicago.
“How will children learn about our greats unless we teach them?” asked Bula Bagchi, who directed the production. “Years from now, they’ll still recall the icons they portrayed.”
Offstage, Aritri Dutta Majumdar cut a stylish figure in a sari draped unconventionally, paired with a jacket. “Just as Jnanadanandini Devi adapted the sari for convenience, working women today can opt for such fusion styles. It allows us to remain modern while staying rooted in Bengali tradition,” she said.