Three people from diverse professional backgrounds but with roots in Calcutta and a shared interest in celebrating, preserving and propagating our country’s literary heritage, have come together to launch Tranzistor App — aat theke aashi, shunte bhalobashi, a novel initiative that opens up an entirely new vista in the fast-changing and ever-evolving world of digital entertainment. Developed by a team of software developers across North America and Bangalore, Tranzistor App, the interactive audio streaming platform, brings together the vast treasure trove of Indian classics, short stories, children’s folklore, horror stories, contemporary adult novels and more to provide audio-based entertainment, with their content handpicked across multiple Indian languages and genres. Featuring distinguished voice artistes narrating or enacting stories written by well-known authors, the platform also harnesses the power of technology to connect the younger generation of the diaspora with their roots and their literary legacy.
Initially being launched with content from Bengali literature featuring works by Tagore, Shibram Chakraborty, Parashuram (Rajshekhar Basu), Syed Mustafa Siraj and others, the directors of the streaming platform plan to acquire rights from authors and publishers of other Indian languages as well for the digital rights of selected content. At present, the app consists of content written by more than 90 authors and publishers that can translate to over 1,000 hours of streaming audio content globally, across all genres.
“Our interactions with many Bengalis ended with a request to get some good Bengali short stories by good authors where they can connect their memories, teach their kids and simply drown themselves in listening pleasure. This is the best userfriendly app created for people from eight to 80,” said Gautam Sarkar, director
Key differentiators of this unique audio platform include:
Providing entertainment with less screen time and high-quality audio content; an audio-theatre experience with dramatized storytelling; vernacular language content from across the country to uphold its rich literary history and bridge the language barrier; an ever-growing selection of audio-theatres, podcasts, recitation, educational audio features and more; buffer-free audio on easy-to-use personalised web-based apps across devices; scalable technology design to support millions of listeners; ‘freemium’ model where most content is accessible free while subscription plans will be launched for premium original content and ad-free experience.
“It’s an app to create true happiness and deep connection with classic stories in audio theatres streaming for global platforms for awareness of rich Bengali literature. Come and enjoy Tranzistorapp.com,” said Subhrojit Chakroborty, director
The service was formally launched in the city on January 9 at The Press Club by Tranzistor App directors Gautam Sarkar and Subhrojit Chakroborty and advisor Manoj Chatterjee in the presence of celebrated elocutionists Jagannath Basu and Urmimala Basu. The launch programme was anchored by Debasish Basu.
“Having lived outside India and Bengal for a considerable time and having met innumerable Bengalis like me, I have always missed an easy way for me and my kids to stay connected to our rich literary heritage within the busy schedule of life. Upon meeting two more enthusiasts like me, we used our collective knowledge to create Tranzistorapp.com hosting an evergrowing list of engaging audio theatres and many other audio genres for one and all. We wish to offer quality entertainment while staying productive through the daily walks of life,” said Manoj Chatterjee, advisor.
