Antara Chowdhury’s songs take visual turn in form of graphic novel

When she was recording the song Bulbul pakhi in Western Outdoors in Mumbai, seven-year-old Antara Chowdhury never thought that the iconic children’s song will eventually become a social message story in a graphic novel titled Gaane Gaane Antara — Chobite Mora Gaaner Galpo.

Three decades later that has happened and the popular singer launched the book in Kolkata on Children’s Day with several of her popular children’s songs, such as O Pujor gondho esheche, Na dir dir da and Byangder gaan featuring as stories. “It was Hindusthan Records’s Sovanlal Saha’s idea that fascinated me. My father, the late Salil Chowdhury, always had a social message in his songs, which included even nature and animals. So the book would interest children because it’s in the visual format,” said Antara.

(Left) Antara Chowdhury recording Bulbul pakhi as a child; (Right) Antara Chowdhury with her father, Salil Chowdhury

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Gaane Gaane Antara not only comprises stories connected to four songs but also carries their notations so that music teachers and students can pick up in detail. Antara is not unduly perturbed that children are not singing songs meant for them in reality music shows. When broached with the topic, she says, “I know children would love to sing songs meant for their age group. But television channels have TRPs and popularity in mind and so children are at times forced to sing adult songs and that too Bollywood numbers. When I teach children my songs, I can see joy in their faces, which means they are enjoying it.”

A page from Gaane Gaane Antara — Chobite Mora Gaaner Galpo

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She adds that parents and music teachers have a lot of guidance to do when it comes to age-appropriate songs. When asked about the dwindling reading habits of the children, Antara is ever optimistic. “Today is the era of online books and music. So I am quite sure Gaane Gaane Antara will reach out to the right children and encourage them to read the book.”

Will Salil Chowdhury’s other songs feature in graphic novels too? Antara says, “Not a pictorial book perhaps but we are archiving all his songs with detailed notation, hoping to serve his thousands of fans and followers.” She would like to tell children that she follows her father’s advice seriously. “He would say no matter how talented you are, you have to give 99.9 per cent perspiration and get encouraged with 0.1 per cent inspiration. Then only you can achieve something. I tell my students at my music institute Surodhwoni the same,” she says with a smile.

Gaane Gaane Antara — Chobite Mora Gaaner Galpo is designed by Sentu’s Cartoon and is available online.