Arun Lal at a Jamai Sashthi event last week. Picture by Pabitra Das A file picture of Erapalli Prasanna (below)

It’s that time of the year when the son-in-law is made to feel lucky, the Bengali way. The choicest Bangla khabar and hospitality at its best ensures the ultimate pampering for every jamai.

On the eve of Jamai Sashthi, Smita Roy Chowdhury caught up with two of Bengal’s favourite non-Bengali sporting jamais — cricketers Arun Lal and Erapalli Prasanna — to get a feel of what it has meant for them to live life Bengali style...

Courting a Bengali lady:

Lal: Courting Debjani was quite a nice experience. But I don’t think her being Bengali mattered much. We met, I liked the person that she is and we got married. So, our period of courtship wasn’t very long.

Prasanna: I met my wife Sheima for the first time right here in Calcutta when she had come to watch one of my matches. Right after the first meeting I knew that I wanted her to be my life partner. I went back to Bangalore and after a few correspondences we decided to get married. So, the total period of courtship was not more than four or five months.

...And marriage to her:

Lal: I have had a wonderful married life. We’ve been together for quite a long time now and the partnership has been a fabulous one. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Our relationship has grown very beautifully over the years.

Prasanna: The comfort level that Sheima has offered throughout my married life is possible only for a Bengali woman. The entire lifestyle of Bengalis revolves around a certain comfort level, which is not found anywhere else in the country. And I have got a taste of that simply because my wife is Bengali. On the whole, being married to her has been a wonderful experience.

Life in a Bengali family:

Lal: I have always enjoyed being married into a Bengali family because of the hospitality that I have received from my in-laws. But since my younger days, I have always been out playing and I never really got much of an opportunity to participate in all Bengali festivals and functions.

Prasanna: Since I come from a Hindu family too, I didn’t have any problems getting used to my wife’s family and their ways. I think most of the rituals of Hindu families are almost the same across the country. May be a little activity here and there might be different, but the basic principles are the same.

When I got married my mindset was very clear — I had a very open mind. For instance, I come from a family of staunch vegetarians, but due to my cricketing exposure I got to eat a lot of non-veg food as well. And I really developed a strong liking for fish. I think that gave me a tremendous lead in adjusting to a Bengali family!

Being a jamai on J-day:

Lal: Jamai Sashthi is a very lovely tradition. It brings the son-in-law closer to his wife’s family and makes him feel cared for. When my mother-in-law was alive, we used to have a mega get-together at my in-laws place on this day every year. All the relatives used to come and it was a big daylong party. My mom-in-law used to cook all my favourite Bengali delicacies and she was such an excellent cook.

Prasanna: I have been married for 34 years and though cricket has always kept me busy, I had to visit my in-laws on Jamai Sashthi quite a few times. I agree that it’s a tradition that makes the son-in-law feel important, but I am not very comfortable with someone pampering me and making me feel special. But I do appreciate the sentimental value of the tradition.

A few local favourites:

Lal: I love everything about Bengal and I would never trade living in Calcutta for any other place in the world. I think I love this city more than an average Bengali does.

Of course I love the food. I love Chingri Machher Malaikari, Bekti Fry, Ilish Machh Bhaja and Luchi. Though my daily diet is north Indian, I like to feast on these delicacies occasionally.

Prasanna: I am an admirer of the cultural and intellectual strength of Bengalis. I like to listen to Rabindrasangeet.

The other thing that I love is Bengali food. As I have said earlier, I love fish — Bekti Machher Jhol and Chingri Machher Malaikari are my favourites. Generally I am not a rice-eater, but Machher Jhol and Bhaat are just the right combination for me. I also like the vegetarian dishes and Posto and Dal is a treat that I cherish.

I have cultivated a taste for Bengali sweets as well. In winter I freak out on notun gurer sandesh and payesh. Otherwise I like freshly-made rosogollas.