Anuranan

Rahul Bose as Rahul and Raima Sen as Preeti in Anuranan

It's not often that one finds Bengali language films playing in movie theaters in the U.S. (unless it's a retrospective of the films of Satyajit Ray), so on a lark, I persuaded my husband to take me to see Anuranan.

Anuranan is about two couples: the dreamy/poetic Rahul (Rahul Bose) and his wife Nandita (Rituparna Sengupta) and driven businessman/domineering husband Amit (Rajat Kapoor) and his repressed wife Preeti (played by Raima Sen, granddaughter of Bengali cinema legend Souchitra Sen). Gradually, Preeti finds that she can find expression for her interests in literature and nature with Rahul. The relationship has tragic consequences.

As with many Bengali offerings, Anuranan is replete with quotations of songs and poems of Tagore. In the way that Anuranan deals with a woman who finds (non-sexual) self-expression through a man other than her husband, it recalls Satyajit Ray's films Charulata and Ghare-Baire, both based on stories by Tagore.

Birth of the Maitreya

Book cover for Birth of the Maitreya

Birth of the Maitreya by Bani Basu, with translation from Bengali to English by Sipra Bhattacharya, is a novel that reminds one of the Mahabharata in its scope and range of characters. Part I sets the stage and introduces characters from all walks of life; Part II, which is much shorter than Part I, provides the denouement.

The novel is set around 500 BCE, during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha. Essentially, it is about the efforts of Chanak and Tishyakumar to encourage alliances among kings and establish righteous rule. Notable in this book are the debates about the dharma promoted by Gautama Buddha and that of what we now refer to as Hinduism, in terms of caste, Vedic ritual, asceticism, and self-defence and ahimsa.

Without betraying too much of the story (notably about what happens to Chanak and Tishyakumar), the ending is tragic, characterized by fighting among kings, palace intrigues and coups, and failed aspirations. At the same time, the Persian army is advancing toward India. (I can't help drawing parallels with India today: the infighting that characterizes politics prevents a unified response to external threats.)

Still, the novel ends on a note of hope for new life: in this way, it recalls Peter Brook's film adaptation of the Mahabharata, in which Lord Krishna saves the life of one woman so that the human race can continue.

You may find a preview of Birth of the Maitreya through Google Books.

Lost Temples of India

Here's another reason for my wish to travel to southern India: this video The Lost Temples of India, which was presented on The Discovery Channel:



The above video is Part 1 of 6. Parts 2 through 6 are also available.

My criticism about this documentary is the dramatic ominous music background for the temples, which contrast with the reposeful music on the segments showing the Taj Mahal. What statement is that making? Still, there are awe-inspiring views of the temples at Thanjavur (Tanjore) and Madurai, both in Tamil Nadu.

The Beautiful South

Jog falls in coastal Karnataka

I've had a longstanding wish to go outside of Bangalore and explore southern India. This collection of photo essays on coastal Karnataka and Coorg by Vimla Patil (from eSamskriti, which is a treasure trove of photos and essays about India) make me want to travel all the more:

Coastal karnatakas two heritage districts Udipi Gokarna and Jog Falls

Coastal Karnataka: Shringeri and Karkal

Travel to Coorg

To find the photos, you will have to scroll down the frame.

8 killed as terrorists attack CRPF centre in Rampur

Mera Bharat Mahan's dreary task of documenting terrorist attacks in India:

From The Hindu, 8 killed as terrorists attack CRPF centre in Rampur: Uttar Pradesh police suspect the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"Eight persons including seven jawans were killed in a pre-dawn terrorist attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Group Centre in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday."

The article goes on to say that central intelligence agencies had alerted the UP government about terrorist attacks on the camp, only 5 days after the UP courthouse blasts.