"Aamar shokol niye boshey achi shorbonasher ashay...."

bohukaal agey kono priyo kobi likhechilen...shotti kothata bhashay prokash korar er theke sohoj ar bodhogommyo upay bodhhoy ar thakena majhe majhe...mane ei je...onyo karo kobitar line churi kora.....tobe ei muhurtey e chara upay o nei....

:)  

(not open to interpretation) 

All's well that ends well.

So it's here. well, almost! I have waited for this day to come during many forlorn afternoons when I hated doing my project work, or during those bouts of loneliness which every one of us has gone through here-the utmost pining to go back home, or may be during those stressful days before recruitment when you never actually knew what are the interviewers going to actually ask you, or plain and simple exam time and more importantly results when you almost always never knew what went wrong with your answers. That and this.

And now when it's here, almost, I feel sad. The bouts of nostalgia springs up now and then..and the fact that I probably attended the last class of my student life, at least for the near future on 21st is yet to sink in.....I am yet to reconcile with the fact that 1.5 months from now I am not going to return back here and do all that that we have been doing as a batch for the past nine semesters. The tenth one is the final one. wake up kid! No am not a kid anymore you see. No more college student tag. No more notes photocopying tension. No more NALSAR. 

No more Carpe Diem practices, no more blue skies, no more evening chai, no more intense hours of leg pulling sessions with Shreya and Paridhi, no more long extended gossip sessions, no more random cooking sessions with Papa, runjhun and all, no more long discussions about Dil, Dosti etc. with Runjhun, shreya, Paridhi, Richa, Tavishi, Joyee, Pami, no more trip taking on 'why you are looking hot', no more world cup cheers in the common room with deeps, raadhika, swetali, samiksha, atrey, sadhika. No more intellectualized gossip with Runjhun and dhruv. No more dancing our hearts out on DJ night. No more random link ups with Satshya, Amrita and even more random Happy Birthdays in the mess and the class. No more classes. No more catching up on left over sleep (:P) No more sprinting against the sprinklers on lane while going to the mess. No more Tresspassing on the lawn while saying it aloud to the guard "Bhaiya, 5th year mein hain hum". No more "mim mim" and pandey jokes. No more Sunday breakfasts, Tuesday vadas and sambhar or Wednesday Appam. No more Tuesday dinner noodles. No more 12'o clock birthdays in the hostel. No more series of Happy Birthday songs after the cake cutting. No more 9'o clock TV watching and discussing why we don't meet guys like Madhavan in real life. No more socialising in the library . No more fretting over deadlines. The actual ones beckon now. No more NALSAR.

It's the time to write about memories of these five years for the college brochure. It's the time to say good bye. The series of farewell parties which saw the ladies swinging from the traditional saris to beautiful dresses in a span of one day-The Faculty lunch, The Vice Chancellor's dinner, the lunch for the non teaching staff, the juniors, the hostel party, the official college (SBC) farewell and the party thrown next day by juniors at Spoil- all of them are over now. The guys dressed up for a change and we had so many pictures clicked with all...old rivalries, cold wars, bitching forgotten. We will treasure all these memories....and the batch t-shirt....the controversy around it was not required, but now I have something to remind me (not that I need to be reminded) that the batch of 2006-2011 lived! and how :)

Good bye NALSAR! You gave me probably the best five years of my life. From the days of a carefree little girl to a twenty three year old girl who thinks (and only she thinks) that she knows the way of the world....you opened up horizons and opportunities for me which I would have probably never got if I didn't decide to leave the comforts of home at seventeen. Thank you is too small a word I suppose :)

Nuggets and more.

1. Now that house hunting is over, at least temporarily, I am gearing up for the big shift from being a student to a working lady soon. Well, a few days are still left before I graduate and I am enjoying it to the hilt, but I am also super excited to start work soon. I am going to miss being a student....but I am sure I will enjoy being the responsible taxpayer too. May be change is the only constant in life.

2. The jealous glares do amaze me now and then, but doesn't matter anymore. Koi nahi, pay package aur brand value hazam honey mein thoda time to lagega hi :) :P More so when they asked for that all out war while shouting from the rooftops. But truly speaking, I am at peace with myself. And nothing makes me happier than that.

3. That reminds me. I love to stay happy. My friends often compliment me (at least I count it to be a compliment) as "being high on life". True. I really dont need to take refuge to alcoholic drinks or smoking for that  matter to get that high. I don't have nay issues with people who drink or smoke, but somehow I still prefer my glass of "coca cola on the rocks" :P in parties.

4. Have lately taken a lot of interest in learning Continental dishes. I have learnt quite a bit of Indian sabzi daal and stuff by now. Have to learn 'amish' (non vegetarian) cooking though. But I am trying to pick up Italian and stuff from my friends who are really good at it. And guess what? I suppose I can cook a proper Italian meal now for the people who matter :) Learnt how to make mouthwatering Pasta (the red sauce variety), Sauteed Mushrooms and the mashed potato with garlic and milk. They tasted nice. Considering I know how to make Pizzas already, the Italian thing is quite a deal now I suppose :D. What next? may be lasagna :) and obviously chitol macher muithya which I have been trying to learn for quite some time now. I love to cook. It's therapeutic.

5. Have been reading this book called "The red Carpet" by Lavanya Sankaran. Considering that bookstores do sell it within the same bracket of a few books titled "Anything for you ma'am", "Oh! shit, not again", "Ofcourse I love you, until I find some one better"- I was obviously apprehensive (am even more apprehensive of the people who consider themselves literary enthusiasts after reading the above mentioned books and go ga ga over them- nothing personal against anybody, you might find my "Sesher Kobita". "Uaccustomed Earth", "A suitable Boy", "Hamlet" or "Angels and Demons" boring too...but it's just a personal take). But coming back to the point that is...I like the book...and the author. She is good...very different from the cult that she is being promoted as a part of. She writes about Bangalore....I quite liked the place, the one single time I visited it....but the very bong Calcutta (and to some extent Sunu Da's GK II and it's proximity to CR Park neighbourhood) enthusiast me also found it a very endearing and honest effort. Some day I would love to do a similar anthology on "Calcutta". There might be thousands of them...because "ei shahor janey amar prothom sobkichu"...but it will be the stories I want to tell :)

6. It's the last two day weekend in college. The remaining will have working Saturdays....somehow, the five years, though they didn't just pass by like that, was quite a journey. A journey that made women out of girls. :)

Lush blue and ecstatic green.

Does the title sound a bit odd? Well! it is meant to be :) Or to put it this way- These are the predominant colours of my life right now. Blue, as you must have guessed, is the bleeding obsession of the nation as we gear up for another cricket World Cup final tomorrow. And needless to say, the common room atmosphere is electrifying...so is the ambiance near the giant screen while the India matches are on!

And green we are...definitely...not with envy...but ecstatically proud of the vibrant batch...the best of the placements and LLM application acceptances (Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, NYU- you name it- we have it :P)- the batch of 2006-2011 is all fireworks!! "Amra nobin/ Amra Chonchol" and if I may add "Amra sobuj" :P :D

And that green thing is kind of infectious since we won Carpe Diem 2011 (our very own Intra college fest) with whopping margin of 2200 points. Agreed final years are vella and stuff...but this victory was extra sweet with those numerous 'batch' moments emerging in the dance rehearsals, movie spoof planning and the finale night- glimpses of which have been captured to be part of our facebook albums and in our minds...forever....a deleted photo tag can't undo the emotions of hysterical laughing and trip taking right?

That reminds me...this journey is almost over..or rather the phase of life that we emphatically remember as 'student life' is coming to an end and though I cribbed and jostled through these five years to get over, am really feeling sad after these days...I am going to miss the randomness. The part of being the batch of 2011 (that I always will be). The feeling of random "le lena" sessions that could commence anytime....To think of it the giant cauldron called NALSAR did something good for all of us....all of us from varied backgrounds and different parts of the country..some form way beyond...a few whom I might never meet after these days get over as they will move back to their own countries :))

The batch photoshoot was as enlightening as these five years have been and thanks to Swetali we have candid shots through the 'other' camera (the official one being the one used for the university publication stuff). Lot sof newly discovered link ups, happy birthday (you have to be from NALSAR to know the enigma of a happy birthday) and sheer joy of being a batch. From the cold wars to back biting, bitching, friendships, moments and pride- we have seen it all....but when we go out, we go out as a happy batch. 

So, am happy wappy and waiting for my batch t shirt to arrive- with the motif of the legendary neem tree on it. NALSARite forever :))

Nostalgia reigns supreme for me nowadays :))

P.S.- Have been away from my blog for  long..was pretty caught up with Carpe Diem planning and practice, submissions, house hunting and a few more interesting stuff you see :))

Good food that makes you think.

A deferred conversation which many people prefer calling email in the pedantic sense of the term, made me crave about home food...bong food...ghar ka khana...maa er hater ranna!!!!! Jyotika at the same time shared this awesome blogpost with me were a fellow blogger rants about her love for all things good about food...and no prizes for guessing...that essentially related to bong food :P. 

It's not a fact anymore but common knowledge that I love eating. Listing out favourites will be a cardinal sin, but yet I will go ahead with a few for which I have perennial craving for. and a few suggestion here and there.

1. Phuchka- This had to top the list. Panipuri, golgappas etc. etc. please take a backseat because nothing and i repeat NOTHING makes you ga ga about street food as authentic Calcutta Phuchka does. 

My picks- a) Rajender phuchka near Dakshinapon. b) CR Park Market No 1 phuchkawallah in New Delhi c) Sindhi Colony in Hyderabad (I located that one!)

2. Chitol Macher muithya- Uff!!! I am really going weak on my knees imagining those fishballs in that temting gravy. 

My pick- nobody makes it as good as my didun. Period. Already have the recipe with me, will learn it form her directly soon. I wish I could cook like her though.

3. Ilish mach- I love this one...prepared anyways. While the bangal way of preparing it on Sarswati pujo (light gravy with eggpants and kalojeerey) remians a favourite, I love the bhapa, bhaja and all other known varieties.

My pick- My pishimoni and Ma's kitchen.

4. Kochur shaak/bata/koura, Karkone bata, dhoney pata bata- Traditional ghotis can smirk at this one, but trust me, it tastes like heaven...of course you need good cooks at helm. My experience tells that true blue blooded ghotis also have enjoyed this fare at one of my relative's place...and needless to say they were always asking for more. In case you have a thing for spicy food and good food in general...do try!!

My picks- Again my Ma and Pishimoni's kitchen.

5. Vada/ Sambhar/ Crispy Dosa- I have to agree that this is an acquired taste and thankfully I wa slucky enough to discover this one. Tuesday morning breakfast in the mess means yumm Sambhar and Vada. Me and my friend tavishi have this alltime craving for the sambhar prepared Tuesdays and Sunday mornings. They taste so good and better than the other days. 

My picks- NALSAR university mess and Minerva Coffee shop in Hyderabad.

6. Fried Rice/Noodles/Bekti and Chilly/Schezuan/Lemon/pepper chicken..anything Chinese- I adore. Simply. Can have Chinese anytime of the day. 

My picks- quite a long list actually- a) Mainland China, Calcutta (Hyd one is not that good), b) China Town in Calcutta (any restaurant is good enough though my vote goes for Beijing and Bigg Boss) c) Ten Downing street in Hyderabad d) A newly opened eatery near my place...near the golfgreen more (forgot the name) e) Chungwa in New Delhi and e) Nan King in Hyderabad (obviously!!)

7. Mutton Kosha/Biriyani- Quite a tie. And i love them both. Acquired a taste for biriyani after coming to Hyderabad. 

My picks- For Mutton Kosha, has to be my mom's kitchen. I will try out Golbaari for sure sometime soon in Calcutta. For Briyani- Paradise in Hyderabad. Iconic and the winner all the way. In case you cant manage a seat at the upstairs restaurant, go for the take away. you will not rue it. Arsalan in Calcutta.

8. Subway- I love subway. It changed my perception about breads and sandwiches in general. Frankly speaking, before trying Subway I never thought that my taste buds can be friendly to breads also, since I am quite a rice person. But healthy eating at Subway makes me feel good. Love the Salads, cookies and of course the sandwich there.

9. Chocolate fudge from Nahoum's- That explains it all. 70 years and counting..threats of closure and change of ownership notwithstanding, the charm of Nahoum's continues..just like good old Calcutta and New market.

10. Nolen gurer sondesh and mishti doi- I am not a sweet dish fan and that's very hard to gulp down for some  of my non bong friends. But my bong sweet tooth makes an appearance here and there even when I have a preference for everything 'jhaal'. Give me nolen gurer sondesh from Balaram or Kalpana near my house and I will die for you.

And mishti doi!!! I love!! more than ice cream....in fact I respect houses which serve mishti doi as the dessert instead of ice cream. It's not a popular choice so many people don't serve it on occasions anymore. High on calorie, dalda and blah blah...but who cares. Kalpana's mishti doi...and I keep on dreaming!!!

In case you are counting calories after reading this...can't help it dear. who cares about calories when you can dream about the creamy and delicious mishti doi?

Rant on.

I have no qualms in accepting the fact that this blog, which had begun with my humble ambition of writing good and sensible stuff, has turned out to be my favourite place to rant. Of course I love bugging Shreya, Runjhun and Paridhi...but this one is also quite close to my heart :D

I am growing impatient by the day. I can't wait for November to come. As I might have already mentioned in this blog (or may be not), I am really looking forward to a very special occasion in November. Yes! my didibhai (my secret box, my pnpc partner, my favourite-esssttt cousin...and something more than that) is getting married to one of the sweetest guys I know. Since I will be earning myself by then, am searching for gift ideas. Something I can gift her apart from what my mom and dad has already planned to gift her. Suggestions most welcome :)

And I don't want this last few days of college life to end. Sigh! Fifth year, you are so much fun. And my batch-2006-2011....am going to miss you sorely.

I am the most confused person on this planet. 

Moments, places, people.

Photographs amaze me like anything. Each one of them tells a story of their own. Of a distant time, when the world was a different place to live in. Good, bad, better! that's up for debate. But like letters, photographs make me feel good. I love reading old letters. And i love glancing through photographs. I have this random collection of photographs- some taken by unknown geniuses across the world, some by famous ones on my laptop. Most of them relate to a few of my favourite people....people I wonder about. People like Gayatri Devi, whose beauty still remains an enigma to me. I thought of sharing them with everyone around. And of course! I collect photographs of Calcutta...The old chowringhee...so in case there is a overdose, please don't complain.

P.S. None of the photographs are taken by me. And no copyright infringement is intended. I will wholeheartedly give credit to the people who took them in case they come forward or if they ask me to take them off. I found them while doing random internet searches while in moods with patch of blue hovering around. So in case you have a problem. Please let me know :) I will be more than happy to oblige.

Nuggets

1. Aging gracefully is fun. I just realised that people who acknowledge and celebrate being fifty always end up on the positive side of the age debate. After all who minds the compliments like "Fifty? you still look so young". Bottom line- Accept your physical age. Wrinkles look good and wisdom even better. Salt and pepper is in and Grey is sexy. Also, It's your mind which does all the calculations. Be nice and be chirpy as a sixteen year old.

2. Went to watch Saat Khoon Maaf. And I just want to quote Gulzaar to describe the experience- "Aapko dekh ke, badi der se/Meri saans ruki hain..." Also, the security at Inox in GVK mall, Hyderabad asked my friends Shreya and Paridhi while pointing towards me "Inki umaar kitni hain?" Well! it was an A certified movie and I actually had to show my Voter ID card to get in. I didn't know how to react. He let my other friends enter. Only me and Runjhun were asked to ensure that we were more than eighteen. What to say?

3. Was in Calcutta last week. Had Mourola machher chochchori after long and I re-realised that I love food. It was good food week for me with the newly discovered Hot Chips outlet near my place taking the award for the debutant category.

4. Marriage invitations for all and sundry seem to be pouring in. And my parents are making it quite clear that it will be my turn very soon. Well! to think about it, I will love o get married. But only to the right person. And I made quite an effort to describe Mr. Right to my parents. In the end, I ended up singing Suman- "Tomar tulona aami khujina kokhono/ Bohu byabohar kora kono upomay". Wish I meet Mr.Right sometime soon :)

5. Had this really fun journey while coming back from the airport. Had Pami and two wonderful juniors like Chau and Sandipan for company. amazing weather, adda and songs which we adore- Rabindrsangeet, songs from teen bhuboner paarey to Hirok Rajar deshey, Chandrobindoo, Suman and Anjan Dutta. Thank you guys :))

6. Was sitting through a class lecture when it just occurred to me that why does the feeling a vernacular language is amiss in any other language known to you and you are quite comfortable with. Imagine this. "Lyang" and "lengi" sound optimistically brilliant about a foregone love affair and the calculative other half into it (Aranyer Dinratri anyone?). Whereas this new age- "dumping" "ditching" sounds so very "kejo". As if the affair wasn't one to remember. It was all about calculations. May be the words are quite reflective of the generations swearing by the lingo. But when Anjan Dutta sings about the girl (Mala?) who "lyang" ofies her poor boyfriend and settles with a rich man, it talks about a generation when the term love marriages were coined. And truly speaking, you empathise with Mala too.

7. That reminds me. Why do you call it Love Marriage anymore? As it is the term sounds horrendous. What is love? Isn't love getting to know the person and discovering him through the journey called Life. You begin as strangers and end up to be quite the good friends you are supposed to be. Does that idea of Arranged marriages sound good. For a person branded as Romantic to the hilt, that sounds quite an idea that Mr. Darcy should approve. In the end it's all about love....it's about the journey, not the convenience of it. Nowadays, the proverbial love marriages sound more like "marriage of convenience". But then again, who am I to comment on that? I am still in search of true love (wink) whichever way it reaches me.

Saraswati Pujo- not so long ago.

So today is Saraswati Pujo. and like every bongo nari worth her salt, I also have a few memories here and there. But the memories that one associates with Saraswati pujo primarily in the bengali diaspora (read bangalir valentines day and a few more) are somewhat absent in my case. The reasons are varied. One of them is the fact that since the time I have entered college, I haven't been able to attend one single Saraswati pujo. That's quite a 'long' five years. Isn't it?
While I was pondering on the issue about missing out on Sarswati pujo for five years straight during one of the class lectures (International Humanitarian law- was it) today morning that I realised that five years is indeed a long time. Time flies. But leaves a mark here and there. I could never have that perfect Saraswati pujo morning, 'yellow taant sari', jhari mara at para and then a very innocent love affair may be (mishti mishti prem)- the beginning of it, on Sarswati pujo. And I don't think I will ever have one in this life. The age is long gone.

Don't get me wrong. I love being twenty three and am really looking forward to turning thirty (and I have very different aspirations from gul panag on that count)...but I am equally at ease to acknowledge that every age and every passing by year brings with it it's own charm. Think about it. I will not trade being twenty three with being eighteen. and vice versa. Because twenty three has given me the confidence to take on the world (and now that my friend Runjhun has convinced the laziest side of me, I am seriously giving that book a thought). In short, it's like this I am more aware of myself and know that I have something to bank on. and regardless of how much we crib about life, we have all emerged victorious. And Eighteen was all about that lush green innocence with dash of pinks and blue. I still have blues, green and pink on my mind- all over it. But I have to acknowledge it- that starry eyed me at eighteen is widely different from me now at twenty three. And it's true for most of us. Pinks, blue and green stay on...just the quota of innocence (and rose tinted glasses) remain on the statistical flow chart :) You love that chocolate sundae right? And you love it more when you can buy that for yourself and your beloved ones-dad, mom, sister. Twenty three is about that. But that Rupees five candy ice cream(which my mom always told me was made of "nordomar jol"- water out of sewer pits) always tasted sweeter.

And this was about Saraswati pujo, right??? Oh! yes.

I never attended Saraswati Pujo in my school, Nava Nalanda since our founding fathers and mothers belonged to the Brahmo sect (ones among Hindus who do not believe in idol worship). never had the opportunity to attend Saraswati Pujo during my two years in Higher Secondary section in South Point, so don't know about that experience also. But then again people in Nava Nalanda had carefully planned out a completely different Valentines Day for itself. Trust the Nalandites to do that- some of the best brains in the city flocked in there. And any guesses what that day was. Well!! Pochishey Bosihakh, the day we celebrated the birth anniversary of the man who influenced me and continues to do so for generations that will be beyond my comprehension. Yes! Rabindrajayanti (or Nava Nalanda'r Rabindrasmaran was our very own homespun Valentines day (along with a dash of Reunion spirit) with laal paar sada shari, jui phooler mala and hint of first crush. Many of my friends invited their dates to come to the boulevard on that day and though I never had one, I loved discussing every bit of my crush on that young and dapper maths teacher of mine who never really thought anything me about me other than the very chubby para kid. Sigh!


But, I miss one thing about Saraswati pujo...actually two. Wearing Saris. That's the first one. For someone who loves wearing the garment on every other occasion, the day is a dream. My mom would never fuss about tying my sari, because she thought it was one day when I should wear it properly (I still can't neatly drape a sari and my mom always complain that why don't I learn it properly). And the second one is obvious, and you must have guessed it by now in case you even have an iota of hint about the bong foodie inside me. Yes! the Saraswati pujo menu. And there lies a huge twist also.

Most of the bong households (and that cuts through the Bangal-ghoti divide) traditionally prefer having Khichuri and other delicious vegetarian stuff on the day of Saraswati pujo. But people originally from Dhaka, Bikrampur or for that matter my ancestral village Bharakar, have this tradition of eating 'jora ilish' (twin hilsa fish) on the day Saraswati pujo.I am not sure whether it's  family custom or more of a 'lokachar' (custom of the people across a particular region), but that's what I remember. I remember my amma cutting the ilish into pieces after what I described as a 'pujo' with Holud (turmeric) and other memorabilia considered holy in the Bengali household. They were neatly put across in a tray which much to my amusement looked like the tottwo tray (gifts tray) used in Bengali marriages.
My father always had a tough time locating the jora ilish during this time of the year. Later, he switched to bringing two identical Hilsa fishes and then go ahead with the custom. The preparation was simple. The normal ilish beguner jhol (hilsa curry with eggplants), the way its is supposed to be on that day.My mom cooked the perfect variety with a splatter of  kalo jeerey (cumin seends) thrown in.  For me that was simply heaven. Rice and Ilish mach- Perfect bliss for me.
But all that was many eons ago, and that makes me realise- time flies. albeit with brakes in between. It will be five years this Christmas since Amma has left for her heavenly abode. We no longer have jora ilish during Sarswati pujo. It was not possible to get hold of one such jora ilish or for that matter two identical ones and once it was stopped, it was suggested we do not carry it forward any more. (It's almost a general belief in case a ritual or custom is involuntarily stopped somehow, one should not carry it forward or do so with some more customs thrown in- we of course switched sides with Khichuri which is a favourite with my sister and mom.) I haven't been home for any Sarswati pujo in between for the past five years. I haven't attended one single Saraswati pujo in my father's newly done up library downstairs. I have stopped missing the banter every time anybody would come to my house door to collect subscription money for their nondescript club and my father asking each one of then the correct spelling of 'Saraswati' in Bengali and in English.

But I still remain a sucker for that ilish beguner jhol. Everytime, I go back home, my mom makes sure I have enough helpings of my favourite ilish mach with that perfect dash of kalo jeerey. It's that 'one' dish that makes me proclaim that my mom is the best cook in the world. (I have actually three best cooks- My didun, ma and my pishimoni- don't be jealous :P). I still don't get to eat more than one or two Narkel er Kul (not translatable) even after Sarswati pujo. Earlier it was the fear of impending exams. Here it is simply not available- that's why. And I think I will almost end up enjoying the triumphant faces of those children on my doorstep spelling out - dontye shwo, ro, dontye shwoy bwoy, to ey dweerghoyi kar- and my father cheering them "very good" and giving them that coveted twenty rupees note. The inflation might have made the stakes higher and twenty might now spell fifty or hundred- but that is primarily an economist's debate. For me, somethings never change :) :)

Biddhye dao, Buddhi dao :)
Sri Sri Saraswati Debyoi Nomoh!

100th Post: Songs that stay on

So here it is. I mean the 100th post.  Am in two minds to give a Karan Johar-esque Filmfare speech. He apparently cried this time too. But that apart, it's been quite nice a journey...and now when I think about the shit I wrote, I doubt my intelligence. But then again, being emotional is not all about being foolish. Right? It's also about being in touch with nicer sides of life- the ones you share with two cups of piping hot tea. And thanks for all the appreciation and the bitching- both actually. And most importantly thanks for bearing with me. I can be obnoxious, uber senti and a walking talkathon- all at the same time- I guess a few people know that too well. But in spite of that people came back and read my blog. Commented and shared. That's actually nice you know.

I was thinking of doing something nice for the 100th post, when I came across a fellow blogger's list of favourite books. Well, thought of doing that. Actually, that's long overdue since Swayambhu Da has already tagged me in such a post of his. But not in a mood.....actually, I was reading 'Sex and the City' - the novel by Candace Bushnell and to tell you the truth, I am horrified...if that's what critics describe as "Jane Austen with a Martini"- DIE!!! I have silently taken refuge to a collection of short stories by Indian women across all languages (albeit translated in English) and Karan Bajaj's latest. 

So what's the other healer- yes, music. And here it is my list of a few of my favourite film songs which I love to listen and share with all, in no particular order. I am not including a few other genres with which I am mostly identified with (read Robi Thakurer gaan, Chandrobindoo, Suman) primarily because the list will be quite long then.

1. Ajeeb Dastaan hain yeh/Kahan shuru kahan khatam/ Yeh manzeelien hain kaunsi/ Na woh samajh sakein na hum.....

The iconic song with the iconic beauty. This song from Dil Apna Preet Paraya is one of the closest to my heart. Somehow I need to be in sync with the lyrics of a song to like it. And that's what precisely describes my fondness for this song. Serene, Calm and nostalgic. It's all about unspoken words, unsung romances (which as a Bengali fascinates me like anything)......na woh samajh sake na hum- that precisely :)

2. Hoyto Tomari jonnyo/Hoyechi premey je bonyo/ Jani tumi ananyo/ ashar haat barayi.....

Gangar ghat, Soumitra, Manna De, Good ole' Cal. Need I say more? 

What more does a woman want?  (exclude Phuchka and ghotigorom please!) :) :) 

3. Naina Milaike...Jhoot Kapat chhal kiyi ni.....

That Rahman is a magician is a foregone conclusion. But this song is also all about the wordsmith called Gulzaar. I once started learning Urdu quite religiously and it's an open secret that one of the reasons was primarily the temptation to read Gulzaar in the language he is close to, apart form Hindi. 

"Dil ki kachcheri mein muqadma chalai ke....mujrim humein kar diyi ni"

4. Phir Se aaiyo badra bidesi....

Namkeen's soundtrack is full of sweet nothings and this finds a place of glory. More so because the Meghpeon had a story to tell and long back it was all over :)

5. Lajey Ranga holo koney bou go/ Malabodol hobe aj ratey...

Let's face it. We love marriages. I love marriages and all the chaos associated with it. I once remember telling a gathering of pishis, jethis, kakimas that in case (of course I will) I get married it will be full on Indian style- the big fat bangali wedding- three days long. This song is all about that method in madness. 

"khaat dilam, palonk dilam/saatbhori sona/ raibaghini nonodi go khnota diyo na"

6. Uthche jege shokalgulo

Autograph's soundtrack has been a revelation and there is no denying that this was one of the best songs of the year. If only, there was no midriff baring Nandana Devsen!! Raima Sen or Radhika Apte or may be Vidya Balan- they are honorary bongs right? please!- "Khunshuti ar jhograjhati/ adda hobe khub jomati"- that's what we all crave for right?

7. Pachayi Niramey

This is a holy exception to my list of understandable lyrics category. Alaipayuthey, Madhavan, Maniratnam and Rahman in original...bliss!

8. Tumko Dekha to yeh khayal aayaa/ Zindagi dhoop tum ghana saaya

I rediscovered this song on a lazy sunday morning and thought it's the best thing to have happened to me since  the leading man in the movie. Yes! am a Farooq Sheikh fan :)

9. Dekha ek khwaab to yeh silsile huye....

There is something about unrequited love you know. and tulip fields. and probably the most controversial pairing of my father's generation. 

10. Hain aapna dil to awara/na jane kispe aayega...

I have listened to Hemonto Mukhopadhyay in Bengali and I still feel that this is one of his better sung songs. and obviously the panache with he sings it. "Hain ek tutaa hua tara/ na jane kispe aayega"

11. Aamar bhindeshi tara/ eka rateri akashey (re worked version- Antaheen)

Simply because it had to be there. I love the original more. No doubt. But somehow Shantanu Moitra did something really nice with this song. And add to it Anindya's charm (oh! that fichel hashi). Every work of art should be open to interpretation and Shantanu's version was a perfect ode to the original. "Aami payina chnutey tomay/ amar ekla lagey bhari". 

P.S. Anindya, the lyricist, I just wanted you to know- You have given words to those unspoken emotions more than once. At least for me.

12. Pretty Woman- the song.

The movie was fairytale. Richard Gere- a dream and Julia Roberts was catapulted to overnight stardom  And the song- :) :) "fairytale". That reminds me Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy did a wonderful job in Kal Ho na Ho while they reworked it.

13. Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon

I have heard that Mukesh was primarily known as the voice of Raj Kapoor. I wish he wasn't stereotyped because of that. This particular number from "Kabhi Kabhie" makes you fall for that tall lanky guy on screen singing the nagma's so well. And Mukesh is heavenly.

14. Yeh tumhari meri baatein/ humesha yunhi chalti rahein

I love Farhan Akhtar and I love the musical sense he inherited. I loved his raspy voice in Rock On. But the film remains special for this song. Conversations are delightful. Who won't like to describe a relationship like that?

15. Ami Chini go chini tomare/ ogo bideshini

Don't get me wrong and am not like that Youtube junkie who wrote that Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Sokhi Bhabona kahare boley" for Ekti Tarar khonje. But This makes it to the list because of Kishore Kumar. and the picturisation- one of the best picturisation of Robindroshongeet on screen (Ray's genius- what more do you expect?) I think my love for Soumitra is well known by now. So I won't delve on that much. I love the note on which the song ends- "Ogo Bouthakurani"

16. Aami Miss Calcutta 1976

Aparna Sen- Period.

17. Aamar din katey na/ Aamar raat katey na/ Dingulo je kichuteyi pichu hatey na

Choddobeshi was a cult comedy and this song is one of the best of that 'purboraag' mode I have ever heard.

18. Aabke Saajan sawan mein

This one's from Choddobeshi's Hindi remake - "Chupke Chupke". Sharmila Tagore and the fellow bongs (You know Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Jaya Bhaduri- yes! 'them') in the unit to do justice to the story and this song.... "itney badein ghar mein nahi..ek bhi jharokha"

19. Besh korechi prem korechi

Trust Mithu Mukherjee and Ranjit Mullick to unabashedly declare the affair and how! Btw, It was Mouchak.

20. Thare Rahiyo O baanke yaar

I remember Pakeezah for two reasons. Meena Kumari and her feet - "aapke pair bohot khoobsurat hain/ inhe zameen pe mat rakhiye/ mailey ho jayenge" and this song. Lata Mangeshkar- Hail!

21. Dil cheez kya hain aap meri jaan lijiye

Lyrics. Poetry. And if we talk about Lata can the sibling be far behind? Asha ji, you are my favourite. More so because you can only sing "Aagey khud hi janlo/ Iske aagey hum/ aur kya kahein/ jaanam samjha karo"- and at this age.

22. Ei poth jodi na sesh hoy tobe kemon hoto tumi boloto?

And I will close the list with the iconic Bengali Romantic song. This one permeates through ages and generations with elan. Rina Brown! Uttam-Suchitra- need I say more?

And I am not happy because songs like- "sob khelar sera bangalir tumi football", "Jodi hoyi chorkanta oi sharir bhanjey", "Nari choritro bejay jotil, kichui bujhtey parbe na, ora kono law maney na, tai oder naam law law na" :P and "ekey to phagun mash darron ey somoy, legeche bishom chot ki jaani ki hoy" was missed.

Also, "Ke tumi Nandini/Agey to dekhini"- Remember Parar pujo? Ashtami anjali? and Jhari mara?- I know you get it.

And 90's Hindi film songs- You are truly my life line. I can listen to "Ghoonghat ke aar se dilbar ka" and "Ek do teen" anytime. I think I will now make a list according to genres. That sounds a better idea.