Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee |
12.12.21
Vinod Dua
Indian Television matured in the 1980s with contributions of persons like Pronoy Roy and Vinod Dua, who for the first time showed how election results could be covered on television. They probably psephology in Indian television in a way never before seen or experienced. In presentation, they complemented each other like Jay and Viru of Sholay. While Pronoy Roy addressed mostly the English knowing and speaking intellectuals, Vinod Dua connected more with the masses with his chaste Hindi and lucid translation of the terms and concepts that Roy presented.
Vinod Dua did
programmes of different genre including a food show titled 'Zaike India ka' for
different channels. Each of his shows bore the distinct stamp of his persona-
straight, factual, to the point.
His contemporary
and college mate Prof. Satya Misra writes, … “he was the fearless symbol of
fourth pillar of democracy whose bluntness was softened by humour and comments
sharpened by objectivity and sarcasm. His soul was not sold out to any
corporate or political party. With his passing away,a slice of fearless
journalism has been hived off.”
While many of the
journalists chose to court the high and mighty, Dua chose to travel the
difficult path of truth and justice. He suffered but in a queer way won.
Generations of journalists will remember him as a role model to follow.
Caricature: Jayaraj
Vellur, Kerala.
Reboti Bhushan@100
This is the
centenary year of a great artist, poet, cartoonist and calligrapher Reboti
Bhusan Ghosh (1921-2007), who mesmerized three successive generations with his
caricatures, cartoons, limericks, and illustrations.
Born
in Bally in Howrah district of West Bengal, Reboti Bhusan grew up in his
ancestral house near the river Ganges. The ambience was so scenic that it had
an ever-lasting impact on him.
It was in
1942 when the freedom movement was gaining momentum, young Reboti got an
opportunity to meet his inspiration Ababnindranath Tagore. Mentored by
Ababnindranath, Reboti’s brush strokes became more powerful and
instinctive.
His first
political cartoon was published during his college days when he was studying
Sanskrit as an undergraduate student at Kolkata’s Ripon College. Renowned
Bengali litterateur Pramathanath Bishi, who was also a professor in that
college, incidentally saw his cartoon on the college wall magazine. With his
persuasion it was later published in Sachitra Bharat, one of
the leading Bengali satire magazines of the time. This paved the
path for Reboti’s illustrious journey.
His
cartoons started appearing in almost all leading dailies and magazines like Anandabazar,
Satyajug (Bengali edition of TOI), Yugantar, Sachitra Bharat,
Dainik Basumati, Shanibarer Chithi, AchalPatra, Betar Jagat, Ulto Rath and Nabakallol.
At the same time, he drew humour illustrations for children’s magazines
like Sishu Sathi, Sandesh, Suktara and Mouchak. In
his column titled ‘Vyanga Boithok’ in Yugantar daily, Reboti
started writing funny rhymes along with his cartoons. It was indeed an
inseparable amalgamation and became an instant hit in the reader’s
circles.
Reboti Bhusan was one of the first
artists to try his hand at animation. Reboti’s mastery in animal illustrations
caught the attention of Shankar. He used to send his cartoons to Shankar’s
Weekly. Animals took centre stage in most of his cartoons. On Shankar’s
request he joined CBT as a senior artist and illustrated several children’s
books. During his 20 years stay in Delhi he freelanced for National
Herald, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Pioneer, Financial Express, Delhi
Statesman, Saptahik Hindustan, Janayug, Dinman etc.
Reboti
spent his last years in his ancestral house, enjoying nature and spending time with the local kids. He died in
2007 due to heart and other ailments.
A
month-long celebration of his life and work, is being organized as a part of the
"Cartoon Fest" in
Kolkata
from 5th December 2021 to 5th January 2022. Go attend that if you can.
Marriage
invitation card
This being the
marriage season in the part of India that I live, I get many invitation cards
of different shape, size and design. Many of the cards follow some set
template: photo of Gods and Goddesses (Lord Ganesh being the favourite, closely
followed by Lord Jagannath and of late Prabhu Shriram) or Peacocks or flowers
on the front page. Even the text follow a set pattern and template. However,
there are cards which break the set pattern and bring in freshness.
Recently I received
an invitation card from two of my students who are marrying each other. Both
are from Western Odisha. The invitation card has been written in chaste
Sambalpuri, the lingua franca of that
region. The invitation begins like an essay on the importance of marriage. I am
impressed! Another student, who used to draw cartoons, designed his marriage
card using cartoons of himself and his would be wife.
The one marriage
card that so touched my heart that I framed it and hung in my study room is the
one I got 16 years ago. It carries a doodle by Rabindranath Tagore, which also
contains some lines of a poem that he was peening. Rabindranath Tagore had this
habit of writing and making corrections by drawing doodles. His doodles have
been highly praised by erudite art-critics. But to use it on the cover of a
marriage invitation card! Now read the lines. Those of you who can not read
Bengali- let me tell you it is a poignant poem celebrating love.
This was an
invitation card of one Saikh Safiullah of Birbhum district, who was marrying
Jaisminara Khatun of Birbhum both in West Bengal. I have forgotten them and the
person who had sent me this card. But for the last 16 years I have preserved
this card.
Difference
The fundamental
difference between Sunder Pichai and me is that, he works for Google and Google
works for me.
(Courtesy: Social
Media)
++
Journalist turned
media academician Mrinal Chatterjee lives in Dhenkanal, Odisha. He also writes
fiction and plays.
mrinalchatterjeeiimc@gmail.com
This column is published every Sunday in Gangtok based English daily Sikkim Express and www.prameyanews.com
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