Jaatishwar Page #5

Intermission.

Hello,

we're now with the fifth

documentation of the coursework.

It has been about seven

days we've come to Kolkata.

I have already had two

sessions with Mr. Kushal.

And we've covered most

of Antony's early life.

The plan is to gather as much information

as possible about Antony...

...before we can cross-check for

authenticity with historical sources.

So today, we'll look into the

musical career of Heynsman Antony.

Somehow Antony had been able to...

...come out of the infamous

company of weed-smokers.

Slowly,

he had started with his music.

Kabigaan was very popular

back in those times.

So, to listen to Kabigaan

for the first time...

...Antony went to...

...'Raja' (zamindar)

Gopi Mohan Deb's court.

Shovabajar,

courtyard.

The Kabigaan fight was between

veteran bard, Horu Thakur...

...and his ex-students Nilu

Thakur and Bhawani Bene's group.

Inspite of having many students,

...Horu Thakur's

favourite student was...

...Bhola 'Moyra' (sweetmeat maker).

Which is why Nilu

Thakur and Bhawani Bene's

...were very jealous of him.

So,

the group of students disintegrated.

They formed a new group.

It was...

...midnight.

Horu Thakur...

...started singing.

Only if I had known beforehand,

my friend

That Lord Krishna's emotion

is indeed a venomous potion

Only if I had known beforehand,

my friend

That Lord Krishna's emotion

is mixed with a venomous potion

Only if I had known beforehand,

my friend

The Honoured,

my friends, in all innocence,

Wouldn't have been

deceived in this way

The Honoured,

my friends, in all innocence,

Wouldn't have been

deceived in this way

Only if I had known beforehand,

my friend

That Lord Krishna's emotion

is indeed a venomous potion

Only if I had known beforehand,

my friend

Just after Horu Thakur's

Sakhisangbad got over... -

- Sorry. Sakhisangbad... what's that?

A part of Kabigaan.

There were mainly five

rounds in a Kabigaan duel.

Bhawani bishayak...

...where various songs were

sung about Goddess Uma or Durga.

Sakhisangbad...

...which was about Radha and

Krishna's love story in Vrindavan.

Viraha...

...written about normal people,

sad love songs.

Kheur...

...songs about gods and goddesses...

...which had frivolous,

sometimes rather...

...indecent lyrics.

And Lahar,

direct personal attack.

Insulting the opponent by

singing the most indecent of verses.

Thanks.

Please continue.

Brilliant! Salutations!

Nilu Thakur realized that Horu Thakur

had impressed the 'Raja' and the audience...

...much before he

reached Kheur round.

So, instead of singing Kheur...

...he sang Lahar and started insulting

Horuthakur with his vulgar verses.

But that did not help.

According to the Raja and the

public's verdict, Horu Thakur won.

And Antony acquired a new passion.

Kabigaan.

But...

...it must have been very difficult.

Err... I mean...

...I know that Antony...

...had been hearing Bengali

all around him since childhood,

he could even speak it. But...

...writing songs in that language... -

- Of course it was difficult.

Initially he used to

speak Sanskritized Bengali...

...because he had

learn it from the books.

Later, by interacting

with the natives...

...as in the villagers...

...he learnt the

colloquial version too.

He had written songs but

in Protuguese, not yet in Bengali.

And then...

...something struck him.

The main topic of

songs back then were...

...Vaishnav and Shakto Padabali,

as in...

...Radha, Krishna, Uma, Menoka...

and many more...

...of such gods and

goddesses from the Puranas.

He began by learning

Sanskrit from a tutor at home.

After all, the Language of the Gods.

It took time.

But he had learnt Latin

from his father as a kid, so...

...though he faced problems initially,

gradually he picked up.

After learning Sanskrit

Antony felt like he had...

...opened a door with a key.

He discovered a huge,

ancient, magical universe.

He had heard of it but never seen it.

But he could see it now.

He started reading

'Shastras' (holy scriptures).

Vedas, Upanishads,

Puranas, Upapuranans,

he read everthing.

He had music in him.

He learnt the topic and

the language of the songs.

But to understand how that language

morphed into lyrics of a song

he started listening

to Bengali folk music.

Jhumur, Panchali, Murshidi, Bhawaiya,

he'd go land up

anywhere and everywhere.

He listened carefully. And...

...he'd be on the look

out for Kabigaan duels.

He'd rush to the venue,

wherever it was, village or the city.

Bhola Moyra, Keshta 'Muchi'

(cobbler), Thakur Singha,

Ram Basu,

these guys were the masters.

Is he a Hindu God?

Or a Muslim Peer?

Oh, tell me, tell me, tell me!

Oh, tell me, tell me, tell me!

So now you understand,

this Horu Thakur of yours

is not the Lord Krishna we know

He's the universe while this

one's a retard, dense and slow

This one's a retard, dense and slow!

This one's a retard, dense and slow!

During that time Antony had been to

Kumarkhali to listen to Fakiri music.

A student of Shiraj Shah,

had become very famous.

No one's interested in the truth

No one's interested in the truth

Only brouhaha, meaningless

Rancour, in the name of caste

Is indeed a strange business

Rancour, in the name of caste

One who visits the whore on the sly

Is called faithless, I wonder why

- Listening to his music Antony understood,

even after the melody,

the lyrics and the topic of the song,

a huge component remains.

The philosophy.

Lalon wonders what indeed is caste

Lalon wonders

Fakir Lalon wonders

Lalon wonders

Lalon wonders what indeed is caste

A strange deception

which never ceases

Rancour, in the name of caste

Is indeed a strange business

Rancour, in the name of caste

No one's interested in the truth

At a point he realized

a 'Dnarakabi' group was... -

- Sorry. 'Dnarakabi'?

Ameteur bards. As in...

...you could say, an amateur group.

So, Antony thought of

forming an amateur group.

Which is when he met...

...an upcoming 'Bnadhandaar'.

Gorokhhonath.

Sorry...

...'Bnadhandar' was the person who would

compose the lyrics for the bard.

It's not that all bards would

sing songs written by themselves.

The groups often had 'Bnadhandars'.

So you're coming?

Hope there will be some

depressing snacks for lunch?

For sure.

And some fat books on Bengali literature

to be used as paper weights.

Fine then.

I'll have a look at my schedule.

We need to screen a lot of bands.

We need to separate

the wheat from the chaff.

Yes. More than a thousand

bands have registered.

And the judges will be divided

into groups to screen them.

Your remuneration?

Everything depends

on my work pressure.

There will be a bit of

work pressure at that time...

...but I'll definitely

try to make it.

I'll be happy to judge.

Okay listen,

when you go to meet Rupam,

please take me with you,

I think he's very cute.

You haven't heard Rupam Islam

music enough to find him cute.

Shut up, moron!

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