Meghe Dhaka Tara Page #4

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Head the papers those days ?

Ripples of suicide in Calcutta.

I was writing as the

Bengal Correspondent.

Thirty one suicides

in a city consecutively.

And the reason ?

Do you have suicidal ideation ?

Oh no!

Wasn't satisfied by just the article,

so I wrote an entire play.

It was turning into a good play.

Expressionist approach

much like Strindberg.

Stop these depressing stuff...

the audience will reject it.

In the morning...

was warming some borrowed

milk for the little one.

The rest...

...the rest hadn't

eaten since yesterday.

Suddenly Nutu, my third one..

...came and stood beside me.

He loves to eat, you know.

But we have never

afforded anything fancy.

He came before me, said...

"Ma.. I want to eat."

wicked boy...

gave him one whack...

next thing I know my Khuki screams...

Ma, something is wrong with Nutu!

Something is wrong with Nutu!

Something is wrong with Nutu!

You are glorifying suicide!

You are behaving

like the Police chief.

Are you the secret mole of the Police?

Censoring?

Whatever we write will be questioned?

Is this a free country ?

That is how the British police

censored 'Nil Darpan' shows.

So what's new?

Bloody pimp-

Come on. Start.

I cried. I cried a lot.

Sat at my door and wailed..

"And wailed.

Is there anyone?

Anyone out there who

understands my tears ?

Is there anyone ?

Is there anyone ?

Is there anyone ?

...who'd understand those tears ?

Bloody scoundrels all...

You understood ? - Right ?

Because l was a people's artist...

that was my job.

The rest were just

the choicest bastards...

...plain mediocre or CIA's agents!

Think about it and tell me.

- About what?

Why did those news of

suicides move you so much ?

Because they were just the symptoms.

I wanted to get to the root cause.

Like you.

Hmm...

That was? - Poverty, what else?

I was only recording

the great changes.

But the why did your

Party oppose you ?

Why could you not

finish your Gorky play ?

Why?

You left PTG. - Why?

There's no one with you today.

No friends, no one. Why.'

Because some looked for name,

fame, bank balance.

Some got depressed and looked

away and some went down fighting.

Hence.

But I..

...was smelling the

gunfire on the streets!

"We have no language...

no homeland..."

All thrown out of their own country.

"We have no destination...

no homeland..."

Grabbing our land now!

There is no good, There is no evil.

No kith nor kin.

Who says to slay is sinning ?

When this world is a

giant Carnival of killing,

Killing in the woods, Killing

in the huts, Killing in bird nests,

Killing in worm burrows,

Killing in vast oceans"

Killing in azure skies,

Killing to survive, Killing for play,

Killing for no reason,

Killing unintended...

What are you thinking ?

Many things...

lam unable to tie up the ends.

Theatre or films ?

Within the party or outside?

I being unable to

settle down anywhere.

You are being chased

by your flight of thoughts.

They never let you

be and that's what I fear.

A demonic criminality.

A strange madness.

What kind of madness?

Have you read about the

Greek legend of Sisyphus ?

King Sisyphus was

punished by the Gods,

to bear stones all his life.

So that his enormous strength,

may slowly ebb.

Because that was what he needed.

His strength made

those around him weak.

You must chastise yourself.

You must control yourself Bhoba.

You must simmer down your smoulder.

Or else all...

will be,

scorched around you.

What's happened ?

The Plays a hit!

But Bhoba,

all your broad big,

exaggerated gestures keep coming back.

It's all like only

your body is acting, false.

But that is what the

audience is lapping up.

Maybe because in this play"

"Raghupati needs to be

played with a superficial touch.

What are you thinking ?

Thinking.

How I have begged,

borrowed and stolen for a few shows.

It is so pointless.

How many people have seen them?

How much can you tell with so little ?

Have you seen De

Sica's Bicycle Thieves ?

Animesh ...explain it to Bhoba.

Listen...

Because you do it yourself you

don't feel the pressure for profits.

Had a producer been breathing

down your necks...

Correct.

- But Cinema ?

I know! How long have

you been around?

Huh !Think about

the sheer numbers!

Theatre provokes an immediate

reaction but that is inadequate.

And why are we looking at films

as money making machines ?

I am fed up of my job as

a medical representative.

There is a reason why

I am tense.

Eisenstein, Pudovkin...

had access to government funds

at a point of time.

The rest like Chaplin, De Sica

had a problem with funds.

Take my example.

How much do I earn

as an editor ?

We can all pitch in,

we are the producers.

Brilliant!

- As in?

Is this a joke ?

Bikram da l have not

fallen in love with films.

It is just a weapon

for me.

And tomorrow...

if you get a sharper sword ?

Will kick aside movies

and go forward.

Have you thought Bhoba,

what you will work upon?

I know him.

I had seen him.

Still stands the huge city,

it's sky scrapped by

a jungle of black wires.

I had seen him under that sky.

In a crowd of thousands

of city dwellers...

...another city dweller.

How long will your work deal

with migrants and refugees ?

As long as I can.

Because I don't believe

in these very terms.

Stop labeling people!

- But no one saw all that.

But that does not prove there is no

hardship and sorrow in the world.

And what about us ?

You've begged and borrowed

to make the film.

But you couldn't release it.

There are others

making movies too.

They're being shown around the

world, getting acknowledgments.

And you, going

around like a Vagabond.

There is no money in the house.

Money won't remain Dugga.

But my work will.

You'll see.

Your wife has a complaint...

...you are very whimsical...

Which do you prefer Doctor,

a slushy pond or...

a gushing mountain stream ?

I wouldn't have been able to

to lead the life of a school teacher.

Therefore...

...from poetry to prose

to theatre to films.

I had a lot to say.

This is not me.

This is Maxim Gorky.

Dinonath has just translated it

why will we have to justify this ?

Nobody wants to

believe you Bhoba.

Maybe not today but tomorrow.

You all are there, the party is there.

- Where is the party?

The party has dropped you Bhoba.

- What!

They say you, Mohit

and Anando...

You are

Trotskyte...Anarchists...

Bastards !!!

They've also been wary about

my relationship with Nilkantha.

But Aslam and I...

have already sent our justification

about the cultural front.

What happened to that?

That's also missing.

What!!!

- That is the problem!

There is a one-man commission

on our new play.

Comrade Basu had written a letter

protesting on our behalf...

...but... that too is missing.

Perfect!

So.. we then cannot remain

in group theatre anymore.

Even if I am not here...

...peoples theatre will remain in me.

Feeling very tired Doctor...

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