Writings
Will Vijay Thalapathy’s political party be a blockbuster, or will it collapse at ballot box
Tamil cinema superstar Vijay Thalapathy is shaking up Tamil Nadu politics within just 18 months of launching his political party ‘Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam’ (TVK). The name means ‘Victory of the Tamil People’; but the question is—will he stop at creating a stir, or will he truly change the rules of the game? Let us try to understand that today.
Selim Al Deen: A marvellous wordsmith
In Selim Al Deen’s works we find a profusion of polysemous sentences, where along with Sartre’s “direct meaning” lie hidden several other meanings. For instance, one sentence from “Hargaj” is: “If the storm is blind, then why did it not make a mistake with the cooking pot?”
Reader’s transformation, writer’s worries
No one now soaks their pillow in tears reading stories or novels as before. Now eyes are fixed on the TV or on the screen of a mobile phone held in the palm. Who bothers to wander through colourful fantasy by reading black and white letters? One writer says to another, “What’s the point of writing so much, brother, no one reads those things.”
Kobi Guru took his final bow in the monsoon of Srabon
The monsoon always held a special place in the heart of Rabindranath Tagore. It was not just a season but a muse a rhythm that echoed in his verses and the sky under which his creativity soared.
Book launch of Kachamithe Pholer Chhora
The launch and publication celebration of the children’s rhyme book Kachamithe Pholer Chhora (Rhymes of Tangy-Sweet Fruits) by children's author Amit Kumar Kundu was held in Dhaka.
The Dhamrai Rathajatra and the nature of Asharh
Asharh means kadam flowers, Asharh means rain, and the festival of Rathajatra. In Bangladesh, it is a beautiful fusion of nature and culture. On the morning of the 13th of Asharh, a brief shower occurred. Ignoring the drizzle, I set off from Dhanmondi to Dhamrai. The sky remained cloudy. Since childhood, I have heard that it always rains on the day of the Rathajatra, meaning chariot pulling, with every pull of the chariot's rope. In different places, the rope is pulled at different times. Does that mean it rains locally at those places? Perhaps not. But such is the nature of Asharh rain—it doesn't last continuously for long. It comes and goes.
Khalil Gibran and the dominance of the heart
How can what Khalil Gibran has written be explained; after reading each of Gibran’s books, such a question arises prominently. The main reason is that he has cancelled the connection and unity of place, time, and character from his writing.
Pete Seeger: A protester against war
Amid the global wars of the 20th century, one of the most vocal voices against them was American folk music legend Pete Seeger. A passionate singer devoted to folk music, Pete was a tireless advocate for peace.
Names those will be written in tears
A year has passed. Before we knew it, 2024 is now behind us. The Earth has once again orbited the Sun. So many words and stories have accumulated over the past year. In the new year, a new story will begin. However, some names will not be part of that story. This past year, we have lost many dear people. Some have lost family members, while others relatives. Even if they weren’t family, there are people who connect with us in such a way that they become like close friends, or even family. At the end of the year, their names are recorded in the annals of memory. Newspapers have published tributes to them under the heading, "Those We Lost This Year." It seems like just a list of names, numbers, and individuals. But their contributions to our arts, literature, and culture are so significant that they can’t simply be captured in a biographical account. Even though they have passed from our sight, their names continue to be written in our tears.
Hollywood’s dirty little secret
The allure of fame often comes with a darker side that many celebrities struggle to navigate. Amid the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the pressures of maintaining a public image, relentless media scrutiny, and the demands of the entertainment industry usually lead some stars down to a path of substance abuse.