Revisiting Opur Sansar

those about to smile eyes,
the strand of hair misplaced
a sindurer tip, so cozy
(A famous still from Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar, starring Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore) 

 

 

Nine years is a long time
some would say a life time
and yet Sharmila hasn’t aged.
Strange,
those about to smile eyes,
the strand of hair misplaced
a sindurer tip, so cozy.

My daughter rides her cycle
her new bell rings out loud,
louder than Apu’s train in fact
it hides the sudden tears
of a happy copulated screen,
suddenly gone Kafkaesque.

In the distance are scraps of little dreams
floating in
from another’s novel-
destroyed, stamped over
adrift, on a strange hillock.

Apu resides there,
I’m told
alone, voiceless, mindless.
I stare at my walls-
in the yellow of an evening light,
a pig is dead.
I put on a switch
Kajal lit eyes screech in happiness.

I have always hated the word ‘sansar’,
Did Apu smile at last?
I look twice, touch him on the screen
and smile back.

(Written on watching Ray’s ‘Apur Sansar’ again after nine years last week)

About the Author

Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury ( 3 Posts)

Maitreyee B Chowdhury is a web columnist, poet and creative writer. She is author of three books 'Reflections on My India', 'Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen: Bengali Cinema's First Couple' and 'Where Even The Present Is Ancient: Benaras'. She writes on cinema and art too. Maitreyee writes for Criterion Literary Journal; a journal of media studies 'Kottaka'; Indian Express (Bay Area); Indian Ruminations; YOMO Art Gallery (South East Asian Art House); Gallery 2000 (French Art House); The Sip of Life, etc.
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