{"id":5905,"date":"2020-11-09T13:09:03","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T07:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=5905"},"modified":"2021-11-15T09:48:12","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T04:18:12","slug":"ke-jaino-go-dekechhe-aamay-the-songs-of-soumitra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/ke-jaino-go-dekechhe-aamay-the-songs-of-soumitra\/","title":{"rendered":"Ke Jaino Go Dekechhe Aamay: The Songs of Soumitra"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Soumitra<\/a>

Soumitra Chattopadhyay in Benarasi<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

As a kid, the first image that used to pop up in my mind when someone said \u201cSoumitra\u201d was of the tall, strapping, handsome and supremely confident Feluda. Feluda could see what others could not, Feluda could catch a deadly scorpion with an overturned glass and not even blink, Feluda could ride a camel and fight goons on a train. Feluda was my capeless superhero.<\/p>\n

As I grew up, Apu emerged as my alter ego. I could not be the rebel he was, but his irrepressible hopes and dreams were infectious. He was the face and the voice of the characters I loved \u2013 be it Tagore\u2019s Amal in Charulata<\/em> or Sarat Chandra\u2019s Naren in Datta<\/em>. It was easier for me to visualize the stories I read while in school, I would not have to imagine what Naren looked like. Soumitra slipped into Naren\u2019s shoes as if he had never been out of them. He was a burst of fresh breeze like Amal. He was one of us.<\/p>\n

Living in Delhi our brush with Bengali cinema happened only through Doordarshan, Durga Puja and an occasional charity show in our local club Vivekanand Vihar or a retrospective or Bengali film festival in Savitri Cinema, Mavlankar Hall or Pyarelal Bhavan. Whatever little we saw of his films stayed and became part of the psyche. While Uttam Kumar was the gorgeous charismatic hero, the eternal romantic singing immortal songs on screen and sending our hearts aflutter, Soumitra was the grounded, real slice of daily life guy, sans the trappings of flamboyance or mush. If he was the suave, rich and confident Asim of Aranyer Din Ratri<\/em>, he was the vagabond turned scholar Subir in Teen Bhubaner Paare<\/em>, the evil yet dynamic Mayurbahan of Jhinder Bandi<\/em>, the rugged Narsingh of Abhijan<\/em>, the compassionate Jayanta of Atal Jaler Ahwan<\/em>, the shy do-gooder of Kinu Gowalar Gali<\/em>, the simpleton Gokul of Baikunther Will<\/em>, the stoic teacher of Atanka<\/em>, the indomitable handicapped doctor of Wheelchair<\/em>\u2026the list goes on. The felicity with which he moved from one character to another saved him from getting typed or cast in an \u201cimage\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

In Jhinder Bandi<\/em> as the rakish villain Mayurbahan<\/p><\/div>\n

The 14 films with his mentor Satyajit Ray have been much talked about and personally for me, each one of these has been a textbook of cinema. I have lost count of how many times I have watched Aranyer Din Ratri, Apur Sansar <\/em>and Charulata<\/em> \u2013 each time finding something new. My colleague and dear friend Amitava Nag\u2019s thoroughly enjoyable and informative video lecture series on Ray films<\/a><\/span> offered yet another set of fresh new perspectives and I woke up to unseen aspects of Ray\u2019s films, and needless to say Soumitra Chatterjee\u2019s performances.<\/p>\n

But today, as I look back on how this actor, has subtly been an inextricable part of my childhood, adolescence, youth and now grey-haired days, I\u00a0 am at a loss at even trying to attempt to chronicle the aspects of his craft that affect me so deeply. He never seemed to be there because he was playing a role. He was the character. Period.<\/p>\n

\"Soumitra<\/a>

Apu plays Jodi taare nai chini go sheki<\/em> on his flute<\/p><\/div>\n

Let me thus rewind to something that stays in my mind, like an endless long playing, even when the film is over \u2013 the music. Many of Soumitra Babu\u2019s films had exceptional music and it started with the first of them \u2013 Apur Sansar<\/em>. You may wonder, but Apur Sansar<\/em> doesn\u2019t have songs! Yes, it doesn\u2019t. But can you forget the Rabindra Sangeet Jodi taare nai chini go sheki<\/em> that Apu plays on his flute as he leans against the door of their little one room barsati apartment and watches Aparna go about her chores on the terrace, stoking coal in the small clay oven? It\u2019s a beautiful romantic moment that tugs at your heartstrings. No need to prance around the Swiss Alps to express love.<\/p>\n

Ray picked Kishore Kumar to sing the Rabindra Sangeet Ami chini go chini tomare<\/em>, an unusual choice of voice for a Tagore song but when the energetic Amal breaks out into a song, playfully teasing his sister in law Charu, the youthful voice of Kishore Kumar sits pat on the boyish exuberance of the young Soumitra. You can\u2019t help smiling through the entire song.<\/p>\n

Ami chini go chini tomaare<\/em><\/strong> (Charulata<\/em>, 1964) Rabindranath Tagore \/ Kishore Kumar<\/span><\/p>\n