Bongs: The food loving, gourmets

No doubt, the bengali mothers spend most of their time of the day in the kitchens, cooking one dish after the other. The bengali tribe is known for it's love for food. Kolkata is one place, where there are a variety of cuisines available. "Oh! Calcutta" is definitely a must try (esp. for the Delhiets) if you are interested in quality bengali cusine.

The height of the love for food amongst 'bongs' can be judged from the transcript below, which is a sample transcript of a typical conversation between two lovers. Yes, both of them are bengali.

Girl: Ranna shesh holo. (Just finished cooking)
Boy: Ki baanal e, lunch e? (What did you prepare for lunch?)
Girl: Macher maatha aar laau diye sobji, daal, macher jhaal, aamer chaatni aar bhaath.
(Vegie with Fish-head and 'ghiiaa', daal, fish with musturd sause and chilli, mango chatni and rice)
Boy: Bah! tumi to khub bhalo mey. (Bah! you seem to be a very good girl) [The first deviation from 'food' in the conversation....]
Girl: Thank you... Tomar ki khete bhalo laage non-veg e? (What do you prefer in non-veg?) [Back again on 'food']
Boy: Chicken
Girl: Amader biyer pore tomake roj weekend e chicken er dish baniye khawaabo...
[After our marriage, I will prepare a new chicken dish for you on every weekend]
Boy: ummm... good...
...... and so on...

No doubt for them, food forms an essential part of their relationship.
Bon appétit 'bongs'.

Inteha Jagjit Singh

This is the name of the new ghazal album by Saheb (Big Music, Big Music and Home Entertainment). Released after a gap of couple of years, this ghazal album features 8 tracks, and thankfully containing ghazals by various poets.

There are two ghazals by Payyam Sayeedi (remember "ab ke baras bhi" & "hum dosti ahsaan wafa" from yesteryears releases of JS?), and one each by Faragh Roohvi ("dekhaa jo aaiinaah"), Rajinder Rahbar ("tere khusboo mein base khat"), Sanjay Masoom, Aalok Shrivastav, Amjad Islam Amjad ("chaand ke saath kaii dard") and Naseem Ajmeri.

The compositions are good and especially good is the rendition of "intehaa aaj ishq ki kar di" (Payyam Sayeedi). However, age has taken its toll over his voice as is pretty evident in this record. I think, he should now refrain from releasing and recording studio albums. Concerts are still OK, but not studio recordings.

In terms of poetry, "Inteha" is better than his earlier records, though choice of poetry could have been better. A romantic album by Saheb, could not have come at a better time in my life, than at present.

Here is the lyric of "Manzilen kya hain...." (Aalok Shrivastav), the ghazal having the most catchy tune in the album. Again JS outsmarts all other composers, in this very short beher (10 syllable) composition. The beher of the ghazal is Khafiif musaddas makhbuun mahzuuf maqtau with the pattern 2122-1212-22.

Manzilen kyaa hain raastaa kyaa hai,
hauslaa ho to faaslaa kyaa hai.

Woh sazaa deke door jaa baithaa,
kis se poochoon mirii khataa kyaa hai.

Jab bhii chahegaa chiin legaa woh,
sab usii kaa hai aapkaa kyaa hai.

Tum humaare qariib baithe ho,
ab dawaa kaisii ab duaa kyaa hai.

Chaandnii aaj kis liye nam hai,
Chaand kii aankh mein chubhaa kyaa hai.

N.B: This ghazal is ‘hamradeef’ with the famous ghazal by ‘Ghalib’, “dil-e-naadan tujhe huaa kyaa hai”…. I have no doubt, that if “pressed”:) , JS can render both the ghazals in vice-versa tunes.