সবাই চায়না নিয়ে কিছু না কিছু বলছে , লিখছে, বা আঁকছে। তাই ভাবলাম আমি ও কিছু বানাই। কেমন লাগল, জানাবেন।
DISCLAIMER: THERE IS NO INTENTION OF HURTING RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS.
Presenting 'Oh-My-God-ji", from the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis'). Guest starring Human-ji. 'Oh My God' (OMG) is an exclamation used to express disbelief, frustration, excitement, or anger. That's when a mere mortal is using it. However, if a God intends to express similar feelings, what will the expression be then? Competion entry. Theme was to design a poster for any one of Ray's immortal movies. I chose 'Devi' (The Goddess) because it dealt with a topic that very few Directors in India have had the guts to explore: religious dogma and doctrines.
07 May (25-e Boishakh as per Bengali calendar) marks the birthday of one of the most prolific literary figures the world has ever seen. Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore, despite being born into a family of extreme wealth and influence, with all the worldly privileges at his disposal, showed tenacity, consistency, and compassion in his works like no other! The sheer magnitude of his portfolio (both in terms of quality and quantity) is a testimony in its own right - poems, novels, short stories, plays, songs, paintings.
While looking for a single word (pardon my audacity!) to describe his Superman-like talent, I came across an interview of Chandril Bhattacharya, where he describes it as "Danobik Biratottyo" (monstrous enormity). Quite apt, I must admit. Maha Shivratri special... Presenting 'Parvati-ji", from the the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis'). Guest starring Hoomanji... It is widely believed (or so I've heard) that married women celebrate this holy festival by praying for the wellbeing of their husbands. Unmarried women, on the other hand, pray for a husband like Lord Shiva, who's considered as the perfect husband... The lion is courtesy of www.kindpng.com Presenting 'Indra-ji", from the the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis').
Lord Indra, also referred to as 'Devraj' (King of the Gods and Heaven) is the Hindu God of Thunder and Rains. His powers are similar, though not identical, to other European deities such as Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, etc. Although portrayed as a great hero, he's known for getting into trouble every now and then, due to his indulgent and pompous lifestyle (too fond of 'Sura' / wine, song and dance). There are several instances in the holy scriptures, where the Devas have been ousted from the Heaven by the Asuras. More often than not, he has been unsuccessful in defending his stronghold, and has ended up at the doorsteps of the 'Holy Trinity' or 'Trimurti', requesting for help. Presenting 'Yamaraj-ji", from the the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis').
Yamaraj / Yama, being the lord of Death and Justice, is a highly misunderstood deity. Although responsible for the upholding of law (hence, sometimes referred to as ‘Dharmaraj’) and punishment of sinners in his adobe ‘Yamalok’, he’s in no way responsible for the deaths in the first place. We mortals die of old age, diseases, bad choices, and accidents. So, next time you are out for some fresh air or to impress someone, don’t forget to wear your helmet or fasten your seatbelts. In case you die, there’s no point crying or begging. Cursing won’t help either. He has not come all the way for a stroll in the park, but to do his duty. Since you did not do yours, don’t expect him to not do his bit. There was a time when kids used to get excited upon sighting informal street vendors (referred to as a “……..wala”), such as Balloon-wala (sells balloons), Ice cream-wala (yes, ice cream!), Badam-wala (sells peanuts), etc. They could be easily identified, especially through their mobility options (usually on foot, cycle, hand-pushed cart; sometimes on motorised vehicle). Their population and popularity have incurred massive blows in the recent years, given the conspicuous changes in the socio-economic-political scenarios. People have grown more and more suspicious of strangers, and even neighbours as well. Sadly, kids are not allowed to venture outside unsupervised as much as we could. Well, mobile phones can be blamed too. Some of us have ventured into the urban development sector, working for multi-lateral, bi-lateral organisations, consultancy firms, think-tanks, etc. On a personal note, it would be interesting to think that we are somewhat like 'Dream-Merchants', trying to sell the hope of a better future. We go from one government agency to another, from one state to another, trying to push the agenda of “Development”. We have a wide array of solutions in my arsenal, related to themes like ‘Housing’, ‘Basic Services’, ‘Transport’, ‘Solid Waste Management’, ‘SDGs’, ‘Land Management’, ‘Finance’, ‘Process changes’, etc. In a way, we are like new-age vendors. Perhaps, we can be called ‘Development-wala’ / 'Development-wali'. STATUTORY WARNING: SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH. Smokers, who smoke in the toilet, will get this. Family members of smokers, who smoke in the toilet, will definitely get this. DISCLAIMER: THERE IS NO INTENTION OF HURTING RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS.
Presenting 'Shivji", from the the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis'). Lord Shiv /Shiva (aka Bholenath / Rudra / Mahadev / Maheshwar, among others) is undoubtedly one of the coolest Gods in world mythology. Despite being the "Destroyer" (the other two in the "Holy Trinity"/"Trimurti" being Brahma, the "Creator" and Vishnu, the "Preserver"), he's the one God who epitomises innocence and austerity. He inspires to look beyond the worldly needs of the mortal life, and dive deep into the pool of conscience, thereby transcending into a state of heavenly calmness and satisfaction. He doesn't demand costly offerings. He's satisfied with anything basic and rustic. But, don't let his calm demeanour fool you. He's certainly not to be messed around with, because if he gets angry, then even an army of gods can't help you!!!! After all, he's called "Mahadev" / God of Gods, and for good reason. Mount Kailash, his abode, is a place of tranquility, suited to his ascetic lifestyle. Over there, there is no hunger, no malice, no hidden agenda. A bull (Lord Shiva's mount) lives beside a lion (Durga's), a snake (around Shiva's neck) is chilled out around a peacock (Karthik's) and an owl (Lakshmi's), and a mouse (Ganesh's) and a swan (Saraswati's) are more than comfortable around the same snake (reference: Devdutt Pattanaik). In short, he's the God we wretched mortals don't deserve, but the God we desperately need Presenting 'Saraswatiji', from the the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis').
Devi Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of Knowledge, Learning, Music, Art, and Wisdom. No wonder she's perhaps the only goddess Bengali folks (especially students and their mothers) pray to with genuine love and devotion, and utmost sincerity. Exam results matter!!! Even more than life and death, at times. Unless one wishes to face parent's wrath. She, along with Lakhsmi (goddess of Wealth, Prosperity, and Good Fortune) and Parvati (goddess of Divine Strength, Power, Devotion, and Fertility), forms the female version of the 'Holy Trinity', complimenting their male counterparts - Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar respectively, in creating, preserving, and regenerating the universe. The wondering face... Doing what it's meant to - wondering about random things... Like, what's in store for the new year 2020... why Wonder Woman is so wonderful... and so on...
My interpretation of the titles of some legendary Bengali movies .
#2: SHAMI KENO ASHAMI (1997): starring Rituparna Sengupta, Chunkey Pandey, among others. The title literally translates to "Why is my husband a convict". My interpretation of the titles of some legendary Bengali movies 🤪🤪 (I must admit I haven't seen these.... Well, not entirely 😬😬😬)
#1: BABA KENO CHAKOR (1998): starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, and Soumitra Chatterjee, among others. The title literally translates to "Why is my father a servant". In the comments section, do mention other legendary movies I can work on. Presenting 'Kaamdevji', from the the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis'). The parrot is designed by my friend, philosopher, and guide, the incredibly talented Trinankur Banerjee.
Kaamdev, or Kamadeva, is the Hindu god of Love and Desire... So, basically, he's the Desi Cupid, but way cooler, because he rides a giant parrot (source: Dr. Sheldon Cooper of "The Big Bang Theory" fame). Presenting 'Naradji', the second in the Divine Emojis series (you can call these 'Godjis')...
Narad Muni, also referred to as 'Rishiraj' (king of all sages or 'rishis'), is a travelling musician and master story-teller from the Vedic age. He is depicted as a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Although bestowed with heavenly knowledge, wisdom, and learnings, he has a mischievous side. There are instances in various religious texts / stories where his involvement provoked fights between gods. He is a master instigator, who would often end up triggering major misunderstandings between two significant forces, thus leading to chaos.... Presenting 'Kaliji', the first of the numerous Divine emojis (you can call these 'Godjis').
Today, along with the auspicious festival of Diwali / Deepavali, the Eastern part of India will be celebrating Kali Pujo as well, with much pomp and vigour. Maa Kali, a manifestation of the ultimate divine power 'Shakti', is considered the Goddess of Time, Creation, Destruction and Power, and Destroyer of Evil... In short, she is a powerhouse - feared, revered, yet loved. We Bengalis especially are extremely fond of 'Maa Kali'... Last Saturday evening, while sipping coffee, was just doing some random sketching of a human profile... It turns out that the person ended up resembling a bearded Jack Ryan, played by John Krasinski... Well, kind of...😝😝😝
Day 4 theme of Inktober 2019 is 'Freeze'. Have you ever wondered how the various items in your freezer behave once you close that fridge door? Do they just freeze? Do they interact with each other, share their feelings and emotions? Do they feel like prison-mates? Awaiting life-sentence? Or do they harbour thoughts of freedom as well?? Hoping to see better days. Perhaps.
Dear fridge-owners, it is your solemn duty to check the contents now and then. A pack of green peas won't come out of the freezer on its own, and persuade you to do the cooking. It shall lay frozen. Forever. The onus is on you!!!! A learned man, who went by the name of Dante Alighieri, once said that "the darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis".
No one really knows what happened that day. As usual, the blame game went on and on and will continue so. The way I see it, with history as witness, no one has ever been totally correct or wrong. If I, as an individual, have to take sides (neutrality is a myth, my friend, just like data privacy), then I choose the free-thinking spirit (some conveniently use the tags 'radical' or 'anti-national') of my alma mater, simply because dissent and difference of opinion form the very bedrock of a functioning democracy. Go, JU, go!!!! In a world plagued with unfortunate incidents of religious intolerance, perhaps it's time to sit together and rethink about the term itself. It's always better to end with a quote (two, to be precise), because someone has already said it better. So, if I cannot top it, better copy and go out strong (Reference: American History X, one kick-ass movie!!!):
"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that's my religion." - Abraham Lincoln "I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong." - John Lennon Today, incidentally is the International Day of Peace (aka World Peace Day). Om Shanti... Done using Brustro Technical Pen Brush. Awesome stuff!!!! |
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