Young bongs flaunt their bangaliana this nababarsha

Kolkata: What does Poila Baishakh mean to the young Bengalis of Kolkata who take pride in their cosmopolitan lifestyle? TOI gets four Bengalis from different cross-sections of the city to flaunt their Bangaliana on Naba Barsha today.
The Bong Connection:
While Deepanjana Sarkar is an IT professional, Rajarshi Middya is a PhD scholar from Jadavpur University. Suchismita Dasgupta is a fashion designer and Shyamal Karmakar is head of the editing department of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute.
The Bengali adda:
As a young Bengali of Kolkata, how are you celebrating Poila Baishakh?
Deepanjana: After taking my morning shower, I’ll touch my mother’s feet and spend some quality time with her over a cup of good Darjeeling tea.I usually cook at least two-three traditional Bangali dishes on Poila Baishakh.
Rajarshi: Today, I will be cooking bekti paturi and green mango chutney for lunch. For dinner, I will prepare luchi and kasha mangsho. I will also take my parents out for a movie at night.
Suchismita: Growing up in a middle class Bengali joint household, we all used to get together on this day. Although everyone isn’t around anymore, meeting parents and my in-laws remains a must if I am in town on Poila Baishakh. Today is another occasion for me to drape myself in a sari.
Shyamal: I’ll go to my village at Kotulpur in Bankura district. There I will touch my parents’ feet and seek their blessings.
2) How is your celebration of April 14 different from that of January 1?
Deepanjana: I consider Poila Baishakh as my own festival but don’t have that ownership over January 1. I usually change the upholstery. Maa offers sweets to the idols, which is later distributed among us. Breakfast is over luchi and sada alur torkari. I call up members of my extended family on this day. But I consciously don’t send any New Year messages on January 1.
Rajarshi: Poila Baishakh is about good Bengali food and seeking blessings of the elderly. The panjika is published today and the first thing I check out are the Durga Puja dates and see if Ashtami and Nabami will be observed on the same day. January 1 is about having a quiet dinner over roasted duck and chardonnay (white wine).
Suchismita: Both are just dates for me. While the former means I must remember to change the year each time I write a date, the latter is just a year I should try to remember! In both cases, I like to spend them with my close people. There is nothing elaborate at all. For the rest of the world, wishing a Happy New Year in the appropriate language is all that matters.
Shyamal:January 1 is all about fun, booze, dance, badmaashi and a hangover of partying on December 31. April 14 is about Tagore, Bengali food and a new kurta. Yet, Kolkata is no longer a Bengali city for me. New Year is a celebration for all Kolkatans, irrespective of their cultural identities.
3) How important is it for you to participate in the New Year celebrations of other non-Bengalis in Kolkata?
Depanjana: Though I’ve never done so, I wish I can in future.
Rajarshi: I am unaware of the dates.
Suchismita: I am not a huge fan of celebrations, It doesn’t matter unless I am celebrating the New Year of a close non-Bengali friend. It’s information kept perhaps as general knowledge!
Shyamal: On the SRFTI campus, I come across students from various communities. Assamese students have offered me sweets for Rongali Bihu and Delhities will cook for Vaisakhis.
4) Are you aware of rituals like Neel Shashti, Sankranti and Charak?
Deepanjana: Yes. I’m not a religious person but I like to observe some of the rituals because of their beauty and my love for tradition.
Rajarshi: Yes. When I was doing my MPhil in France, I did Hanuman Puja there. I have also observed a fast this year to test myself.
Suchismita: Yes. Sankranti is important for the food associated with it. I am not a religious person. So, fasts for me.
Shyamal: My entire family lives in a village. I came to Kolkata for higher studies. So, I am aware of all rituals and have occasionally observed fasts too.
5) What does Bangaliana mean to you in times when the world is a global village?
Deepanjana: It means following traditional rituals like blowing the conch shell and lighting a ‘dhuno’ every evening. Sometimes, I might tweak around some rituals because of the constraints. But I take pride in following whatever I can.
Rajarshi: I might sound cynical but for me, today’s Bangaliana is about discussing at length an issue without actually doing anything about it. It is about trying to find political undertones in every event. In some cases, it can be substituted for unprofessionalism too.
Suchismita: Although I have been brought up in very Bangali way (reading Bengali literature, listening to Bengali music and watching the romantic Uttam-Suchitra films), Bangaliana has never been a big deal for me! If I’m not in Kolkata, I miss my Bengali food and the habit of speaking in Bengali. Thanks to the Internet, the rest is available everywhere!
Shyamal: Bangaliana means energy in life, argument, sharing happiness with others through poetry, songs and football. It is about earning enough to have two meals a day and not running after wealth. It means simple living and high thinking.
5) Who is your quintessential non-Bengali Bangali?
Deepanjana: Usha Uthup. She is more Bangali than most of us.
Rajarshi: Vidya Balan. Though a Tamilian by birth, she comes across as a Bengali at heart.
Suchismita: Gulzar. Each time I see him, I think he is a Bengali.
Shyamal: Arijit Singh. His voice oozes Bengali nostalgia while being international in texture.