Truly Saptarshi

‘Blackie!’ , ‘Negro!’, ‘Homo!’, ‘Ladies!’, ‘Wear bangles if you cannot do such a simple work!’ , ‘Don’t behave like an eunuch!’, ‘That’s enough freedom for a girl!’, ‘Are you gay or what?’ , ‘I am okay with gay but they should not wear such loud clothes!’, and the list goes on where very casually and supposedly in a very funny way people pass their judgements and comments. But, where does it come from? Why do we still not find topics funnier than casual sexism, racism and homophobia to play cool with? A world devoid of funny things things to talk about seems really gloomy but at the cost of what? A simple ‘Homo joke’ can push a person down the dark by lanes of tragedy, can push someone back to closet who for once thought of coming out and living life. The woman who dares is slut shamed and the woman who is afraid is suppressed further, both sides do not sound enticing. When a whole gender is used to depict anything that is weak and feeble, a different style of misogyny and sexism is ...

Since the time I came to know that an individual can also become parent, a single parent, I have always wanted to become a father. However, as I grew older and realised that I am much more privileged than my parents ever were, I started thinking that I will adopt a child only if I can give a better life to that child when compared to mine. So, I have always liked to believe that the cycle goes exactly like this, a tomorrow better than today and a day after tomorrow better than tomorrow. But, are the privileges granted to us enough to change the world? I would say, ‘No’. But, who is asking us to change the world? Change one life, motivate one person, help one in need and the act will be reciprocated, the act will spread far and wide to make the world a better place. Every time when we are reluctant to help, we are citing examples of other people not doing the same and you doing one good act, noble act, kind act or responsible act cannot really do much. So, in all this confusion and ...

The Netflix series 'Special' ended at its prime and it was just the second season. The show might not be a huge hit across the world but has created the right amount of ripple with its very plain and simple life like treatment of everything that can be made dramatic very easily. The show being semi-autobiographical, Ryan O'Connell (the protagonist and creator of the show) could have gone wrong at multiple points if he tried to do anything else but then rather than treading by the white, sweet, sentimental path always, he treaded on the risky black and grey more often. The protagonist of the show is Ryan Hayes (Ryan O'Connell), who is gay and has mild cerebral palsy. He is a writer and when season one starts, he is staying with his mother and quite dependent on her. His mother Karen Hayes is played by Jessica Hecht with absolute ease. The show is revolutionary but does not make a lot of hype and hoopla about anything at all which makes this casual approach even more impa...

What 2020 gave us? A few extra kilograms, a lot of sulking, depression, bad news, comic relief acts of banging and lighting announced by the government, favourite clothes gathering dust, perfumes and makeups lying unused, relationships going long-distance for months, and of course, staying locked down at home and away from parties and social gatherings. But was it all that we got from this year? When before 2020 did we spend hours and days and months with our family at a stretch? Before this year, when did we get so much time to look back, sit, think, rectify mistakes, be creative, and find joy in smaller things of life? Before this pandemic, how much time did we dedicate to pamper ourselves and pamper our loved ones? We have always been so engrossed in the running faster than others that we never felt thankful for what we had, and even if we did, did we live in the present or were always planning on what next? This year for me has been harassment if I put it in a word but what I can...

I have a very favourite quote by the Canadian author Justine Musk and it goes like this, "The enemy of feminism isn't men. It's patriarchy, and patriarchy is not men. It is a system, and women can support the system of patriarchy just as men can support the fight for gender equality." This post is not going to discuss who killed Sushant Singh Rajput or did he kill himself because most of our trashy Indian media is doing that well enough. We will talk about the recent situation hovering around the case and how a person is being used as a scapegoat to hide all the big and real issues that are eating up the nation. The only fault of Rhea Chakraborty is that she is a woman and the partner of the demised?  Yes, it is absolutely fine to investigate a case if there are doubts regarding any fact. Justice needs to be served at any cause, true. But, who till now in any way could prove that Rhea is guilty of killing her own partner? Now, when increasingly information is surfacin...

Two human beings, X and Y one day followed each other on Instagram, they like each other's feed and felt a connection; started conversing online. Soon, they decided to meet and it was almost like love at first sight, they clicked and how. On further realisation, they decided to express their love and admiration for each other and also have plans to start staying together very soon. Now, what are the genders of X and Y? Does it matter? If it does then I think this post will make you uneasy, but I won't discourage you to read on because change comes only when we step out of our comfort zone. And for someone who is feeling uneasy, just keep pondering on one question, "What if your relationship with whoever you love is looked down upon and even made illegal?" The legal part was handled very well by the supreme court on 6th September 2018 and that too unanimously by the whole panel in the Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India case. It was a landmark judgement that decided t...

The third post in a row (something that is happening after years) and after writing about the Rose family it had to be this Australian series which had given me quite a company when I was really looking for it a few months back. There is one more similarity between 'Please Like Me' and the Canadian series 'Schitt's Creek' beside the fact that one of the protagonists is queer; the creator is also the protagonist here. Josh Thomas has done a really commendable job of exploring everything from mental health to abortion to relationship and still managed to hold on to the fact that it is a comedy series by using the whole psychological thing to its advantage. The most flawed character has to be the protagonist, the very blunt Josh played by Josh Thomas, and there are moments where I felt he is nothing but an idiot. Still, the show somehow managed to tie up everything and give meaning to life beyond the binaries. Josh is a person who continuously feels insecure about his ...

I remember reading an article on 'The Guardian', which goes something like "Terrible name, terrific sitcom" and I do not know if I agree with the first part. Still, I definitely agree with the terrific part, and a blog post dedicated to this terrific family which made me laugh and cry my heart out is the least that I can do to make myself happy and to contribute to the big family of fans out there. To start with, it has to be the portrayal of the love story between David (Daniel Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) which is just another love story minus all the struggles and fights against society. We, of course, cannot deny the everyday struggles that many same-sex couples face but then many lead a life just like David and Patrick too, a portrayal of which brings in a breath of fresh air and a ray of sunshine to people's lives and minds. It is not always a good feeling to see just the struggles on the screen, so a mixed platter is more preferable. Schitt's Creek doe...

‘Holy crap! I cannot eat this food’, ‘Oh God! I cannot go to college every day’, ‘Frig! How can I live without the AC?’ Sounds familiar? Surely does to many of us because we grew up taking things for granted and why not when we have seen only a tiny part of the world and chose to neglect the not so happy realities. Hallelujah! It is time we start appreciating. There is a vast reality out there (nowadays even behind well-constructed walls) which we never get in touch with. I luckily or unluckily saw this reality carefully many times. I lived through these realities during my stays at villages and visits to slums, thanks to my tenure at the two NGOs and then a dramatic MBA life which is still on in Rural Management. When I joined my first NGO, I did expect to see some beautiful happy faces at every session, but as time progressed, I actually could see what’s behind those smiling faces. Yes, there is innocence, there is naughtiness, there is love like you have never experienced, but then ...

Thanks to the rich history and diversity of this subcontinent, there is something new in every corner and every nook has something different and enthralling to offer. We Bengalis are known for our festivities too besides food, literature, sports, cinema and music and there is a saying in Bangla, ‘ baro mashe tyaro parbon ’, which literally means ’13 festivals in 12 months’, it only says how much we love festivities and leave no chance to celebrate. But, two of the fondest memories of festivities at home for me has to be Saraswati Pujo and Lakshmi Pujo . Saraswati Pujo takes place in the Bengali month of Maagh (January-February) and Lakshmi Pujo during Aashshin (September-October). Aashshin is the month of autumn and during Maagh its almost spring. On these days, the whole household would have a different flow of energy and we all would be busy since morning trying to do our best to make the mother goddesses happy. But the fondest memories from these festivities have to be Alp...

I came across news of people dying without treatment at different Government hospitals across West Bengal ever since the doctors have decided to go on a strike across Government hospitals in the state which also includes new born babies. And going by this it is extremely disheartening and it has shaken me from within. I somewhere felt that are we not going extremely wrong somewhere? Who are we actually meting out our grievances on? I would just like to ask everyone out there, will you be very happy and satisfied if you are punished for someone else’s mistake? I am sure most of you will not be, if not everyone. But, now the same thing is happening to poor helpless patients across the state of Bangla. And yes I mentioned poor because the Government hospitals in India mainly caters to the poor. The rich do not need to worry much; no strikes can hurt them. After all, lives matter only when you have the money to make it matter. Now, of course the counter statement will be that is...