Once

many stories lived
inside and outside

once
greed lust vice
even largesse
prevailed

hypnotic musical notes
punctuated by
jingling of ankle bells
pierced the silence
of the night
accompanied by muted cries
of pain or ecstasy

once upon a time

----------------------

The picture above has always reminded me of Satyajit Ray's film Jalsaghar ("The Music Room"). I was haunted by the half-ruined zamindari mansion which Ray used in the film as a backdrop to a story in which insane hauteur in the tradition of pomp and musical pageantry brings ruin and death. The film was shot at Nimtita Raajbari, near Murshidabad, West Bengal. Here is a photograph of the building as it is today:

For the record, for the benefit of people who did not know Ray in the south, especially for the foreign diplomatic corps, I became the first person to launch seven morning shows of 16mm films of Ray in Madras, in 1972, one of which was Jalsaghar, his fourth film. Since there were no subtitles for the Bengali film, I wrote to Ray requesting him to provide more information. He did not bother to comply with my request, for which I blamed him for being snooty, and not showing respect for generating interest in India for his work. On the contrary, he actually blamed people for their disinterest, and refused to help people to access his films, with or without subtitles. Since he did not reply, I wrote a synopsis of all the films, which was good for my understanding of Bengali and, more importantly, of the language of cinema.

 a still from Jalsaghar

the film's poster

----------------------------

Charu said...

Yes, once upon a time: in its hey-day perhaps hookahs changed hands, Paan-biddas took rounds and drink glasses tinkled and nautch girls pleased or got pleased.

Some lives got made most others unmade just like this ruination, who's to know or say.


Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy said...

Dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat Ke raat din
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat Ke raat din
baithhe rahen tasawwur-e-Jaanaa kiye huye
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahie
Jaadon Ki narm dhoop aur aangan mein let kar
Jaadon Ki narm dhoop aur aangan mein let kar
aankhon pe kheench kar tere aanchal ke saaye Ko
aankhon pe kheench kar tere aanchal ke saaye Ko
aundhe pade rahen kabhi karwat liye huye
dil dhoondhtaa hai,
O dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wohi
yaa garmiyon ki raat jo purwaayiaan chale
yaa garmiyon ki raat jo purwaayiaan chale
thhandi safed chaadaron pe jaagen der tak
thhandi safed chaadaron pe jaagen der tak
taaron ko dekhte rahen chhat par pade huye
dil dhoondhtaa hai,
O dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wohi
barfeeli sardiyon mein kisi bhi pahaad par
barfeeli sardiyon mein kisi bhi pahaad par
waadi mein goonjti huyi, khaamoshiyaan sunen
waadi mein goonjti huyi, khaamoshiyaan sunen
aankhon mein bheege bheege se lamhe liye huye
dil dhoondhtaa hai,
O dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din
baithhe rahen tasawwur-e-jaanaa kiye huye
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din
dil dhoondhtaa, hai phir wahi

Ramesh Gandhi said...

Dil dhoond mein rahta hai
Jaaye to ek dhoond se
Doosre dhoond mein
Goomnaam
Laapatta

Aap apne dil ko
Thaamiye zara
Fursat ke badle
Hasrat
Kahin
Dhoond mein
kho na jaaye

Hazoor
Sambhaalke gaaiye
Sambhaalke jaaiye
Fursat thaame
Raat din rakhiye
Dil thaame