In my growing up years in so-called probashi Bangali poribar,I met a Bhodrolok everyday in my house either in some books or on a photo frame. An old man with a big white beard wearing a long alkhala or kurta named Rabindra Nath Thakur,Yes not Tagore because that spelling I learnt much later when I studied in school...
Probably early 90's when I was a little girl,my parents took me for a formal interview in my school.I still remember, interviewer asking me"Who is He?" by pointing a large photo frame,there also I again met him and yes from there till today I regularly meet him either in Facebook or WhatsApp or anywhere as he after 159 years of his birth still is omnipresent and young.
When I was in my early teens,I first saw Dance drama shyama during my visit to Kolkata during 25 baisakh.In that,I first understood a woman's mind and after so many years I still feel,it's relevant as still it depicts a young woman's search for her Mr.Perfect and landing up getting puzzled and frustrated.Be it Mayar khela or Chitrangada or any other I feel he represented the modern woman beautifully with his different characters from Mahabharata or any simple story.
The story which made me think most is "Stri r Patra",I found it as a letter of woman coming out of a situation which was kind of Mental Torture or domestic violence of modern world, character of "Mrinal" can be related to a modern-day woman with a dominating husband from an unhappy marriage.
Why just woman,his beautiful depiction of little boy imagining himself as "Birpurush" or a character of "Gora" or Amit Ray potraits the character of man and his wishes is still relevant when we see a friend.
The beauty of relationship when I read "Hotat Dekha" kabita after watching Praktan is something I heard when a friend of mine meets his or her ex.
Strangely a girl who use to stop her mom singing Rabindra Sangeet saying it's boring has a playlist in which top heard songs are Rabindra Sangeet-Reason unknown or may be one start understanding Tagore or his work while he/she grows up as one can relate his/her life to his creation.
