Director returns to jungle for puja theme

KOLKATA: Abar Aranye got film-maker Goutam Ghosh two national awards in 2004. After five years, the ace director is back in the forest as a concept designer for one of the prominent Durga pujas in Kolkata, Badamtala Ashar Sangha. Ghosh is all set to stage Durga as a forest goddess.
Apart from Badamtala Ashar Sangha, Ghosh will also design the theme for two more pujas in south Kolkata 66 Palli and Hindustan Park Purbanchal.
"I did a documentary on Kumartuli artisans with writer Anita Agnihotri in 2004. That was when I was deeply influenced and motivated to do something during Durga Puja," said the veteran auteur.
The assignments came to Ghosh through a friend, Mridul Pathak. "Pathak, who is with International Foundation for Sustainable Development, a consortium of different big pujas in the city, approached me," Ghosh said.
At Badamtala Ashar Sangha, Ghosh has decided to depict the goddess as an Adivasi woman standing inside a nest of a babui (weaver bird), that has fallen off a palm tree. Mahishasur will be attired in a suit, depicting the timber mafia. Durga will hold a bird in each hand instead of weapons as a symbol of peace.
"Forests are my passion and I am disappointed how they are being destroyed, giving rise to global warming," he said.
At 66 Palli, the pandal will depict how Durga Puja used to be celebrated in the 17th century, when it was started in Bengal after the Battle of Plassey. At the Hindustan Park puja, too, Durga will forsake weapons, and choose 10 musical instruments. Rabindrasangeet will play in the background. "It will symbolise how music can conquer violence," said Ujjawal Chakroborty from Roopkala Kendra. He'll assist Ghosh in the project.
The director's wife, Nilanjana, will design the wardrobe for the idols at Hindustan Park. She plans to dress the goddess in a sari with kantha work.
The puja committees are also happy that Ghosh is not charging a single paisa. "Had he not helped us, we would have had to shell out Rs 2 lakh on a concept designer," said Subhadeep Sarkar, convener, Badamtala Ashar Sangha.