Actress Arkoja Acharyya shares fond childhood memories of Rabindra Jayanti

There isn’t a single day in a Bengali household that goes by without remembering Rabindranath Tagore. Be it in happiness or sorrow, aam Bangali always found solace in Tagore. Today (May 9) is Rabindra Jayanti and the occasion is being celebrated with great enthusiasm.
On Rabindra Jayanti, almost every neighbourhood in Bengal, schools and institutions organise cultural program.And the preparation starts almost a month ago. Rigorous rehearsals, training and tireless practice after classes are a common phenomenon in every school or college. Draped in saree (mostly their mom’s) or Punjabi Kurta-Pajama and a dupatta around waist, kids get all decked up for the cultural program for Rabindra Jayanti. And for many, this is the first stage experience. Actress Arkoja Acharyya isn’t an exception. She says, “I was a student of Patha Bhavan and we used to celebrate Rabindra Jayanti in a grand way. We used to pay tribute to Rabindranath Tagore through, song dance and drama. Rehearsals used to start almost a month ago. I used to actively participate all the cultural events but being a part of the program on Rabindra Jayanti was always special."
The actress, who joined group theatre during college days, turned a bit nostalgic as she took a walk down the memory lane. “I grew up in a cultural environment, listening to Maa singing Rabindra Sangeet along with other songs. She is a very good singer. Rabindranath’s poems, Geetinatyo, plays are something that have been an integral part of my childhood. My first stage experience in a play was an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s play. So, Rabindra Jayanti wasn’t just any other celebration, it was more like a ritual to us. At our home, we used to celebrate Rabindra Jayanti. Maa used to sing Rabindra Sangeet. My sister, I and my friends used to perform dance or stage a drama. So the rehearsals for the Rabindra Jayanti at school and the one at our household, used to run simultaneously. And the amount of joy that we used to have during these rehearsals is truly precious.”
The actress shared her memories from college days too. “I was a student of literature at Jadavpur University. We used to celebrate Rabindra Jayanti in a big way. By that time, I started doing group theatre. So, besides participating in the cultural events, I also had the responsibility of arranging the cultural function,” she said. Arkoja shared how, by that time Tagore became an integral part of her life, just like many others of her age, who are greatly influenced by him
“As I grew up, I started interpreting Rabindranath in a different way. As if, he became more like a friend (smiles). Joy, grief or love, in every occasion, I started finding solace in him. Gradually, I realised that’s the beauty of his creations. When you are young, you interpret his poems, songs, novels in a different way. And as you grow up, you still feel a deep connection with his words. Life is never complete without Rabindranath,” she shared with a bright smile on her face.