Pikur Diary o Onyanya

This book had been among the prohibited few that my parents asked me to keep at bay for the right age. So when that age came, at least when I felt it came, I pounced on it in the bookshop to be introduced to the writings for the adults by Ray, who is more famous for his literary creations for the young. The book consists of Pikur Diary, where the diary of Piku reveals the daily details of his family in the coarse form that is to be expected from a child of his age but which also reveals the genius of Ray as he used the dialect of the child along with the obvious spelling mistakes while revealing the mature details with subtle clues. The next is the script for the movie Piku, which actually is a major deviation from the story and is acknowledged in the introduction by the writer himself. There is also another script of Shakha-Prasakha, but it is again one of the earlier versions for the movie. There are a couple of science fiction, Sabuj Manush and Mayurkanthi Jelly, with the latter more suspenseful than the former. But the most hilarious is Aryashekharer Janma o Mrityu which shows how the intellectual impetus of an unfortunate genius becomes too much for the society as well as for his self. The book with its various hues will be enjoyable for its cohesive diversity.

Akrur Sangbad

A touching story based on the compromise that is effected in families to choose between a close knit relation and one that is distanced for the sake of job satisfaction. Presenting in her simple style the age old problem is addressed but no solution is proposes. There lies the beauty of the narrative. It relies on the reader to appreciate the problem from their own perspective. When a time comes to choose between progress in career and disallowing distance to creep in relations, it is a real hurdle that many faces. The narrative gives an insight to what happens in some case. The title actually echoes what pains it caused to the inhabitants of Vrindavan when Lord Krishna was to return to Mathura. Actually it asks that to whom people will give their rights to. Will it be those who upbrings them or those who sustains them against their work. I am indebted to this story particularly for the title that allowed me to peek into the famous lines from which the story borrows part of the theme that is so true for all time.