Tales of dreams, struggles and triumphs

 PROTHOMA PROKASHAN, 2ND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 2015

It is really difficult to review Akashbhora Surjotara penned by one of the veteran journalists and an avid reader of Bangla literature Matiur Rahman.  The book chronicles the lives and times of twenty-seven great personalities. Among them are poets, artists, singers, journalists, composers, short-story writers, novelists, architects, political-social-cultural activists and so on. Apart from the tales of the great, Matiur Rahman has shared his own experiences and memories through the write-ups. The way the author deciphers the contributions of those great men to the development of society, culture and nation will, no doubt, sharpen our knowledge of culture.  

The collection opens with the article on Arun Mitra, one of the prominent poets and translators of Bengali literature. The writing highlights Arun Mitra's core philosophy of life. He believed that life and literature are interrelated; literature should be a platform for common people. By delving deep into the essay one can know that Mitra translated, at least, hundred French poems into Bengali and by the same token, one can discover his philosophical beliefs and disbeliefs. The author analyzes how Mitra was greatly influenced by the French poets Louis Aragon and Paul Eluard. Rahman also informs us Arun Mitra had a passion for his root and he always dreamt of forming a plural society. The second essay encapsulates the life and times of Altaf Mahmud. He, throughout his life, raised voice against all kinds of injustices. The author mentions his contributions to shaping this nation in various capacities. His valiant role during the liberation war of 1971 is known to all.

The writing on Kamrul Hasan brings into focus Hasan's rebellious nature as an artist. Hasan always believed in the freedom of mind. Rahman had developed an intimate relationship with Kamrul Hasan. He mentions that whenever he would go to Hasan for motifs or artworks, Hasan would never send him back empty handed. Rahman strongly believes that Hasan had a great role in developing the aesthetic sense of Bengalese. The essay written on Kaium Chowdhury, an influential figure in Bangladeshi arts and paintings, discusses his vast repertoire of works. The author got the privileges to enjoy a long period of time with Kaium Chowdhury. The essay also unveils Kaium's life-time struggle; it tells us the artist, throughout his life, was devoted to upholding our age-old tradition and culture. Matiur Rahman thinks Kaium Chowdhury's roles in 1968, 69 and 71 will give him a permanent niche in our history. The review dwells on the life, times and contributions of Mohammad Kibria, one of the pioneers of modern art in Bangladesh. Through this essay, the writer narrates how Mohammad Kibria relentlessly worked to take Bangladeshi art to international arena. The essay enriches us by informing that Kibria believed Rabindranath Tagore rejuvenated the Indian modern art in many ways. The article ends with a maxim told by Kibria that 'Life means to remain active all the time.' 

This review also explores the tales of one of the most influential artists of India, Ganesh Pyne. A minute reading of the essay on Ganesh Pyne adds to our knowledge that he was never satisfied with his own works; Abanindranath Tagore was his prime inspiration for paintings. Pyne led a very frustrated life because he thought if art fails to establish a plural and classless society, what purpose does art serve? However, Matiur Rahman opines Pyne's tempera paintings have added a dimension to Indian modern art. The writing on Jahir Raihan will provide readers with a lot of information regarding his life and works. The essay delineates that the novel Aar Katodin by Jahir Raihan has bewildered Rahman much. Needless to say, the novel brilliantly portrays the war-torn days of 1971.

The write-up on Nitun Kundu tells us a tale of revolution. It captures Nitun's struggles and triumphs; it analyzes his innovative ideas and plans. Rahman brings into focus how Nitun Kundu himself turned into an institution. Likewise, the writing on Paritush Sen tells us a story of an artist who invariably believed in the strength of humanism and humanity. Paritosh Sen, a revolutionary artist of India, was born in old Dhaka's Zinda Bahar lane. Though he, afterwards, migrated to India, he never forgot the memorable days of Zinda Bahar. Consequently, he wrote a book entitled Zindabahar. Broadly enough, Sen's most of the artworks reflect immense love for his root. On top of everything, the part which describes Sen's five-hour long conversation with Pablo Picasso, I believe, will draw special attention to the readers. 

One of the finest reviews of the book is Purnendu Patri, a dedicated soul of entire Bengal. Many of us know that Patri equally contributed to different genres of art and literature. He had a special fascination for cinema and art. Rahman thinks that Patri was deeply influenced by the philosophical thoughts of Manik Bandyopadhyay. His novel Darer Moyna represents Manik's non-communal thoughts in many ways. The writer also informs us Patri considered the 19th century an age of substantial revolutionary changes in the fields of art, culture and literature. One of the remarkable notions of Purnendu Patri is it needs, at least, two hundred years to evaluate the greatness of a writer or an artist. 

The essay on Bikash Bhattacharya discusses artist's multifarious appeals. It elaborates how he became one of the best portrait-artists in India. In a conversation with Matiur Rahman, Bikash said that he always liked to paint portraits of different great personalities to understand their times and to discover the traits of human beings. On the other hand, the essay written on Ahmedul Kabir focuses on the life of a prominent journalist. Alongside, it brings forth the role of Sangbad, one of the oldest newspapers in this sub-continent, in shaping this nation's progressive and secular character. The author believes that our dreams, struggles, triumphs and those of Sangbad are interconnected. The author sheds light on the contribution of a veteran cultural organizer and Rabindra Sangeet exponent, Wahidul Haque. The writing brings into focus how Haque traveled to different regions of the country to make Rabindra Sangeet popular among mass people and how he played a key role in refining the cultural sense of the people of Bangladesh. The opening lines of his essay on Murtaza Bashir remind this reviewer of the opening lines of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Murtaza Bashir's father Dr Muhammad Shahidullah wanted Bashir to be a hafez of Maktab but Murtaza prepared himself to be an artist. The same thing happened both in the lives of James Joyce and the protagonist of the aforesaid novel. 

One can come to know of many unknown facts about Shamsur Rahman's life by going through the article written on the poet. Likewise, the writing on Shahidullah Kaiser informs us how Kaiser, having been imprisoned, had played the key role during the language movement in 1952. Moreover, the essay on one of the quintessential artists in the field of Indian art, Jogen Chowdhury helps us know that art is for life's sake; art can bring real freedom of mind. The last article I will be detailing in the review is on Ravi Shankar whom Matiur Rahman regards as a dedicated soul and co-fighter of our liberation war. The article is divided into two parts- one analyzes Ravi Shankar's role during our liberation war and the other incorporates Rahman's conversation with Ravi Shankar. Matiur Rahman along with some of his friends dreamt of honouring Ravi Shankar for his heroic role in 1971 on the 40th anniversary of liberation of Bangladesh but due to Shankar's serious illness it was not possible to do so finally. Indeed, while talking to Ravi Shankar the author found him a pure Bangalee. 

The collection also includes write-ups on Muzharul Islam, journalist and writer Santosh Gupta, poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay, artist Somnath Hore, Rabindra Sangeet exponent Zahidur Rahim, artist Debdas Chakraborty, journalist Bazlur Rahman and novelist Humayun Ahmed. No doubt, Rahman has captured the vast arena of human life on a tiny canvas, demonstrating the truth that life consists of a fullness of variety. His sense of proportion about the use of words is noteworthy. Many readers will perhaps agree with my notion that Matiur Rahman will get a permanent place in the cultural history of Bangladesh for penning a book like Akashbhora Surjotara. Consequently, it deserves a special row on our shelf. As an overall evaluation of this collection, I cannot restrain myself from quoting a famous saying by Thomas Carlyle: "No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men."

The reviewer is a critic. He teaches English at Central Women's University (CWU). He can be reached at tusar.talukder@gmail.com