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Journalism of Courage
Film buffs here have to wait for some time more before they find the supermodel-turned-actress from Kolkata, Bipasha Basu, in a Bengali film. A maiden attempt in this regard fell through recently as noted director Buddhadeb Dasgupta confirmed that Bipasha was not featuring in his next film, as was planned earlier.
The director and the actress, however, had several rounds of consultations for the venture. Dasgupta did not elaborate as to why Bipasha turned down the offer but disclosed that Samira Reddy, another model-turned-actress, has signed up for the film. The storyline is by Dasgupta himself and shooting starts in Tollygunge from the second week of November.
Bachelor Marxist turns marriage counsellor
A special Puja edition of the Left’s mouthpiece, Ganashakti, has created quite a stir here, thanks to an article by Left Front chairman and CPI(M) politburo member Biman Bose.
The veteran leader has sought to analyze the reasons behind rising cases of marital discord — leading to separation, divorce and splintered families. According to him, more and more couples are filing for divorce due to reasons varying from socio-economic disparity to physical shortcomings. He suggests that partners should not hide any physical deficiency before marriage, as most couples part ways over the issue of infertility. Bose’s solution is simple: Adoption. He says it is possible to lead a happy conjugal life even if one doesn’t have children. Intolerance is also destroying families, he feels, and says often old friends of the husband/wife create an atmosphere of suspicion. His prescription: Couples should share secrets.
There’s nothing wrong in Bose delving deep into a subject that is so socially relevant now. In fact, some are truly appreciative of his role as a counselor to suffering families. The twist is elsewhere: Bose is a bachelor and leads a spartan life. But he sure knows a lot!
Spectre of an attack
Aftab Ansari, the prime accused in the American Information Center attack in Kolkata, was shifted from Alipore Presidency Jail to the Alipore Central Jail recently amid fears that attempts may be made to free the undertrial. Another co-accused, Happy Singh, was also shifted out there. It was learnt that the prison directorate had specific information on possible attempts to free Ansari and about agents of underground extremists setting up a communication channel with Ansari through the prison staff. That some undertrials in Presidency Jail enjoy facilities like the use of mobile phones in collusion with the staff is nothing new.
The security network and the prison layout of Alipore Central Jail is said to be better. Aftab has been allotted a separate cell there. Explaining the shifting of the undertrials in the high-profile case, DIG (prison) Joydev Chakravarty said: ‘‘The move was prompted by security considerations.’’ Now, even the judicial hearing in the case is being conducted on the prison premises to avoid the risk of transporting the undertrials to court.
Holiday blues
Tim Benett, a British tourist to Jaldapara in North Bengal, left last week after having written a line in disappointment for not being able to stay at the Holong forest lodge, despite a confirmed booking for a night’s stay there. ‘‘I am disappointed because I had read a lot about Holong forest lodge in a magazine,’’ Benett wrote. He had scanned the Safari Park’s magazine before deciding on the spot and had a confirmed booking as early as in August.
His tour operator, however, was not to be blamed. And Benett was not the only victim. The holiday schedule of many a domestic tourists, too, went awry following a sudden visit by the state’s former chief minister, Jyoti Basu, to the forest bungalow. Basu with his entourage of eight members and a Z-category security cover landed there for a week’s stay. All bookings at Holong lodge were cancelled. Benett did not know about it till he arrived in Coochbehar via Kaziranga and a cruise down Brahmaputra. When the tour operator from Bon Voyage House of Tourism informed him about the change, Benett was crestfallen. He was, however, allowed an elephant ride as a face-saving measure. But not everyone was as fortunate.
The tour operators complain that the last-minute cancellation of reservations was not in keeping with the spirit to promote tourism in the state. If the pressure of ‘‘official visits’’ is heavy in Holong, it should be kept out of bounds for tourists, they say.
