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Time of India
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Humour is a good indicator of how society has evolved: Saurabh Shukla
Saurabh Shukla. Pic: Samik Sen From reflecting on the decline of humour in Bollywood to sharing why he chose Kashmir as the backdrop for his play Barf, acclaimed actor and writer Saurabh Shukla was recently in town to attend a college event. In a candid chat, he offered deep insights into his craft, society, and his enduring bond with Kolkata. Excerpts: On humour disappearing in cinema You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Shukla, known for his comic roles, offered a poignant observation about the state of humour in contemporary cinema , linking it directly to societal trends. 'Cinema mirrors society. When you find less and less humour in real life, you'll experience the same in cinema. And if you want to know why, you'll have to ask why it's happening in the real world, where people get easily offended now, make issues out of nothing, and are quick to anger. I feel humour is a good indicator of how society has evolved,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo On the charm of Kashmir and his play Barf When asked why he chose Kashmir as the setting for his play Barf, Shukla said, 'The moment we hear about Kashmir, the politics and conflicts jump to mind, but my play has nothing to do with all that. In fact, one of the best compliments I received was from a Kashmiri after he heard the script: 'Sir ye Kashmir ki kahani hain; yeh aur kahin ki kahani nahi ho sakti hain'. Shukla added that the play was originally set in Maharashtra. 'But I felt something was amiss. Then I shot a film in Kashmir. It's truly beautiful – the people are very good looking, very soft spoken. But I felt a sort of fear – a sense of mistrust and seclusion – despite things being alright. I needed just that for the play,' he said. Beyond choice & towards detail Emphasising that the details an actor adds to a character makes all the difference, the Satya actor said, 'The idea is not to just do a role you like, but what details you add to the character to make it come alive. I feel joy when I can add colour to the roles I play.' Saurabh Shukla in a still from Jolly LLB 2. Pic: Samik Sen 'Theatre taught me a lot but not how to act in movies' Articulating the fundamental difference between working in theatre and cinema, he said, 'Theatre taught me discipline, how to read a script, ethics, aesthetics, but not how to do cinema. Cinema is a different medium altogether. Quite a few great thespians haven't made it big in cinema and vice versa. Actors are actors, but what makes the difference is the medium. Their success often hinges on their mastery of the specific demands of either the stage or the screen.' Don't try to look for a story that has never been told before, because you'll be disappointed to know there is no such story. Write what you want to tell; it need not stand out to make it big – On how to write a unique story Quotes: I feel joy when I can add colour to the roles I play Kolkata is not just a vibrant city but also home for me. I have many memories here – of the food and also the people. I shot two films here – Manohar Pandey & Calcutta Mail It's a perception that Gen Z doesn't have a long attention span, but I feel that isn't true. If the content is worth watching, they will watch even a three-hour-long movie
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Thai horror film fest enchants Kolkata
Siriporn Tantipanyathep, consul-general of Thailand in Kolkata. Pic: Samik Sen Siriporn Tantipanyathep, consul-general of Thailand in Kolkata. Pic: Samik Sen 1 2 3 The debut edition of ' Frightening the Soul : Thailand's Mutelu Supernatural Film Festival' kicked off at Cinepolis, Acropolis Mall on Friday evening, presented by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata. Rituparna Sengupta You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The two-day film festival was inaugurated by Siriporn Tantipanyathep, consul-general of Thailand in Kolkata, and actress Rituparna Sengupta. The festival offered a glimpse of Thailand's unique approach to supernatural storytelling, introducing the Kolkata audience to the fascinating, mystical world of mutelu – a term signifying powerful spiritual forces and supernatural elements, deeply rooted in Thai cultural beliefs and folklore. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Baghdad: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The open-to-all festival offered the 2004 cult classic Shutter by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom (adapted in Hindi as Click , starring Shreyas Talpade) and more recent productions like the horror comedy The Undertaker (2023) and the psychological horror film Home For Rent . 'We are very excited to bring Thai horror cinema to Kolkata, a city known for its love of storytelling and culture,' said consul-general Tantipanyathep, 'Through this festival, we hope to spark a deeper curiousity about Thailand's rich cultural heritage, spiritual traditions and incredible travel experiences.' Pics: Samik Sen
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'CM should have gone to Murshidabad earlier': Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh ahead of Mamata Banerjee's visit
NEW DELHI: BJP leader Dilip Ghosh criticized West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her delayed visit to violence-hit Murshidabad, where communal clashes in April resulted in two deaths, multiple injuries, and property damage. The violence erupted during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act on April 11, forcing thousands to flee their homes. The delay in Banerjee's visit has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who question her priorities and handling of the situation. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo "Chief minister Mamata Banerjee should have gone to Murshidabad earlier. Why she did not go? She called the Imams and conducted a meeting and then went to attend temple inauguration. But when Hindus were suffering and this atrocity takes place repeatedly on Hindus in Murshidabad and Malda. They have to vacate their houses. Their property are burnt. Mamata Banerjee has always remained silent. She is going so late now all the evidence are removed. After 3 to 4 days since violence took place the repairing had started." "State government officials started repairing houses and temple so that no one could know that such an incident occurred. Mamata Banerjee has already dismissed such violence," Ghosh added. West Bengal Agriculture minister Shobandeb Chatterjee defended the chief minister's delayed visit, citing unrest in the area. "Our leader, Mamata Banerjee, has been saying this since day one that it has been very difficult for leaders to go to that area. Let the police do their is peace there now, let them live in needs to be done is being is going to tell everyone how they can live together," Chatterjee said. BJP MP Tarun Chugh accused the West Bengal government of protecting rioters and criticized its silence on the matter. "The West Bengal government's silence on the premeditated and planned attack on Hindus in Murshidabad is proof that Mamata Banerjee's government has given shelter to the rioters," said Chugh. Chugh further criticized Banerjee's leadership, stating, "Mamata Banerjee has ruined and disgraced Bengal with her atrocities and misrule... This ( Murshidabad violence ) is a blot on humanity. Her politics of appeasement have given a free hand to criminals in the state." The National Commission for Women has expressed serious concern over the communal violence in Murshidabad and Malda districts, where women and girls reportedly faced sexual violence, physical assault, and rape threats.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Hubby killed after religion check but Muslim locals helped us to safety: Pahalgam victim's kin
1 2 Kolkata: Thirteen days have passed since the attack at Baisaran Valley, and the horrific memory of losing her husband, Samir Guha , is still fresh. Sabari Ghosh , sitting at her Behala Sakherbazar residence on Sunday, blamed intelligence failure for the attack, questioning why it took the Indian army close to an hour to reach the spot despite the militant firing indiscriminately for over 25-30 minutes. "The security forces were stationed 7 km away. Did they not hear the gunshots or get to know that the main gate had been shut by the terrorists?" asked Guha. "For days, it was advertised that Kashmir has become peaceful. If this is what peace is, then what really is the meaning of the word?" she asked. "They crossed the border and carried out such a big incident, claiming so many lives. This cannot happen without an intelligence failure," she added. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Sabari stated that the terrorists initially separated them and asked them to recite Kalima. "But it was their driver Iqbal who received my daughter's call (made from the phone of another tourist) where she asked for help. By then, my husband was shot, and I broke my leg trying to flee. He arranged a pony rider, came back for us, and then stayed all along with us," she said. "It was he who informed family members about the incident," reminded her brother, Subrata Ghosh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Perfectly Timed Photos That Will Make You Look Twice Undo "I now want action. It is for the central govt to decide how it wants to respond. But I want the culprits punished, and I want a permanent solution so that no one faces the fate of my husband or 25 others who lost their lives there," she said. "This was a targeted killing. In any terror attack, there is random firing. It was not done here. If we are not safe in our own country, where will we find security?" she asked. On Sunday, while sitting at her home in Sakherebazar, Behala, Sabari recounted the events in Pahalgam. She mentioned that her husband, along with her and her daughter Subhangi, arrived in the valley about 20 minutes before the attack. While exploring the area and clicking photos, they suddenly heard gunshots, which continued for a while. Sabari said, "At first, we didn't realise it was gunfire. My husband asked the locals, and they said the forest department guards fire sometimes to drive away monkeys. But then the firing continued, and when we saw other tourists running, we understood it was an attack. Local people repeatedly told us to lie down to avoid being noticed by the militants. One of the terrorists came and separated the Muslims from the Hindus and ordered everyone to recite the Kalima. We were lying down when suddenly someone shot my husband. After killing him, the terrorist – dressed in a military outfit and with faces covered – said to another, 'Yeh Modi ka Aadmi Hai,'" recounted the mother of 17-year-old Subhangi. Everything was a blur before we found locals continuously begging us to flee. As we tried to flee, we were left in the lurch with no one around to help even after a long time. As I slipped while fleeing, my daughter Subhangi kept telling me to flee, or the terrorists might kill us too," recounted Sabari. Sabari said she understands the pain the wife of a BSF jawan who is presently in Pakistani custody is going through. "Only the one who is suffering knows what another person in an identical situation is going through," she said. The family stated they also received Rs 10 lakh from the central govt, another Rs 10.2 lakh from insurance (another Rs 5-6 lakh of final settlement is still pending), and are awaiting the state govt compensation. "I request the central govt to provide me with my husband's job at the earliest as I have a daughter to look after. He was the only earning member in my family," said Sabari. Sabari also accused several insurance agents and officials of spreading false claims about them. Sabari and her brother Subrata Ghosh stated that the claim of receiving 1.7 crore rupees as insurance is false. They alleged that this false claim was being spread in collaboration with an insurance agent and some people from the company for publicity. Subrata said, "It is being claimed that this huge amount was settled within three days of the incident. In reality, we received 10.2 lakh rupees." They suspect the involvement of an agent behind this. Subrata mentioned that within three days of the incident, a person who introduced himself as Debashis Bag, claiming to be an insurance agent, visited their home. Under the pretence of insurance settlement, he took several photos inside the house without the family's knowledge. Later, the person began spreading claims on social media, showing family photos and asserting that 1.7 crore rupees were given by the insurance company. Shabari and her brother claimed that the person also sent these photos to officials at the insurance company's Sarsuna branch. Subrata said, "The claims being spread are false. However, we don't know if only the agent is involved or if the insurance company is also complicit. We will pursue legal action." The family claimed that despite repeated attempts to contact the accused agent, he did not answer their calls. When Debashis was called for his response, he did not answer the phone or reply to messages.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Laughing clubs to pay homage to Pahalgam terror victims
Kolkata: Members of different laughing clubs in Kolkata are set to spread the message of peace and pay homage to the Pahalgam attack victims during the World Laughter Day celebrations on Sunday. This year's theme is: "Bring joy, healing, and unity." Kolkata has around 55 clubs registered with the Laughing Academy of Eastern India. Around 20 members of Gharoa Laughing Club at Rajarhat will participate in an exercise session on laughter therapy and organise a rally in the morning. Rajkumari Jha, the club founder, said, "Every year we take part in a rally to promote laughter as one of the exercises to stay healthy. But this time, the situation is different, so our motto is to spread laughter and joy so that there is no place for hatred or violence." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Madan Kataria, a member of the Laughing Academy of Eastern India and founder of the laughter yoga movement in the country, told TOI: "The conflicts we see in the world reflect the internal struggles taking place within individuals. Laughter is a universal language that bridges cultures and connects people from all walks of life." Members of Baishnabghata Patuli Township Laughing Club will observe one-minute of silence in memory of the Pahalgam attack victims. Samar Kumar Mitra, club secretary, said, "There will be a rally called Prabhat Pheri. We will spread the message of world peace through laughter that is a tranquillizer, equalizer and energizer."
