ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio USA

Most Indian parents try to marry off their children according to their own wish on the pretext of the fact that ‘Parents want the best for their children and they always find the best match possible’. But do that really happen to them after marriage? Luv Ranjan’s latest movie ‘Akash Vaani’ is a emotional take on the serious issue of forced marriage and the consequences that follow.

Katrina Kaif is one of the few actresses who are honored with solo posters despite starring an A-list actor...that speaks volumes for her popularity…Apart from that her success ratio is among the highest in Bollywood.

Washington, DC, September 10, 2011 (Washington Bangla Radio) Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Thakur, Shri Barid Baran wrote "Rabindramoyee" which depicts the comparison of THREE very popular and well known female characters created by Rabindranath - SHYAMA, CHITRANGADA and PRAKRITI (in CHANDALIKA).

The similarity between these characters is that they wanted their loved ones desperately. But the dissimilarity lies in the ways they opted to pursue their loved ones and the final outcome of their love.

Shyama sacrificed the life of a young paramour of hers in order to save Bajrasen from death as she was infatuated with him and wanted him at any cost.

Chitrangada, the only child of the king and the one to inherit the throne, falls in love with Arjun, the third of the five Pandava Brothers in the Mahabharata. But after Arjun refused her as she was not an attractive woman. She changed her appearance by the boon of Kamdev in order to reach her goal.

Prakriti was shunned by everyone around her as she was born to a lower-caste untouchable family. Her life changed when Ananda, a buddhist monk asked for water from her and made her understand that she is as human as everyone in the world. Prakriti felt re-born as a human being and fell in love with him.

However, the outcome of their love was different also.

In spite of everything Shyama did to get her love, Bajrasen left her, when he came to know about the sacrifice of life in order to save him.

After changing her appearance Chitrangada did win herself Arjun, but Arjun being a warrior looked for Chitrangada, the warrior and she came back to her original form.

Prakriti wanted Ananda and even tried her mother's magic powers to obtain him. But at the end of the day he was a monk, a hermit - a saint who had no attraction for material matters.

Listen to our special presentation - a Washington Bangla Radio exclusive.

Washington DC, Aug 13, 2011 (Washington Bangla Radio) Salil Chowdhury composed his first protest song as early as in 1943. A few years later he joined IPTA (Indian Peoples Theater Association) and composed numerous songs and along with the IPTA comrades he took his songs to the masses. They travelled through the villages and the cities and his songs became the voice of the masses.

These songs of protest with lyrics and music composed by Salil Chowdhury were very powerful and stimulating indeed and made people aware of the rampant social injustice and oppression that surrounded them. These mass songs became a part of the independence movement He called these songs the 'Songs of consciousness and awakening'

After extensive research for the last 12 years, Gautam Choudhury, the creator of the website www.salilda.com has published this unique collection of 12 of these rare mass songs by Salil Chowdhury. Washington Bangla Radio is privileged to bring you this album in digital download format world-wide.

These 12 songs were composed between 1944 and 1951 and refer to major political events that took place during that period. Reference to most of these songs is available in many IPTA and other publications and quite a few of the senior IPTA members who are still alive can vividly remember these songs. Without their help this recording would not be possible. 

The principle singers include the members of Bharatiya Gananatya Sangha (Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association) of Kolkata with the students of Rabindra Bharati University providing the harmony. Some of the best musicians from Kolkata participated in this recording, which took nearly two years to complete.

The music is arranged by Goutam Ghosh, head of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University who knew Salil Chowdhury quite well and has an excellent understanding of his musical style.

• Click here to listen to free previews online and download Chetonar Gaan - Songs of Conciousness in full audio hi-def MP3 format »

Calcutta, May 14, 2011 (Washington Bangla Radio) Sanghamitra Chaudhuri (interview) made her latest Bengali film "Bidehir Khonje Rabindranath" as a tribute to the legendary Indian bard Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary and it is quite appropriate that the film has been released in the week which had also has his birthday as one of the days.

It is also the only film to be released till date in 2011 which is about the bard and gives us an inside peek into his life and exposes facts which were unknown to us till the other day. Another film which is soon to release called Noukadubi (Kashmakash) is not about Tagore but rather based on one of his short stories as was Teen Tanaya which was based on his poems.

The film is about a young group who decide to go to Santiniketan just for the heck of it as they have never been there before and have heard about it. They are completely technologically savvy and consider themselves to be hot and happening but are pitifully ignorant about Rabindranath.

Read the full Bengali movie review on Washington Bangla Radio.