Durga Bishorjon: The immersion
This is a very different piece that I have brought to you.
This is a play written by Mrs. Purbasha Mondal in Bengali which I have translated to English. Hence, you can say that this is my first translation work. I am very much in love with the script and the storyline, the reason of which will unfold as you keep reading. I have loved it so much that I wanted to tell the story on screen in the format of a short film, by God’s grace, based on this story, the link to which I will share in the end. This is my first work as a Creative Director of a film and it nurtures my film making spirit beyond measures. This is basically a audio-drama, shaped in the form of a film with visuals.
Now, without further delay, let’s talk about the script.
Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay is like a bright shining star in the skies of Bengali literature. The bengalis are connected to his creation of Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) with an umbilical cord. The main source of life in this novel is the simple life of two small innocent children called Apu and Durga. The life of Apu-Durga has not only touched the hearts of the rural population but also that of the so-called urban people. So, the Durga of Pather Pachali attains the identity of manas kanya of mother nature itself in our subconscious minds. We unite with the imaginative mind of the little Apu, and find ourselves immersed in the beauty of rural bengal. The novel ends with Durga’s death and with Apurba and his family’s travel to Kashi Dham. But what if such was not the end? If Durga was alive? What if the dream of Sarbajaya of getting her daughter married to a rich family had come true? Then, how would have been Durga’s life? Would Sarbajaya then feel proud of her daughter? Would she then be filled with happiness?
This immortal novel was immortalized on screen by the evergreen Oscar Award Winning film-maker, Satyajit Ray in 1955.
Link to the full movie of Pather Panchali is below. I strongly suggest you to watch this movie first, before you read/watch this further, if you really want to enjoy your time reading this story of Durga Bishorjon. I promise, you will thank me later.
What began as a casual stage performance on Durga Puja, 2021, ended up on these social media platforms to be globally accessible and documented forever, by God’s grace, when I just fell in so much love with the script. The script has retained so much of the spirit of both Bibhutibhushan Bondopadhyay and Satyajit Ray that even though we were not working with them yet it felt like somewhere we are connected with them. This experience and this feeling itself is very fulfilling and enriching. Along with that, the script also succeeds in sending across a very strong message about oppression.
Scene 1
Narrator: This is the auspicious day of Chaturdashi. Only a few days are left for Goddess Uma to come down on earth, with her children in Her father’s abode. It is the time of the year, when the wind blows and the milk-white “Kash” swings along, promulgating the news of Mother’s arrival. The floating white clouds in the crystal clear blue sky announces with glee, that Mother is arriving. Nishchindipur is a small village where the preparation for the same is also going on. The women there are anxiously waiting for their loved ones to come home on the eve of the forthcoming occasion. The mothers there are waiting with their desolate laps for their married daughters to come home. In this land of Bengal, it is that the mother and the daughter are synonymous words. Sarbajaya is busy doing her chores all alone in her torn two-room hut. Her husband, Harihar has been away for years in Kashi for work. Occasionally, he sends letters to her and some money, with which she somehow manages to run the household. They have always been a poor family. When they got their daughter Durga married to a well-to-do family a few months back, they ran into even more debts. Apu, Sarbajaya’s son aka Apurba Kumar is an IA student in Kolkata. He stays in a cheap mess driven by his poverty. He earns his pocket money by giving tuition classes. Exposure to the harsh realities of life and its injuries, has transformed that little innocent and imaginative boy in him, into a matured young man. Everyone of the family is scattered in different places and hence Sarbajaya is all alone. But her heart is restless with the desire of having her two children at least, with her on this occasion of Durga Puja. Right at this moment, comes across a voice from the courtyard.
Apurba: Maa, where are you?
Sarbajaya: Who’s that? Is it Apu?
Apu: Yes Maa. Caught the first morning train from Kolkata to reach home. Sarbajaya: Great! Please take your seat. I will prepare you a drink of molasses. The condition of my pantry is so poor that I cannot even make you lemonade.
Apu: Sure but maa please strengthen your pantry now as I am going to my sister’s in-laws tomorrow in order to invite my sister and brother-in-law. Sarbajaya: Is it? Are you serious, Apu? You are going to bring my Dugga ma home!
Apu: Yes of course! I do have a small savings which has come through the earnings of my regular tuition. Do you know what I have done with that? Purchased new clothes for both Didi and Jamaibabu. Will take these to them tomorrow.
Sarbajaya: That’s great Apu! Haven’t seen my daughter for so many months! Please try to convince her mother-in-law to allow her to stay here for some days.
Apu: I will tell her for sure Maa. Please do not worry.
Scene 2
Narrator: As planned, the very next day, Apu appeared before the huge two-storied building with lawns all around in the Kulotola More of Kolkata. This is the mansion of Durga’s in-laws. After giving a proper introduction to the gatekeeper and after waiting for quite a long time in the drawing room, finally the mother-in-law arrived.
Annakali: Who are you Bapu? Can’t recognize. Fine, fine, you need not touch my feet.
Apu: Don’t you recognize me Mashima? I am Apurba. I am the younger brother of your daughter-in-law, Durga.
Annakali: Oh I see! That’s why I felt that I have seen this face somewhere. Had seen you amidst the huge gathering of guests at the wedding reception. So tell me, what’s the news?
Apu: Mashima, I have come here to invite Didi and Jamaibabu to our house, on the eve of the holy occasion of Durga Puja. If you kindly permit me, then I may take both of them for a few days there.
Annakali: Oh! Who’s there around? Please ask Jagadamba to bring my daughter-in-law here. Treating this boy as a special guest of ours, ask her to offer him a good plate of sweets immediately. However my boy, have you come here to invite with empty hands or brought some gifts at least for them?
Apu: Oh yes Mashima! I have brought new clothes for them. Please have a look?
Annakali: Very well! Let me see! Oh horrible, this is the gift! You must keep in mind that ours is the richest as well as the most famous Mukherjee family in this entire area. We do always possess the dignity of the highest level. So, how does it look that such a cheap quality of clothes has been gifted to my only son from his in-laws and that too the gifts are only for the couple? I admit that my husband had himself chosen your sister for our son on his visit to his friend’s place in Nishchindipur. Your sister has come to our house almost without any dowry, because you guys are poor! But, could you not manage even today to spend whole heartedly while buying them gifts?
Apu: Yes Mashima, but you already know about our condition. Annakali: Well, you have done your duty. What else can I say! Maa Jagadamba, have you come? Bouma, serve those sweets to your brother. He should eat well. Durga: Yes Maa, I’m giving him. Take these Apu, eat up these sweets.
Apu: Yes, I’m having them.
Annakali: Please listen to me carefully, my boy. My husband is out of station for some days on his business tour. My son has accompanied him. This is the reason why I am allowing Bouma to go with you. But I wish to send my daughter Jagadamba also, along with her Boudi. It was her hard luck that she has not seen any village in her life so far. So, let her see this time!
Jagadamba: Maa, please come here.
Annakali: Why? What has happened? Tell me?
Jagadamba: What makes you want to send me to their dilapidated cottage? All poor and nasty people take baths in shady ponds and live in stuffy rooms there! I am sorry Maa, I will not be able to bear upon all those nuisances.
Annakali: Never mind, it is only a matter of a few days my beloved daughter. Please adjust with the adverse circumstances. I shall never spare my newly wedded Bouma alone anywhere. She may otherwise start criticising us as soon as she reaches her home. We need to keep her in control from the very beginning. You need to accompany her everywhere she goes and never leave her alone, keep an eye on her always, is it clear? Jagadamba: Alright!
Scene 3
Sarbajaya: Oh my dear child, you have come! Please come inside. On the auspicious day of Shashthi, my Maa Dugga has arrived into her father’s abode, is this any less a fortune! Oh, my dear Jagadamba also accompanied you! I welcome you dear in the poor’s house. Apu, please keep their luggage in the east facing room, that room is well ventilated, both my daughters would stay in that room.
Durga: How are you Maa? It feels so great to see you after so long!
Narrator: Adorned with gold ornaments and a gorgeous Benarasi Saree, Durga covered her head with the veil and bowed down to touch the feet of her mother. Jagadamba stood aside grumpily. Hereafter, as instructed by her mother, Jagadamba follows Durga like a shadow. However, Apu did not reveal to his mother about what all the mother-in-law of Durga had said, as he felt that this would hurt his mother. In the Saptami morning, Sarbajaya was cooking something. Durga comes and sits near Sarbajaya, Jagadamba accompanies Durga.
Durga: What are you doing Maa? Sarbajaya: I’m preparing a few nuggets of ripe banana for you dear. As we cannot afford to buy fish and meat, I thought that let me prepare this for breakfast!
Durga: Oh Maa, your preparation of these nuggets is so tasty that there’s no need for any fish or meat. Thakurji, you too should taste it, it’s awesome! Jagadamba: I cannot tolerate such kinds of snacks. I won’t have these. Durga: Maa, since the time I have come, you are working restlessly. Let me help and fry the rest of the pieces.
Sarbajaya: Should it be so dear? You have come here for a few days, you are a guest in a way now; relax, eat and have fun. You don’t have to toil hard here.
Ranu: Durga oh Durga, are you there?
Durga: Oh wow! Ranu di ! Please come. When did you come to your father’s place? Oh wow! It’s your baby in your lap! Please pass him to me.
Ranu: Yes, take him. I have been here for around the past 5 days. Heard that you have come, so thought of meeting you.
Durga: That’s great!
Ranu: So Durga, you have been married off to a very wealthy family. You are wearing so many ornaments, such a beautiful expensive saree, and you have become fairer than before, hair has also become dark black! Do you apply hair oil everyday?
Jagadamba: Is it only oil! Do you have any idea how well is Boudi kept in our house? A maid cleanses her body daily with milk skin. Cleanses her feet and paints her Alta. Oils her hair and makes her a bun with a gold hair pin. And you are talking about the jewellery? How much is this! There’s a box full of jewellery for her under the custody of my mother.
Ranu: Oh my God! Is it so? That’s amazing! You do really belong to a rich family now. Anyway, as you will be here for a few days, why don’t you come visit our place? We might be poor and might not be able to take such great care of yours but we will treat you as well as we can.
Durga: Sure, I will come visit your place.
Jagadamba: No, no, how can she go? We will be leaving on the very morning of Ekadashi and anyway, it’s not possible for us to visit anyone’s house, this has been prohibited by my mother.
Sarbajaya: What? Are you going back on Ekadashi itself?
Durga: How come? I was not aware of this?
Jagadamba: Why would you need to know that? Maa had instructed me with the same. We will have to go back on that very day.
Ranu: What can be done then! Please visit us the next time you come, Dugga; it’s an advance invitation. I will take a leave now, give me the baby.
Scene 4
Narrator: Today is Ashtami. After taking the early morning bath, Sarbajaya went to the Puja mandap with both her children and Jagadamba to offer her pushpanjali and prayers. She prayed for the well-being of her children and offered her grateful reverence to Goddess Durga for having her daughter married to a good family. Once upon a time, pressed with the penury and the frustration, she had been overly strict with her elder child. Durga would be roaming around as a child in the entire village and would get a bashing from her mother on her return as a punishment. But after getting married, the way Durga has changed and developed her calm personality, is very satisfying for Sarbajaya. Jagadamba has however been very tired while returning from the mandap. The tenderness of her body is not at all fit to withstand any long walk, so has become quite tired. She’s now dragging slowly in the sun and to give her company, Sarbajaya also falls behind the rest. Apu and Durga keep on walking at their habitual speed and move ahead of Jagadamba and Sarbajaya. It is after a long time that both the siblings get a chance to chat freely.
Durga: Do you remember Apu, when you were a little boy, I used to walk you to the pathshala of Prashanna Gurumoshai? Ah! you used to be so scared initially!
Apu: Would I not be scared? Gurumoshai used to beat us up so much! By the way, I wasn’t much thrashed as I was able to learn my lessons and answer his questions.
Durga: Of course! My sweet little brother was always meritorious and decent. It was me who used to monkey about the whole village and get beaten up by Maa later on.
Apu: Well Didi, in the orchard of your in-laws, there are so many mango, jambolan and guava trees, don’t you climb those trees over there?
Durga: Hey! Are you crazy? I am the daughter-in-law of that house. Daughter-in-laws never climb trees! Won’t society criticise otherwise?
Apu: Okay didi, how do you feel after coming back to our village after so long?
Durga: To be honest, before coming here, I had planned a lot. Going back to my paternal house, I would roam around like the previous days. Would swim a lot in the pond of the Chatterjee’s, will get scolded from Maa because of my unruly behaviour. Would gossip with you wholeheartedly. I had thought of so many things. But when I came here, I saw that nothing is the same anymore like the olden times. To my own mother, now, I am a guest. Forget about scolding, my mother is busy attending her guests for a few days. Neighbours are now formally inviting me to their houses. Nobody says, “You belong to this village. You are our daughter. Come as you like, be as you like. Just like before.” Nobody says so. I am now the daughter-in-law of Kolkata’s Mukherjee’s. Now everyone views me with that identity alone. That old rough and tough Durga is NO MORE. I am now a possession of someone else’s house, who has no freedom, no wishes, no likings, no dislikings, nothing.
Apu: Didi!
Scene 5
Narrator: It’s Navami today. In the evening, in front of the idol in the mandap, is organised a folk drama. Apurba has loved watching rural theatres since his childhood. He has left to watch it in the evening even today. Durga had also wished to but could not because Jagadamba had vehemently disagreed to go there as she cannot stand the rural crowd in this hot weather. Today Sarbajaya has prepared payas (dessert). Durga loves it. She’s very happy to learn that it is being cooked. Before leaving for the folk drama, Apurba had his portion and served the same to Durga and her sister-in-law as instructed by his mother. Both would have it while having a chat. After a while, Sarbajaya suddenly thought of sharing even the little leftover of the dessert from her portion with Durga and Jagadamba, lest when next her daughter would visit her again, when next she can serve her a meal like this! Having it in a small bowl, she started for Durga’s room. But as soon as she arrived in front of the room, Sarbajaya couldn’t step further. She could hear from outside the sharp yet suppressed voice of Jagadamba floating from inside the room.
Jagadamba: Horrible, is this payas? There’s no proper ingredients like gobindobhog rice, kaju, raisin, sugar, nothing! Just this boiled cheap rice in the diluted milk, mixed with a few pieces of sugar cake. What a shame! Durga: Why so thakurjhi? This tastes great to me!
Jagadamba: Oh! Is this great? You are exclaiming it in such a way that in our house, payas has never been prepared. You have never had anything good in our house! Can you even compare our meals with that cooked by your mother?
Durga: Please do not say like this thakurjhi. They are poverty stricken. My mother has still tried to take good care of us in her capacity, hasn’t she? Jagadamba: Is it even called care? Have been feeding on all rubbish vegetables since when we have come, can’t even sleep properly in this suffocating room. All these days that I have been going through hell, you didn’t notice that, right? How will you notice? You are busy pampering your mother and brother alone!
Durga: Please don’t be so loud thakurjhi! If maa gets to hear this, she will be gravely hurt.
Jagadamba: Let her hear. And if she doesn’t, then convey her a message on my behalf. It is just not enough to make alliance with a rich family out of greed, one should also know how to maintain such relationships. How your brother was treated with food in our house, do you remember that? And how did you all treat me? Just compare. What a shame! No more of these. We will leave this place tomorrow itself. Ask your brother to arrange for our early morning travel. I will tell my mother about all of these after I return home. What will my mother do to you, just watch! Luckily I had come along with you as advised by my mother. As a result, I could witness what a third class family you are! One more thing, never again dare to come to your paternal house. If I haven’t placed thorns at the gate of your paternal house, then I will change my name.
Sarbajaya: Oh my God! What am I hearing? In her in-law’s house is this how she is treated? Is this her value there? It seems that this mother-daughter duo continuously bully her for belonging to a poor family! Oh God! I was under the impression that my Dugga is very happy getting married in a rich family. The reality is actually this! Oh my dear Lord! Will they never send my Durga again? Will the Durga of my house be immersed in the Dashami morning itself?
Scene 6
Narrator: Sarbajaya requested Jagadamba a lot, Durga was in continuous tears, but nothing could change the mind of Jagadamba. She forcefully packed all their stuff and left for Kolkata with her boudi. Apurba took the responsibility to escort them. He did not request Jagadamba even for once. Actually, he was heart-broken and his heart was filled with affection for his sister at the same time. His free-spirited sister has been shackled for life, this chain can’t be broken again, he could apprehend that. As they had travelled a long distance in the bullock cart, Jagadamba fell asleep as soon as they boarded the train. In the window seat, both Durga and Apurba are seated opposite to each other. Apurba is looking outside the window in disappointment. Durga was wiping her tears with her piece of silk cloth. Apurba noticed that and he asked,
Apu: Didi, are you crying?
Durga: No no. Why will I be crying? Everything is good about your train, just that it has a lot of coal dust and it blew into my eyes.
Apu: I know that you are crying. Just because I will feel hurt, you’re denying.
Durga: Do you remember Apu, when we were little, we had once run a long way to see the train? But we could not see the train, all that we could see was the black smoke. Now it feels that it was the best thing to have. See, when I got to see the train, got to board it even, I got separated from you all! Apu: Didi!
Durga: You know Apu? They are never again going to send me to Nishchindipur. I can well perceive that. Maa will never come to see me abiding by the social norms. Father won’t come either. But you are staying in Kolkata Apu, won’t you be able to visit me in that house at times? Perhaps, they will insult you, but would you not be able to bear all of that to meet me? Tell me Apu?
Apu: I can didi, I can. I will somehow manage to meet you at times. I will never forget you. I promise you that Didi, I promise you that.
Durga: Apu! Oh my dear brother!
Plot of Pather Panchali
In 1910s Nischindipur, rural Bengal, Harihar Roy earns a meagre living as a pujari (priest) but dreams of a better career as a poet and playwright. His wife Sarbajaya cares for their children, Durga and Apu, and Harihar’s elderly cousin, Indir Thakrun. Because of their limited resources, Sarbajaya resents having to share her home with the old Indir, who often steals food from their already bare kitchen. At times, Sarbajaya’s taunts become offensive, forcing Indir to take temporary refuge in the home of another relative. Durga is fond of Indir and often gives her fruit stolen from a wealthy neighbour’s orchard. One day, the neighbour’s wife accuses Durga of stealing a bead necklace (which Durga denies) and blames Sarbajaya for encouraging her tendency to steal.
As the elder sibling, Durga cares for Apu with motherly affection but spares no opportunity to tease him. Together, they share life’s simple joys: sitting quietly under a tree, viewing pictures in a travelling vendor’s bioscope, running after the candy man who passes through, and watching a jatra (folk theatre) performed by an acting troupe. Every evening, they are delighted by the sound of a distant train’s whistle. One day, they run to catch a glimpse of the train, only to find Indir dead upon return.
Unable to earn a good living in the village, Harihar travels to the city to seek a better job. He promises that he will return with money to repair their dilapidated house. During his absence, the family sinks deeper into poverty, and Sarbajaya grows increasingly lonely and bitter. One day during the monsoon season, Durga plays in the downpour, catches a cold and develops a high fever. Adequate medical care being unavailable, the fever worsens, and on a night of incessant rain and gusty winds, she dies. Harihar returns home and starts to show Sarbajaya the merchandise he has brought from the city for everyone. A silent Sarbajaya breaks down at her husband’s feet, and Harihar cries out in grief as he discovers that Durga is no more. The family decides to leave their ancestral home for Benaras. As they pack, Apu finds the necklace Durga had earlier denied stealing; he throws it into a pond. Apu and his parents leave the village on an ox-cart.
