The Last Interaction

                                      

                                    

   The Bitter Beginning...

On this 16^th October, around 7o' clock in the evening  I was walking through the Mandeville Gardens Road near Gariahaat. Gloomily, watching the pre-puja celebration of the City of Joy. Just four more days to puja and I was given an ‘important assignment’ at 7o’ clock in the evening, which completely shattered my plans of Puja shopping.
The posh neighbourhood of South Kolkata was glowing with lights, hoardings and smiling passersby and I was numb, tired by the day’s work and yet to report another story. Everybody was free, everybody was happy but us (me and Sumit Da- THE Photographer).
But we walked through the crowded road , anyway, to interview Sunil Gangopadhyay. The fact - I was finally going to meet one of the creators of my childhood fantasies- lifted my mood a bit but not entirely. He gave me half an hour time from his daily schedule, which accidentally clashed with my puja shopping plan.

The Magical Half An Hour...

I pressed the door bell and one of the house servants took us to the sitting room. After a brief waiting, the person emerged in his beautifully furnished drawing room, was not the Sunil Gangopadhyay I knew. Clad in an orange kurta and pajamas, he was much thinner than I last saw him in Kolkata Book Fare few years ago.
He entered the room at exact 7o’clock, sat on the couch opposite to me, lighted a cigarette from his ‘Gold Flake King Size’ packet and talked. 

“What’s your name again?” he asked.
I answered.

“What’s your age?”

I gave him the number.“Too young to be a journalist!” he stared with a nodding head and smiled.

I was offended but smiled back anyway. Then he spoke again, 

“To bolo. What do you want from this old hag?”I smiled and put my phone on recording mode and began the ...

            

           
            Me- Tell me how you started Krittibas?

Sunil- Initially we had no plan of starting a little magazine. Infact, me and my friend Dipak Majumdar went to Dilip Kumar Gupta (better known as DK) to publish our own poetry book. DK told us to start a little magazine rather publishing a book. Actually, we needed more space to write poetry. 

Me- Who is Dilip Kumar Gupta?

Sunil- Then DK was the editor of Sygnet press. He not only brought revolution in Bengali printing industry by changing introducing modern forms of printing, binding and covers, and showed the book printing could also be an art. He published classics of modern poetry by Jibananda Das, such as Bonolota Sen and Rupasi Bangla. Satyajit Ray illustrated their covers. He gave us the idea of starting a magazine that would be ‘for the youths and by the youths’ of the society. And without hesitation we took the idea. When we started Krittibas, I was a third year Bengali Honours Student, 19 or 20-year-old. Though, It was a tiny publication, it had a strong motto. I remember, the first two editions were extremely attractive.

Me- What was the motto?

Sunil- We wouldn’t take any writings from well known writers or poets. Only new and young literates could submit their works in Krittibas. It is true that currently, though in small amounts, Krittibas publishes works of well known poets but in our time it was dedicated only to youths and new literates. I remember, we used to receive plenty of poetry from famous poets, but we humbly refused them. 

Me- So, how little magazine has helped you to become Sunil Gangopadhyay?

Sunil- Little magazine is everything; my identity, my life! Whatever I am today it is for little magazine and Krittibas. In my closer circle, even today, I introduce myself as the child of little magazine.

Me- ...But how exactly it has helped you?

Sunil- Little magazine gives the space and freedom of experimentation without any financial concern. Only a little magazine lets the writer speak out his heart, by breaking the traditional rules of literature, which enhances his creativity and makes him a more prominent literate. The same thing happened with me too. With Krittibas, I experimented and expanded my creative arena. I learnt how to communicate with the reader in new ways.
The experimentation is one of the prime reasons that Krittibas still exists. If we would have repeated the old trash, readers would have thrown it within no time.
Moreover, we never had any financial ambition or expectation from Krittibas. So, we easily gave space to the young writers and have been maintaining our tradition.The experimentation is one of the prime reasons that Krittibas still exists. If we would have repeated the old trash, readers would have thrown it within no time.Moreover, we never had any financial ambition or expectation from Krittibas. So, we easily gave space to the young writers and have been maintaining our tradition.

Me, Sunil Sir and Sumit Da

                                                                       Me- ...So, is that tradition still going on?

Sunil- It is hardly possible, now, because I, myself have grown older (humorously). But still we try to maintain it. It is true that we publish works of known writers, mainly my friends associated with Krittibas from its inception, but young and new writers are still given importance. You would see, we begin Krittibas with the works of new poets and writers and last few pages are left for the well knows writers.

Me- Since you mentioned your age, do you think that is the sole reason of your deteriorating health, because, even few months ago you were a healthy man?

   Sunil- Do you mean I was a chubby, fat person (laughing)? Yes, I was. But for some reasons I am losing weight like anything. Let’s see what happens....

That evening I spent the shortest half hour of my life. His words were driving the time faster than usual and the entire conversation became more of a series of moving pictures (Just like his writing). It was not the topic we were talking about, but his way of talking. And after that ‘super fast’ 30 minutes- while walking back through the same Mandeville Gardens road- I felt cheerful. Not for the fact that I was finally free for the day, but for the conversation I had with the ‘Milestone of Modern Bengali Literature’.

...And, The End

At the 6.30 in the morning of 23^rd October- I was fondling on my bed to take the folded bed sheet to cover me from the morning cold- the phone rang. It was my birthday. The harsh ringtone made me think about some of my friend's attempt to wish me 'Happy Birthday'.

 “Hello!?!” I answered, without even looking at the screen.

“Didnt you interview Sunil Gongopadhay few days ago?” It was my editor!

“Who... What? Yes Sir!” I answered gaining my consciousness.

“Well, have you filed the interview?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Ok, then send it to me ASAP. It’s Important. He died last night and it was probably his

 last interview.”

“What? Ok”, was all that I managed to utter as the phone went dead.