Long before Halloween was added to the Indian festival calendar, Bengalis had their share of bhoots (ghosts) — friendly and not-so-friendly — courtesy the rich treasure trove of fiction. But lording over them all was Bhooter Raja from Satyajit Ray’s immortal Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne with his jobor jobor teen bor.
My Kolkata asked a cross-section of Kolkatans what are the three wishes (teen bor) they would wish for if they had a chance to meet the Bhooter Raja. Here’s what they had to say:
Malina Deb, 85, retired school headmistress
For this octogenarian, her wishes, essentially, are silent prayers for her loved ones. The 85-year-old, if she ever gets a chance to meet the Bhooter Raja, will ask for “everlasting family bonding, physical strength to be able to be on her own two feet, and the heart to hope and pray for everyone’s well being.”
Rinku Mitra, 59, entrepreneur
Rinku Mitra’s wishes are those of a doting mother, travel enthusiast and entrepreneur. “I want to relive the childhood of my daughter, visit Benaras as many times as possible (preferably every month!), and nurture my humble cloud kitchen into a bigger establishment,” she said.
Abhishek Roy, 35, theatre activist, tutor and academician
Avid reader, theatre activist, tutor and academician, Abhishek Roy, has many feathers on his hat, and his wishlist covers many things too. While his first and second wishes are food for all and the extinction of hatred, the 35-year-old added a twist in the third, asking for “three more wishes” from the Bhooter Raja.
Karishma Siddique Roy, artist
Artist Karishma Siddique Roy, who has grabbed eyeballs with her fountain pen sketches of Satyajit Ray and scenes from his films, wished for “No more acts of violence against humans or animals, no child going to bed hungry and a very private one, involving my mother.”
Shreya Pal, 25, M. Pharm student
Master’s student Shreya’s wishes reminded us of Goopy-Bagha’s to quite an extent. The 25-year-old wished “to be a globetrotter with a free pass to be anywhere, eat to my heart’s content and slip into the life of anyone and experience their lives.”
