New Delhi: As the winter prepares to bid adieu to the city of joy, the people of Kolkata rejoice at the much-awaited event of the city- The Kolkata Book Fair. Book lovers from all across the city and around the world have gathered here for the love of literature, arts and music. On one hand, people are busy rummaging through the shelves, trying to fulfil their bucket lists, while on the other hand, budding writers who have launched their first-ever books are eager to share their stories with the crowd.
Launching a book at the Kolkata Book Fair is a dream for many writers and what better can it be than to launch a book that is written on someone you idolize? Popular band ‘Moheen Ekhon o Bondhura’ was there at the Kolkata Book Fair on February 4 for the launch of their book, titled ‘Reincarnation Of The Dark Stallion- Journey Of An Unsung Legend’. The book, written by Rishita Dey, is a biography of the musical maestro Tapas ‘Bapi’ Das.
Speaking to ABP Live about the book, Rishita shared her experience while writing the story of everyone’s favourite ‘Bapi Da’. She said, “I believe behind every story there is another story. I was first approached by my cousin Suman, who is the vocalist of the band, to write a biography on Bapi Da. At that time I was a bit unsure about it but eventually agreed to do it. There were a lot of unheard stories, which I gradually came to know and in the process, discovered so much about that man. Today, I can say that I know the man really closely and I have begun to idolize him. His strength, courage and positivity inspire me a lot.”
Speaking about Moheen she shared, “Bapi Da wanted the book to be written in English so that people who are not familiar with the Bengali language can also read it and understand who is ‘Moheen’. ‘Moheen’ is not just about a musical band, but it is about ‘change’. It is a philosophy and a spirit. Anybody can become ‘Moheen’- with the guitar or without the guitar. For me, my pen became my sword and that way I am also a ‘Moheen”
Rishita got to know a different side of ‘Bapi’ Da while penning down his biography. She said, “His positive spirit and determination to bring about a change at this age is really commendable. The man is battling cancer, yet his determination to perform and carry on the legacy is something that inspires me.”
She then jokingly adds, “If I can get even one percent of his spirit and determination, probably, even I will be able to do something in life.”
Talking about ‘Bapi Da’ as a person, Rishita said, “As a human being, he is extremely down to earth and someone who never wanted to come to the limelight. That man has taught me a lot and I learnt how important it is to keep our feet grounded. This is a story that needs to be told and also must be carried forward by our generation, through writings, or his songs, because the story is an inspiration to all.”
She wants people to read the book as it is for a good cause. “The money that will be generated by selling the copies of the book, I want all of it to go to him, not just for his treatment but for all the medication and everything else.”, told Rishita.
Rishita was indeed overwhelmed after knowing so much about Tapas ‘Bapi’ Das and about the band, right from the past to the present and everything in between. Interestingly, she was in Hyderabad when she began working on the book.
“Bapi Da used to write and send me scanned copies of his story and it was all in Bengali. So, it was really challenging but at the same time, I had fun translating his story into English, trying to keep up the same emotion with which he had narrated his story. The manuscript that I had prepared was almost six to seven inches long and that, today, is my most prized possession.”, recalled Rishita.
Tapas Das is a cancer patient and is currently undergoing treatment. He was supposed to come for the book launch, but could not make it as he had to be admitted to SSKM Hospital. His band members were present and they performed on stage keeping the crowd enthralled. The audience sang along with them and it was indeed a treat to watch the band perform.
Suman ‘Mickey’ Chatterjee, the vocalist of the band shared his experience of performing with Bapi Da for so many years with ABP Live. He said, “It was 2018 when I was performing solo at a show that I met Bapi Da. Somehow, he liked my performance and thought he could consider me as one of Moheen’s horses. Bapi da was ageing and thus required someone who would sing and perform with him and carry on the legacy. Thus an all-new Moheen Ekhon o Bondhura was formed and since then we have all been together as a family.”
Chatterjee further went on to say, “When I first received the call, I did not know what was there in store for me. So, I went to his home to meet him. I saw that the walls were covered with pictures of Mohiner Ghoraguli and adorned with lots of lyrics. It is indeed a legendary room and I went down the memory lane back to my childhood days on seeing all that.”
“I have been a vocalist of this band since 2018 and will be doing this in future as well. Bapi Da has trained me like a soldier to carry on his legacy and I hope that very soon we will have him back on stage and thereby, I wish for his speedy recovery.”, told Suman.
Giving a message to everyone on behalf of Bapi Da, Suman said, “I have never seen another person in my life who has gone to the recording studio in an ambulance or has sung with a Ryle’s tube attached to his nose. This is something that we all should learn from him. We tend to make excuses for not being able to work even if we are slightly unwell, but this man’s spirit and willpower are indeed an inspiration to all.”
Tapas ‘Bapi’ Das created the Bengali rock band Moheener Ekhon o Bondhura. Although it continues the legacy of Moheener Ghoraguli, it is not the same because it was formed after Moheener Ghoraguli got disbanded, and Tapas ‘Bapi’ Das is the only member of Moheener Ghoraguli who is a part of this band. The other members of the band are Suman ‘Mickey’ Chatterjee, Sudip Nag, Arunim Das Purkayastha, Prasenjit Ray, Souvik Ghoshal, and Pramit Roy.