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 Throughout my academic years, right from the time I was a child in school diligently listening to every word of my teacher to the last bench student in the last year of college doodling away in guise of copying monotonous notes simply waiting to be saved by the bell; I had found myself to be quite a shy and reserved student. Little wonder then that most people just stared at me with disbelief when I told them that I wanted to be a journalist, a profession, which requires good communication skills. This ambition of mine, which I nursed in me ever since I was nine-years-old did come true. Therefore today I can register myself along with other writers on this website. Like most writers will have to say- there goes the clichéd self-bragging confession that I was the favourite of my English teachers (well, at least in school) and had my essays read out in class. However, never had I won the English language prize simply because there were students who were better than me. Year after year I saw the much-coveted English language prize being taken away by someone else. Therefore the first time I got to see my story published in a leading newspaper of Kolkata, I was thrilled, it was a dream come true for me.
I am still quite an introvert by nature though my personality seems to change completely whenever I write. I usually have a lot to ‘say’, be it an email, letter or journal writing (I have both a day and a night journal for recording dreams and nightmares). This has sometimes made me wonder- do I suffer from ‘split personality disorder’? Then just like many other writers I go through phases when thoughts and ideas (the good, the bad and the ugly) rush through my head and just have to be penned (oops … ‘keyed’ in) even late in the night (but hey, I am nocturnal anyway). There are other times my mind just draws a blank. This has once again made me wonder- are these doldrums writer’s blocks or am I ‘manic depressive’? Maybe I should stop worrying so much otherwise I’ll soon have to be treated for hypochondria!
Though writing does run in my family, I’ve been the first one to take up writing as a full-fledged profession. There’s no other profession I can ever think of pursuing. My mother wanted one of her three daughters to be a doctor like her late husband. Unfortunately Biology wasn’t our forte. Initially in an effort to inspire us we were all made to memorise an essay in which we wrote that we wanted to become a doctor like dad when we grew up. This clichéd essay on ‘ambition’ always ended with the altruistic line, “I will treat the poor for free and will try to discover a cure for cancer.” But this technique failed to motivate us to become a doctor. So to make her daughters interested in the subject my mom came up with a unique idea. When we were still in school she bought a skeleton for us, thinking that it would magically spark interest in bones and in turn human anatomy. The result was that I just made some spooky make-belief stories on it (on similar lines of making romantic love tragedies with my dad’s chess board warriors and losing a tiny white soldier in the process which was later replaced by plastic Mr.White from the board game Monopoly). The skeleton was hung up in the attic of our old house, which also happened to be my bedroom. Every morning I would wake up to see the skeleton flashing a wide grin at me with all its 32 teeth intact- the chiaroscuro effect was great in the dark attic! Mr.Skeleton could have actually been a model for a toothpaste advertisement. Later grandma draped it in a white sari with a ghomta (hood) making it look like a typical petni (female Bengali ghost). Why did she do that? “Because the skeleton looked too naked,” she said. It was actually a man’s skeleton. So I guess it wasn’t too comfortable to be dressed like a transvestite (hope I haven’t offended anyone). Finally when none of mom’s daughters took up science in college, she felt that it was time for the skeleton to rest in peace. So a wooden coffin was made for it, which was kept in the dining hall and also used as a dining table. BTW, every word I have written is true. My mom sold the skeleton two years ago after much convincing. She still wanted to keep it hoping that her grand daughter (now 5) would grow up to be a doctor. "Mom, it'll just be a bag of bones by the time your grand children grow up," we said.
My sincere apologies for digressing. Being a journalist has given me the opportunity to discover aspects about me I would never have known had I been into any other career. It made me come out of the shell I had put myself in for the first 21 years of my life. It has helped me to reach out to people. Over the 5 years I’ve been a journalist I’ve had many memorable experiences. I have interviewed people from all walks of life- starting from the sex-workers of Sonagachi who camp with stray dogs in the gutter to eminent celebrities in their plush living rooms or swanky cars. Many “?’s” I had about the people I used to read about in newspapers were often answered with an ‘!’ mark when I actually met them.
Maybe the greatest thing about journalism is that it’s a form of expression, which has not been put into the shackles of censorship. Those days when I was made to memorise essays from second-hand guidebooks to fetch ‘good’ marks in school is now a distant memory- thank goodness! Being entitled the freedom of the pen is a privilege, like any other ethical journalist I’ve tried best to honour this freedom by trying to retain objectivity whenever I write and presenting accurate facts never ever resorting to raunchy gossip writing. And though I write just too much in mails and letters, I do strictly adhere to the prescribed word count when I am writing articles. Also try my best to meet deadlines, better still often submit my work way in advance. I constantly try to improve my writing style and pay heed to writing tips from senior editors.
Being a journalist has brought about life-changing experiences. It was after meeting Mrs. Joyce Siromani, founder of Paripurnata, a halfway home for under-privileged mentally ill women, I got deeply interested in psychology and involved myself in social work. I have written many articles on social workers and mental illnesses thereafter. In year 2003 I took up food writing seriously- that was quite a surprise to me taking into consideration my rudimentary culinary skills. Later that year I got seriously involved in spiritual writing. For an atheist and agnostic like me that was truly a very big surprise. Now I like spiritual writing a lot, it has actually been a soul-searching experience for me, has helped myself to deal better with adversities in life, has made me more understanding to other's problems.
Starting to write on music was also not something I had never expected to do. The only musical instrument that we had at home was an old Hawaiian guitar, which belonged to a relative of ours who didn’t play it anymore. All three sisters were made to learn the Hawaiian guitar because my family didn't want to spend on buying any other musical instrument. Whenever I played it, my music was full of slips and slurs. What I liked to do was pick up tunes on it instead. All through out my teens I was barred from watching MTV and rock was considered to promote the ‘evils of Western pop-culture (??!!)’ by senior members of my family. My ‘teenage rebelliousness’ came at 21, the final year of college. It was then that I got hooked onto MTV. Initially I just liked boy band songs. Gradually I started liking Queen, REM, Green Day, the Goo Goo Dolls, Sting and Alanis Morissette. One afternoon when I was feeling blue I heard Kurt Cobain playing. The music rung in my ears constantly for days after listening to it and soon I was hunting all music stores for his albums. Ever since my association with music magazines of India, I have started to go beyond listening to just the music which comes on MTV. I still can’t quite call myself a ‘music journalist’ though.
Let me say that my family has been very supportive in my career. They are always there to encourage me when I think that I’ll never make a name as a writer. Through my work I’ve had the privilege to work with some amazingly talented writers, I’ve actually requested some of them to register on this website. Someday if I ever make it big as a journalist I plan to pen my memoirs in a book called ‘Beyond the Headlines’. Now that’s the ‘secret’ ambition I’m presently nursing, it’s now up to me to work hard to make it come true.
“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.” - Green Day
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MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- Pallavi Bhattacharya
Email: pallavi_b77@yahoo.com - Work Experience:
Five years
· Freelance Journalist: October 1999 – present date
· Edited and published a youth journal Yuva in January 2005
· Editorial Assistant for Exposure Media Marketing Pvt.Ltd.- Xpressions – the Sahara Inflight magazine and Selling World Travel: November 2003 – November 2003
· Correspondent for Life Positive (spiritual magazine) and Life Positive Plus: June 2003 - October 2003
· Edited and launched a students’ journal - Kolkata Students’ Journal: 2002
· Kolkata Update (daily newspaper)- editorial / reporter: August 2001 - October 2001
· Zatang.Com (youth portal)- special correspondent from Kolkata: October 2000 - October 2001
Topics of writing: youth, education, women, health, food & nutrition, spirituality, religion, psychology, travel, films, theatre, music, culture, society, leisure & recreation - Writings published:
· More than 450 publications in various newspapers, periodicals, magazines and websites.
· Work experience with both Indian and foreign publications.
· Articles published in school magazines and Kolkata’s daily newspapers The Statesman, The Asian Age, Kolkata Update and The Hindustan Times.
· Articles published in Readers’ Digest, Outlook, India Today Plus, Rave, Education World, Upbeat, Femina, Femina - Girl, Women’s Era, Life Positive, Life Positive Plus, Food & Nutrition World, Xpressions and Health.
· Won the second prize in Essay Contest - 181 - Competition Refresher.
· Entry published in Competition Success.
· Article published in (American magazine) Juggle.
· Content writing for websites: www.sify.com, www.india.com, www.zatang.com, www.tadka.com, www.internationalwoman.net, www.ganashakti.com, www.indya.com, www.indianest.com, www.indiatravelogue.com, www.beatofindia.com
· Registered writer on boloji.com and writesight.com.
· Interviewed eminent Indian and foreign celebrities, college all-rounders, social workers, educationists, scientists, authors, monks and business personalities.
· Handled press releases.
· Attended many press conferences.
· Attended film premieres. Written film reviews.
· Written theatre reviews.
· Attended music album launches. Written music album reviews.
· Freelance writing experience for the Mauritian Consulate, Kolkata
· Letters to the editor and responses published in Kolkata’s daily newspapers The Telegraph and The Times of India. Quote published in www.ewwoman.com. Opinions published in indiatogether.com, shaadi.com, rediff.com. - Education:
· English Honours, Lady Brabourne College, 1999, Aggregate: 55.4%
· ISC Examination, La Martiniere for Girls, 1996, Aggregate: 84 %, English – 88%
· ICSE Examination, La Martiniere for Girls, 1994, Aggregate: 85.8%, English – 80%
Computer knowledge: Windows’ 2000, MS OFFICE, working on the Internet, Corel Draw (basics), Adobe Page Maker, QUARK Express and Adobe Photoshop, basics of HTML, introduction to Java Script
Extra-Curricular activities (in school): elocution and dramatics
Hobbies and interests: reading, films, photography, teaching, swimming, social work (work with the mentally ill) and travelling
Languages known: English, Bengali, elementary Hindi, very elementary Spanish.
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MY FAVORITE LINKS:
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MY RESIDENCE INFO:
City: Mumbai
State/Country: India
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BOOKS PUBLISHED:
 KOLKATA STUDENTS' JOURNAL
(AN EXTRACT)
TEEN SUICIDE
This is a true story of teenage girl who tried to commit suicide. Luckily she was saved by a local youth. She relates her experience…………….
Radha’s real life account:
I was 16. My dad didn’t love me. He was an alcoholic. He also abused mum. Ours is a lower income family and we have to struggle hard for a living. Circumstances were getting out of hand. What did I have to look forward to? I had no siblings to share my feelings with and alleviate my sorrows. In fact I have lost all 4 of my brothers and sisters. One day when dad had been very cruel to mom she came up to me and told me, “What’s the use of living life anymore? Your dad will always be abusive. We will never be free ourselves from this vicious circle of sorrow. Let’s die together. If I die and you live, your father will make your life unbearable.” My mother went and told her family friend Shyama, “We are going to kill ourselves today.” My mother had often told Shyama things like this but this time it was for real. My mother tied my ornha to her saree, we hired an auto rikshaw and headed for the nearest ghat. We had decided to drown ourselves to death.
It was noon and bathing time at the ghat. The tide was in. We didn’t take the steps to the ghat but the steep; slippery, muddy slope. No one took that specific route. My mother knows little swimming and I was no swimmer. We walked into the water. My feet began to slip and suddenly daylight was cut off and I found myself in deep water. Water rushed into my lungs and I lost consciousness. Later I heard, my mother who was petite was trying to keep afloat desperately, but she discovered she was drowning too.
We would have drowned had it not been for 22 year old Chuni. Chuni was there at the ghat talking to his friend Ramu. He had found it strange when he had seen us take the unconventional route to the ghat and not the stairs. However he did not stop us as it would be indiscreet to look on. He continued to chat with his friend. Three minutes later Chuni accidentally caught sight of us once more. He could clearly see that we were drowning. Ramu was in no position to help as he was not a swimmer. Chuni rushed to the shore and dived into the water. He swam first towards us. When he reached us, Chuni realized how difficult it would be to save both of us single-handed. He caught me by the hair. Fortunately, right at that moment he saw a log afloat on water. He pushed the log towards my mother and she grabbed it. Together they turned towards the shore. Chuni held one end of the log and me safely. I was still unconscious. I had drunk too much of water. On reaching the shore Chuni carried me to the bank. He knew that I was still in danger and water had to be pumped out instantly. At that time, Sanjay, a family friend of Chuni, came forward and held my hands while Chuni pumped the water out of me. I coughed, the water gradually came out and [opened my eyes. I finally gained consciousness. My mother had been anxiously waiting for my recovery. She was greatly relieved to see me alive.
By this time my mother’s friend Shyama had arrived. She had followed us to the ghat, guessing correctly that we might do something drastic. Chuni’s family got a change of clothing for me. Shyama rushed me to the hospital:
“Had it not been for Chuni we would have drowned. He is the only man who dared to save two people completely unknown to him. Now, I am glad that I am living. Had I died my mother would have been rendered childless. I am now a tuition teacher in my neighbourhood, looking for better options. But even at adverse circumstances never do I want to kill myself. I’ve realized the importance of life,” says Radha.
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