KOLKATA: Politically satirical songs in Bengali have a long history. They go way back to the IPTA movement when legends like Salil Chowdhury and Hemanga Biswas used gana sangeet to poke fun at the system while voicing protest. Later, Mohiner Ghoraguli carried the baton forward, mixing satire with folk and modern sounds. Kabir Suman shook up Bengali music with sharp, topical lyrics that often took aim at politics, while Nachiketa added irony and humour to expose everyday hypocrisies. Bands like Chandrabindoo and Fossils brought their own edge, and now, Anirban Bhattacharya’s new band Hooligaanism is keeping the tradition alive.
Their latest number, ‘Tumi Mosti Korbe Jani’, has already stirred the pot by roasting three political leaders including TMC’s Kunal Ghosh, BJP’s Dilip Ghosh, and CPI(M)’s Shatarup Ghosh. Interestingly, while Kunal Ghosh laughed it off, even praising Anirban and his band for their humour on social media, the BJP wasn’t happy. BJP leader Tarunjyoti Tewari filed a complaint at Lalbazar’s Cyber Police Station, accusing Anirban of hurting religious sentiments and spreading “enmity and hatred between groups.” BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also said entertainment shouldn’t come at the cost of insulting others.
Meanwhile, Anirban and his team are taking it all in stride. Asked about the complaint, Anirban, also one of the leading actors of Bengali cinema, said: “We’re ready to go to jail. If they let us take our guitars along, we’ll compose a few songs there too. Hopefully the cops will enjoy them.”
However, Kunal Ghosh, one of the targets of the satire, brushed it aside with a grin. Sharing a clip online, he wrote. “I enjoyed the style and the presentation. A bit sarcastic? So what! Kunal Ghosh knows how to enjoy such songs.” Later, he also told the same in a video message. Even Trinamool Chhatra Parishad president Trinankur Bhattacharya, who attended the gig, joined in the appreciation. He called for more colleges to give platforms to Bengali bands. The song has since gone viral, with audiences lapping up the humour.