Non-fiction, Pratyusha Banerjee, Indian actor, suicide, Anandi, balika vadhu, colors channel
A 'child bride's' take on suicide of tv actor Pratyusha Banerjee, whom she and many other little girls idolised as Balika Vadhu Anandi....
She was loved by millions of girls across the country for being one of the strongest young girls on Indian television. Most of them considered her to be their idol, especially those from the rural parts of Northern India. In a country where more than 50 per cent of the rural girls get married before the age of 18, Indian telesoap Balika Vadhu and the protagonist Anandi were role models......
And like many child brides, Munmun too had idolised Anandi. After all, Anandi was just like her. Married off at a tender age when she was busy marrying off her dolls, Anandi had seen a lot of ups and downs in her life, including her mate, Jagya, falling for someone else and finding love again. Munmun, who had changed her name from Muniya when she finally managed to join back school again after being a dropout for 4 years, saw herself in Anandi.
I remember when I first met her, she had told me about her fascination for Anandi. "Didi, wo bilkul mere jaisi hai na.... Mujhe Anandi didi (she had thought she was much elder to her) bahut achchhi lagti hai..." Munmun had said. A 11 year old in the backward SiddharthNagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Munmun's only obsession at that time was to watch her Anandi didi almost every alternate day. The NGO who was supporting her had a TV in their care centre and she made it a point that if there was electricity, she would catch Balika Vadhu on TV.
After all, for her Anandi was the epitome of courage. And when the little girl grew up to be the enchanting Pratyusha Banerjee, Munmun followed everything she could about her. "Ab main akhbaar padhne lagi hun didi.... Anandi didi ka asli naam Pratyusha hai. Wo bhi ek chhote se shaher se hain.... Mujhe wo bahut pasand hain..." .... When Anandi grew up, Munmun grew with her. When Jagya ditched Anandi for another girl, Munmun cried and felt heartbroken. When Anandi found love again in Shivraj Shekhar, Munmun rejoiced. Infact, I remember Munmun, who was now studying, asked her parents to get her a new suit made to celebrate Anandi's wedding with the bureaucrat.
And then Anandi changed. Pratyusha Banerjee left the soap for her reasons and was replaced by Toral Rasputra. By this time, Munmun too had changed. She knew that Balika Vadhu was a soap and these characters were actors. But in her mind, Pratyusha 'Anandi' Banerjee was always her idol. A child woman who gave her strength to fight, to pursue her life once again.
When news about Banerjee's suicide started flashing on all news channels, I decided to reconnect to Munmun. After all, Pratyusha was her idol.... her soulmate... her 'didi'. "I know it Didi. Anandi didi committed suicide...." she said, as sadness filled her voice. I did not want to discuss anything more with her, but what she said summed up every Indian child bride's thoughts for Pratyusha....
"Wo toh itni himmat wali thi... Jeewan mein har mushkil ko paar karne wali... Dadisa ke har julm ko sehne wali.... Apni raah chunne wali. Jab Jagya ne unhen dhokha diya tab bhi unhone sambhal liya tha.... Fir jab asli zindagi ke Jagya ne dhokha diya toh wo kyun bikhar gayi... Kyun nahin Anandi ki tarah aage badh gayi... Usey peechhe chhod kar..."
(She was so courageous... Defeating all problems in life.... facing all the hurdles by her in-laws Dadi sa, choosing her own path. When her hero in the serial deceived her, even then she had managed to sail through. So when her hero in real life deceived her, why did she break down.... why didn't she move on like Anandi, leaving him behind...), munmun said....
Yes Pratyusha, you were the idol to many Munmun's in India.... you were loved by them all dearly... you were the fighter they always looked upon.... you were the epitome of strength for them....
Wish you would have imbibed the reel Anandi in your real life too... wish you would have stayed strong... for Munmun and many other's like her....
Rest in peace....
I remember when I first met her, she had told me about her fascination for Anandi. "Didi, wo bilkul mere jaisi hai na.... Mujhe Anandi didi (she had thought she was much elder to her) bahut achchhi lagti hai..." Munmun had said. A 11 year old in the backward SiddharthNagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Munmun's only obsession at that time was to watch her Anandi didi almost every alternate day. The NGO who was supporting her had a TV in their care centre and she made it a point that if there was electricity, she would catch Balika Vadhu on TV.
After all, for her Anandi was the epitome of courage. And when the little girl grew up to be the enchanting Pratyusha Banerjee, Munmun followed everything she could about her. "Ab main akhbaar padhne lagi hun didi.... Anandi didi ka asli naam Pratyusha hai. Wo bhi ek chhote se shaher se hain.... Mujhe wo bahut pasand hain..." .... When Anandi grew up, Munmun grew with her. When Jagya ditched Anandi for another girl, Munmun cried and felt heartbroken. When Anandi found love again in Shivraj Shekhar, Munmun rejoiced. Infact, I remember Munmun, who was now studying, asked her parents to get her a new suit made to celebrate Anandi's wedding with the bureaucrat.
And then Anandi changed. Pratyusha Banerjee left the soap for her reasons and was replaced by Toral Rasputra. By this time, Munmun too had changed. She knew that Balika Vadhu was a soap and these characters were actors. But in her mind, Pratyusha 'Anandi' Banerjee was always her idol. A child woman who gave her strength to fight, to pursue her life once again.
When news about Banerjee's suicide started flashing on all news channels, I decided to reconnect to Munmun. After all, Pratyusha was her idol.... her soulmate... her 'didi'. "I know it Didi. Anandi didi committed suicide...." she said, as sadness filled her voice. I did not want to discuss anything more with her, but what she said summed up every Indian child bride's thoughts for Pratyusha....
"Wo toh itni himmat wali thi... Jeewan mein har mushkil ko paar karne wali... Dadisa ke har julm ko sehne wali.... Apni raah chunne wali. Jab Jagya ne unhen dhokha diya tab bhi unhone sambhal liya tha.... Fir jab asli zindagi ke Jagya ne dhokha diya toh wo kyun bikhar gayi... Kyun nahin Anandi ki tarah aage badh gayi... Usey peechhe chhod kar..."
(She was so courageous... Defeating all problems in life.... facing all the hurdles by her in-laws Dadi sa, choosing her own path. When her hero in the serial deceived her, even then she had managed to sail through. So when her hero in real life deceived her, why did she break down.... why didn't she move on like Anandi, leaving him behind...), munmun said....
Yes Pratyusha, you were the idol to many Munmun's in India.... you were loved by them all dearly... you were the fighter they always looked upon.... you were the epitome of strength for them....
Wish you would have imbibed the reel Anandi in your real life too... wish you would have stayed strong... for Munmun and many other's like her....
Rest in peace....
