Durga Puja 2009

Mandrake @ 75

I generally try to keep myself abreast of such events, especially if it is the 75th anniversary of an iconic comic character. Though many ezines reported the event, this time I somehow missed it completely!

Mandrake the magician, the inscrutable sorcerer never fails to charm me even at this age. My first acquaintance with this pencil-thin mustached and impeccably dressed superhero was through the Sunday supplement pages of Anandabazar Parika. In fact, if I am not mistaken, most of the bongs were introduced to the world of Xanadu through ABP's sunday supplementary (though much before ABP, in the 70s and till late-80s, Indrajaal Comics published Mandrake comics in almost all major Indian vernaculars, apart from English. A lot of people still possess several issues hardbound in patterned cardboard covers with rexine ears.) Later on, in 2002, when the Sunday strips were discontinued (which of course irritated all the comic aficionados), the king of hypnotism found its place on the daily editions of ABP. Most of our friends, including me, suffered from a huge infatuation for Narda--the only reason why we, at times, built enmity with the illusionist. Another aspect of Mandrake that also amazed us was his unruffled hair even after the hardest of the hullaballoo with the villains.

Couple of years back, while penning a feature for Anandamela on the history of comics, I had a talk with Mr. P C Sorcer. Instinctively I quizzed him on Mandrake. The great magician seemed not very pleased with his fictional counterpart. He objected to the rationality of Mandrake's hypnotic way of dealing with the baddies. "Lee Falk aberrated in defining hypnotism. However, if I consider Mandrake as a work of fantasy or fiction I would keep Bantul the Great way ahead of Mandrake.", he opined.

Image copyright King Features Syndicate.

Customer Service: The SBI Way!!

'Customer service' has earned a new meaning in the era of privatisation. While the corporate conglomerates are competing fiercely to outwit each other in their 'customer friendliness', our very own State Bank of India employees are trying to set their own examples!

This morning I called up 63, NSC Bose Road branch of the SBI to inquire about the availability of the primary teachers' recruitment examination form. The gentleman (?), who picked up the phone, was apt in his reply, "You've to come to the branch to obtain the information." He hung up the phone denying me to react. I wondered for a few seconds why be abnegated me of a simple information and then mustered up courage to call the Tollygunge Circular Road branch of the bank. This time my luck didn't betray!