একটি ভিডিও নির্বাচন করুন
Through Light, Voice and Words
My full name is Parthasarathi Chakrabarti. However, in the worlds of writing and photography, I use simply the name ‘Parthasarathi’. I was born and have spent my working life in Tripura, a small state in northeastern India.
Nature and birds lie at the heart of my life with the camera. I have been photographing for nearly three decades. In the early years, I became known mainly for macro photography and portraits created under carefully controlled light. Over time, however, birds and wildlife drew me steadily deeper into their world. These days, whenever an opportunity presents itself, I set out with my camera across the wetlands, forests and open landscapes of Tripura, looking for birds and other wildlife.
For many years, I have lived by a playful personal motto: “Chhuti pelei chhuti”—the moment I get a day off, I am off exploring. The Bengali phrase contains a small play on words: whenever work gives me a little freedom, I start roaming. Perhaps it says something essential about me—my delight in setting out, discovering unfamiliar places and finding out what may be waiting just beyond the known.
Writing is another world close to my heart. I began with poetry, but it was my humorous short stories—drawn largely from the oddities, contradictions and occasional absurdities of everyday life—that first brought my writing to readers. I have never confined myself to short fiction alone. I have also written about birds, nature, travel, archaeology, memories and the small experiences that quietly shape our lives. I believe that stories do not belong only to extraordinary events. Very often, the finest ones are hiding in the most ordinary moments, waiting for someone to notice them.
Four of my books have been published so far. Two are collections of short stories written in Bengali—Anandalekhan and Labanyamayir Lal Juto O Anyanya Galpa. The other two are bilingual books on birds, with texts in both Bengali and English: Birds of Tripura, co-authored with Manish Kumar, and my solo coffee-table book, Parthasarathir Pakhir Deshe (In the Realm of Birds of Parthasarathi).
I have also had a long association with recitation, announcing and presentation. Through All India Radio Agartala, Doordarshan Kendra Agartala and numerous stage programmes, I have had the privilege of reaching people through the spoken word on many occasions.
For my livelihood, I work for the Government of India. But it is the call of the heart that makes me take photographs, write stories, walk in search of birds, and try to hold within words something of human laughter, memory, wonder and emotion.
Ultimately, if I had to describe myself in a single sentence, it would perhaps be this:
I simply try to look at the world with a little more time and attention—and then share the joy of what I discover through photographs and words.