Five Questions with Avijit Sarkar

Today, in Five Questions, we are face to face with Avijit Sarkar who is, without doubt,  a multi-talented genius- a musician, composer, illustrator, cartoonist, writer, poet, puppeteer, philanthropist, mathematician, and polymath from Sydney,  Australia. Honestly, it is not easy to do all this and that too with such great aplomb.  And yes, he has also co-authored a book of short stories with me, Bring out the Tall Tales, which has won a lot of critical acclaim. The intriguing cover of the book was designed by him and won a lot of appreciation.  Moreover, the stupendous success of my International Reuel  Award-winning book, Oh Hark [ Authorspress, 2020]  is partly due to the excellent illustrations that Avijit Sarkar has embellished it with, and needless to say, I am really very proud of the fact.

Santosh: It is indeed a great honour to have you with us in Five Questions, Avijit Sarkar.  A little bird just told me that you have completed forty-five years in the entertainment industry. Would love to know about the highs and lows that you faced during these years.

Avijit: Entertainment in every shape and form always has its highs and lows. I have had my fair share too. The lows were back in my younger years when music was my only source of income. I was also studying in those years and yet I needed the money to support my family. I had to get on to the stage night after night as a routine even when I was unwell. The meager money kept me going, I guess. Mind you - there were scores of concerts where I was not even paid the promised fees! The highs were of course the adulation, glitz, and fame. I have also been very fortunate to have accompanied legends of the industry, especially here in Australia.

Santosh: Hearty congratulations for all the adulation that you have received for your eclectic creative ventures after the initial hiccups, which are of course inevitable in any new venture.    You seem to enjoy wearing different hats-composer, cartoonist, writer, poet, puppeteer, singer - which hat do you feel most comfortable donning?

Avijit: Over the last four decades, music is second nature to me. I do concerts as part of my job. Music in isolation or performing for small exclusive "mehfils" gives me the greatest pleasure. But, to be honest, I am most comfortable when I am drawing or painting. It's a call from within.

Santosh: The remarkable success of my Reuel Award-winning long narrative poem Oh Hark! owes a lot to your wonderful illustrations. What was your experience while working on those illustrations? 

Avijit: When I compose a song, it's always a pleasure when the poet is good - someone who understands the "meter" of poetry. Doing illustrations for another writer is very similar. When I created the illustrations for "Oh! Hark", my work was spontaneous because of the quality of your vivid descriptions and writing style. The verses literally transported me to fantasy land. Giving visual form to the incredible characters was exciting and extremely satisfying for me.

Santosh: Well, that is indeed heartening to hear. 
 Avijit, you also plead guilty to the charge of caricaturing two immensely cute characters with commendable creative chutzpah- and putting them on the cover of a forthcoming book co-authored by  Ramendra Kumar and me! The Melange of Mutants and Mavericks. I salute your spunk. But, what can we do? We are puppets in your hands. [Ha ha].  Oh yes, while we are on the theme of puppets, let us know something about your experience with puppetry. 

Avijit: When I was in Year 7, after performing in a play, I was invited to be trained at Mrinalini Sarabhai's renowned Darpana Academy. One evening while taking part in a script reading session, I chanced to look out of the window and saw a lady manipulating a marionette in the next room. I was fascinated! I then coaxed my parents to move me from drama to puppetry. Little did I know that the puppeteer who I spied upon was the legendary internationally acclaimed puppeteer Meher Contractor! She took me under her wings and I stayed under her tutelage till 1989!

I did countless performances with her troupe and was trained in different styles of puppetry. I also traveled with her to international festivals in France and Iran. The memories are etched in my soul.

Santosh: That is indeed very interesting. I know you are not the one to rest on your laurels. You are a restless soul, always on the lookout to innovate, create, and experiment. What are the next projects that you are working on?

Avijit: I want to write more now. Writing a lot of short plays that I want to take to stage in Sydney. I am also working on a collection of my essays and prose poems. Hopefully, I will be able to publish this collection. I have just started putting together the memoirs that I hope to publish with my daughter someday. Other than this, the collection of my paintings, illustrations, cartoons, and music compositions ate growing steadily each day! 

Santosh: Yes, I know. You are forever doing something or the other.  I read that your composition Sajnaa has just been released on Amazon music, Jazba's Lata Mangeshkar Tribute some days back was a tremendous success, and another tribute to another lost legend, Bhappi Lahiri is soon to follow on 7th May. Congratulations. Keep up the good work, and remember we are soon going to collaborate on something new.
It was indeed an exhilarating experience interacting with you. Thanks for your time. 

BIO: Avijit Sarkar was awarded the Australia Day Award 2020 (by the City of Parramatta, Australia) for his contributions to Arts and  Culture. In 2021, he was featured in a book titled “Success Stories of Indo- Australians”, a collection of fifty inspirational life stories. He has also been endorsed by the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) as a music composer.

He has written two books so far and his other literary works have been published in many international anthologies. Avijit’s designs, illustrations, and cartoons have appeared in numerous magazines and books across the world. He has recently published his collection of cartoons “The Coronavirus Files” as a Kindle book.

In 2020, he was awarded the Dr. Kashi Nath Bakaya Memorial Award for satire and humour,  by TSL (The Significant League – an international group of authors, poets, academics, publishers, and critics) for excellence in satire and humour.

In 2021, Avijit completed 45 years on stage as an entertainer and musician. He has appeared in over 1800 concerts and has indulged in a huge variety of musical styles.

Avijit is the director of Natraj Academy in Sydney he established 14 years ago to train and encourage new music talents in our communities. Today all proceeds from his creative pursuits are donated to medical research and charity in Australia. In a career spanning over four decades, Avijit has left his footprint in every form of creativity in Australia. On the academic front, Avijit holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics.