SHOWSTOPPERZZ
Episode – 1
–by Alakananda Pramanik
–Reading Time 14 min Approx
Showstopperzz – Introduction:
Filmmaker and Founder of Cinema for a Cause, Mr. Abhishek Ganguli has come together with Supermom Author & Master Storyteller Alakananda Pramanik to present Web Series, SHOWSTOPPERZZ Season 1!
The title ‘Cinema for a Cause’ says it all! Their mantra which is their tagline too is SIMPLE CINEMA… TOUCHING LIVES’. Through their films||Web series ||Intimate Events||Virtual Talk Shows, they try to reach out, sensitize and make minds aware and facilitate some positive change.
Alakananda Pramanik, who is lovingly referred to as Supermom, is a dynamic personality and dons’ multiple hats. She is a multiple Bestselling author who writes stories for cause, stories that are nestled in realism and have the power to inspire people and bring a positive change in their lives.
When two powerful forces meet, magic happens. Here Cinema for a Cause and Author Alakananda created such magic through SHOWSTOPPERZZ! The Show Must go on…
Showstopperzz is on a mission…. a mission to breathe life into others by bringing inspiring success stories of people who have risen from ashes and the objective of the entire series is to bring about change in people through the stories of people who have changed.
India is celebrating its 75th year of independence and on this occasion, Showstopperzz aim is to celebrate true independence of those who have become self-reliant after passing through tremendous hurdles in life and are now looking the challenge in the eye.
Showstopperzz: UPALPARNA DEY
Upalparna Dey was the only child. Her parents had no qualms about her gender, but some family members did, however her dad simply whiffed them off. Her parents were celebrating her worth as a human. They aimed to raise her as a true human.
When she was 6 six years old, someone from her family touched her incorrectly telling her that he was only loving her. He hushed up the incident and she was too young to understand that there is a demarcation being just a human and being a woman. Her parents and teachers in school were trying to figure out the reasons why she was losing concentration in her studies. For the next two years another family member continued abusing her (between 7 – 9 years) during his occasional visits to their house.
Upalparna had spoken about her abuse many times, written, spoken about it on public platforms but she could not ever let go of those moments that caused so much damage to her, physically and mentally. By the time she started her monthly cycle, she was having distorted ideas about her body because there was no outlet or counselling for her internal trauma.
With time she gradually taught herself to accept that, love her body, however it is and rise above the abuse. She believed in herself, learning to trust the fact that she was rising above the challenge.
She grew up with the honest principals instilled in her and took the courage to speak about the challenges women in general are subjected to. She took charge of ensuring that women, including herself rise beyond the shame and look past the negativity that all go through at some point in life. With time, she started sharing her experiences either through writing or public speaking and counselling many other women like her who faced deeper hardships in life. With help from her peers, she learned to overlook the shame which she was no longer ashamed of and cherish what she was within as a human.
When she married the man of her choice, she never felt that she would have to fight for her identity and her space. She didn’t feel till then that she was any different from a boy. Her parents never told her or taught her that.
Her marriage did not turn out the way she dreamt. In 2017 she had a nervous breakdown. Images of the mental, emotional and physical abuses inflicted on her by her husband and then, those disturbing childhood images would crowd her mind. Her relative placing her on his lap and explaining to her that he loves her while touching and feeling her inappropriately. Him telling her that this was their secret game and she shouldn’t tell anyone, not even her parents.
She was too little to understand that those touches were not right, that his fingers were not loving her. He visited them often to love her in the pretext of meeting her parents. As she grew up, she realized that she had been a child victim of sexual molestation by her own relative. She was too nervous and traumatized to disclose it to her parents. Although she would smile and look like she was doing everything normally, but deep within she would sink into a whirlpool of darkness, her mind screaming, “Not again! Help me, God! Help me.”
Upalparna completed her post-graduation in Mass communications and started her professional journey after her marriage. She continued her passion for writing, public speaking, photography with the constant support of her parents and peers.
Upalparna refuses to be judged based on her looks or her relationship status or her financial limitations and does not encourage anyone including women who stick onto social taboos that are often a part of our dual faced society.
She may smoke and drink occasionally but that makes her no different from a man who has probably been brought up the same way she was. She loves to travel, take pictures, she loves her pets. She enjoys talking to people from any part of the world.
Today, Showstopper Upalparna is working successfully at a business college, has co-authored several books and articles and is a poet too.
Showstopperzz: INDRANIL SENGUPTA
Born with retardation and schizophrenia, Indraneel had to withstand extreme trials and tribulations in the hands of his teachers and mentors since childhood. He had always been slow in everything which his parents started noticing when he was around 2 to 3 years old. His father had a transferable job, due to which he had to change schools often. Since the small-town schools were not like the ones in Kolkata, the severity of his issue was not visible. Though he was extremely slow in written work, he excelled in memorizing and speaking.
When they shifted to Kolkata, he was admitted in a good mainstream school, but he faced tremendous abuses from his teachers mainly and from some of the classmates. He was not able to cope with the studies and started lagging behind. He was not able to write his exams well due to his lack in speed. The main abuse came from the teachers.
They would throw his notebook away in front of the class and tell him hurtful words like ‘You are not capable of doing anything. You will fail. We will punish you and make you hold your ears and stand at the crossroad.’ Similarly, there were many more abuses by the teachers. Whereas many of his classmates used to support and help him.
They would accompany him and protect him. At the same time, many other classmates used to snatch away his tiffin and eat up his food, tease him, etc. This used to make him very angry. But, the Principal of the school was very good, and it was due to him that Indraneel could continue in the same school till his 10th grade.
In 10th grade he tried to give his exam in private but because he could not cope with speed in written exam, he couldn’t pass. His parents tried everything possible to help him in his academic education in every subject but to no avail.
Indraneel’s parents let no stones unturned and consulted several doctors for his treatment. Some doctors advised them to admit Indraneel in mental hospitals too. His parents tried this avenue as well, but he was tremendously tortured in all these places. There was no improvement at all. In fact, more harm was done to his mental health. All these tortures severely affected his mind.
Indraneel’s parents removed him from these mental nursing homes and admitted him at an organization in Baruipur which was a little better than all the previous places though he had to face trials and tribulations here too. At least, this place was much better because he got support and learnt some new work. His personal doctor, Dr. K.L. Narayanan who referred him to this organization was also the visiting doctor at this place, hence he got support from this doctor.
All through his childhood and growing up years, Indraneel’s teachers and mentors failed to uncover the hidden capabilities and talents that he possessed until he stepped into the warmth and loving care of Turning Point Mental Rehabilitation Centre in Kolkata run by Mrs. Ishita Sanyal. Indraneel’s life changed completely for the better after joining Turning Point.
Ishita Sanyal and the teachers first counselled him for several days. After that they taught him many creative handworks. They taught him to do fabric painting and even bead work. Initially, he was just not able to do fabric painting.
The teachers helped him hold the paint brush and teach him with great patience to develop his interest. Today he does brilliant fabric painting. He has not only painted several items like bed cover, cushions, etc. but also sold many of his handwork. He was able to earn his own money.
Above all, Indraneel has very good memory and has tremendous capability to remember. During his childhood he used to recite small poems, but now he can recite lengthy poems flawlessly; poems written by Nazrul Islam, Rabindranath Tagore, etc.
Every year Turning point organizes an event called Talent Hunt and every year he has been winning the 1st prize for recitation. The event has external Judges, and many NGOs are also invited.
Indraneel loves reading newspaper. The rule in Turning Point is that every day they must talk about some news of the day. In fact, today he is the best speaker of current news, so much so that one day Ishita Sanyal couldn’t help but tell him that she doesn’t need to read newspaper anymore because she gets all the news from him.
Indraneel has been emerging with new talent ever since which was not noticed especially in his initial learning years. Turning Point came as a boon in his life.
Showstopper Indraneel Sengupta has proved to the world that he is brilliant beyond imagination and has shown tremendous resilience in the face of adversities.
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NOTE: If you wish to make a positive impact to our society with your comeback story and be featured in the next season of SHOWSTOPPERZZ by Abhishek Ganguli’s Cinema for a Cause and Supermom Alakananda, then reach out to Alakananda Pramanik at 7980665760 or mail to alakrobin@gmail.com and supermom@authoralak.com.
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