“My birth number is five. The number ‘five’ has impacted my life in many ways.

In Bangla, there is the mix of five flavorful spices called ‘paa(N)ch phoron’, a garnish for vegetable dishes. Without the “phoron” a vegetable dish in Bangla cuisine would very uninteresting to the palette. I aspire to be that flavorful spice with family and friends. As I am an introvert, my desire to be an interesting person is still unrealized! 

Then there is the “paaNch Kotha” which is plain and simple gossip. I often wonder how boring life would be without that ‘paa(N)ch Kotha’. I pick and choose people I gossip with.

There is this term “paa(N)ch mishali” which means an assortment. As I go through life I have found myself to be a person with many hats; therefore the ‘Pa(N)chMishali.’

Last but not the least the physiology of the Bangla’s five. When you make a glum face, they say you have made a face like Bangla’s paaNch. My expression is hard to conceal. Once in a while I need to self-consciously tweak my lips up so that I don’t look like a ‘Banglar PaNch!’

“Words words words” surrounded our family when I was growing up. In books, in Scrabbles, in crossword puzzles. In studies and degrees, we attained. The rendition of drama as it has been for the three-fourth span of my life was not there in my days of childhood days, accept in my dreams maybe.

From eighteen years of age these words translated to dialogs when I started doing drama. And the performing art of theatre has been there to stay with as till date.”