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Feelings Of Women
Bohara is a promising and prolific female lyricist
By THAKUR AMGAI
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| Bohara : Passionate Feelings |
A little girl was well known for her talent in the western town of Bhairahawa in the early 1960s. With innate talent in writing, singing and dancing she participated and wrote for contests, danced and sang on stages. Her activities in such cultural and literary functions had made her popular not just among her teachers and friends, but among the entire population of the town.
Gradually, it was the discipline of writing that this girl excelled in. Easily sensitized and moved by the situation of women in her vicinity, she would write the woes and sentiments of women in her personal diary. First, as a daughter, then as a young girl in love with someone, a wife and later a mother, she herself had gone through the situation all women go through.
The experience in various stages always enriched her with ingredients to write. The dependence that a woman has to go through, work for the happiness of others, and a lack of self identification evident in most women of the third world country touched her largely. Albeit an outgoing, sociable and amicable persona in the eyes of others, she would not express the revolutionary feelings in words to anyone, not even to her loved one.
Instead, she would turn the pages of her diary and note down the feelings. Probably inspired by world renowned novelist Earnest Hemmingway, who had said in his noble speech, "a writer should write what he has to say and not speak."
The pages of her personal diaries were filled with the feelings she came across in various points of her life. To outsiders, she was a dutiful wife and a mother.
After more than thirty years now, the diaries have come out of the closet – not what she had planned earlier. She had written those poems for herself and treasured them as her personal feelings. But now, only after her lyrics have been well accepted by the public, has she realized that they are public feeling. She now feels that her writings are of the public and writes for the public.
As Parijat, renowned Nepali literary figure has told once, " Reading (is) for self, and writing (is) for others." Today, Unnati Bohara 'Sheela' has been well recognized as a songwriter.
With the success of her albums one after another she has started to gain momentum as a professional and responsible lyricist. In the past three years she has released four albums –'Yadharma', 'Lahar', 'Bhool Bhayo Mabata', 'Pharki Aau Shanti Timi', and a VCD 'Mayale Bandha'.
The songs in these albums include the themes of love and devotion, frustrations, women’s sentiments and patriotism. Veteran singers known for their typical tastes have sung the songs. From first generation singers like Prem Dhoj Pradhan, Meera Rana, Fatteman Rajbhandari, Yogesh Baidya to popular singers of the young generation Ram Krishna Dhakal and Yam Baral – all have lent their voice to her lyrics. A few songs in these albums are in her own voice.
Some of the songs like 'Pharki Aau Shanti Timi' (Come Back Peace) sung by Karna Das speaks out the feelings of all Nepalese who have gone through the miseries caused by the ongoing conflict. This song has become very popular among the audience.
One reason the songs in her album have got wide and instant acceptance, she feels, is the music. "The music director Shambhujeet Baskota has become very instrumental in bringing my feelings to the public as it is. He has done justice to my feelings by composing music that is most appropriate for the songs," said Bohara.
Bohara has also tried her hand in writing songs for feature films. She has written songs for about ten films including 'Ladain', 'Afnopan', 'Karan Arjun' and 'Ko Afno Ko Birano'. Bohara who has already published four anthology of poems – 'Koseli Usailai', 'Adrishya Ghau', 'Bhawanaka Taranga' and 'Kafal Pakyo' is using her innate talent in another genre. She is writing a novel 'Sikkaka Dui Pata' in which like in her other creations she has tried to express the sentiments of women.
She had thought in her childhood that she would bring out only one album with her lyrics. And now, she is working for a solo album in her voice. She is also working for a album in which she wants to have different musicians to compose her songs.
Introvert as a writer and amicable and sociable as a person Bohara beholds two distinct personalities. Her affiliation with several organizations and her active participation in social functions tells that Bohara is more of an extrovert nature. Probably the social structure our society could have led her to be less open about her feelings.
As a testimony to her aptitude and popularity she has won several awards and honors. Recently she was honored with the 'Harati Honor' and earlier she has been awarded with prestigious awards like the 'Gorkha Dakshin Bahu.'
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