Bengali, India’s second most widely spoken language, has long been the soul of literature, education, and culture. However, in recent years, its presence in schools and daily conversations has been fading as younger generations shift towards English and Hindi.

To reignite the connection between students and their linguistic roots, we launched Shobdo Jobdo — a one-of-a-kind word game show designed to celebrate and promote the beauty of Bangla wordplay. (Shobdo Jobdo literally means “triumphing over competitors with the power of Bengali words.”)

Making Bengali relevant again

Bengali is more than just a language; it’s a cultural identity woven through words, idioms, and expressions.

Our goal with Shobdo Jobdo was to inspire a new generation to fall in love with Bengali.

We aimed to:

• Encourage young minds to engage with Bengali through fun and interactive word games.
• Celebrate the richness of Bangla, from age-old idioms to contemporary expressions.
• Spark a movement that would make Bengali exciting, relevant, and cherished again.

A grand celebration of wordsmiths

Shobdo Jobdo wasn’t just a competition; it was a movement that brought together students, parents, and teachers from all corners of Bengal. And the numbers were impressive:

• 208 schools participated across 12 districts in West Bengal.
• 50,287 students competed to prove their Bengali language prowess.
• The journey spanned school-level contests to a grand finale, crowning the best young Bengali wordsmiths.

The three-stage battle began with school and district-level contests, where students faced off in word-based challenges to qualify for the semi-finals. In the semi-final round, the best of the best competed in a thrilling linguistic showdown.

Then, for the grand finale, one school was crowned the ultimate Bengali wordsmith champion.

To create something that wasmore than just a competition and elevate the celebration of the Bengali language, we brought together iconic literary and media icons.

Our chief guest was Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, one of Bengal’s most celebrated authors, known for classics like Patalghar and Manojder Adbhut Bari. Our host was RJ Tanmoy Roy Choudhury, a renowned voice in Bengal who brought his signature charm and love for Bangla to the competition.

These cultural stalwarts mentored, inspired, and honoured young participants, making the event even more special.

Reaching beyond the campus

To ensure Shobdo Jobdo reached beyond school campuses, Anandabazar Digital leveraged the power of social media and digital storytelling through a dedicated microsite that featured fascinating Bengali trivia and word challenges, real-time competition updates and winner highlights, and a platform for students, teachers, and parents to engage and celebrate the language.

The campaign sparked a digital buzz as social media amplification played a key role, achieving:

• 6.3 million social media impressions.
• 6.1 million social media reach.
• Hundreds of shares and comments celebrating the beauty of Bengali.

By blending education with entertainment, our initiative, Shobdo Jobdo, successfully made Bengali exciting for a new generation of learners. As a result, we achieved remarkable outcomes:

• Increased interest in Bengali language learning among students.
• Strengthened family bonding, as parents and kids engaged in wordplay together.
• Revitalised pride in Bangla, inspiring more conversations in the mother tongue.

Anandabazar Digital has taken a significant step with Shobdo Jobdo in ensuring that Bengali continues to thrive in schools, homes, and hearts. This initiative is just the beginning, because when words unite a culture, they create a legacy that lasts forever.

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