Surojit quits Kolkata-based band Bhoomi

It's split wide open, as far as Bhoomi goes. Just ahead of Durga Puja -the peak season for shows -Surojit seems to have quit the band. Sources close to Bhoomi say the singer-songwriter has unofficially moved away and chances of returning are nearly zero.

Rumours of a rift between lead vocalists Soumitra and Surojit had first cropped up in 2011, more than a decade after the band shot to fame with their first album, Jatra Shuru. Back then, Surojit had opposed to Soumitra taking a break during the busy show season. The duo, who continued to bond on stage despite their differences, came together for a chat with CT after their big fight in 2013, where they spoke about how Bhoomi was above its individual members and will survive in the face of all odds. By then, both Soumitra and Surojit had floated their independent music outfits -Robi O Nobin and Surojit O Bondhura respectively . The two, however, made on and off appearances at each other's gigs and vouched to stay together.


Bangla Band Bhoomi

But things have changed this Puja with the vocalists going separate ways. While Surojit has lined up concerts in Delhi, Bhoomi -comprising Hemanto Goswami, Abhijit Ghosh and Robin Lai apart from Soumitra -are headed for nine shows in the US spanning almost a month.

Sources say, Surojit has stopped coming for rehearsals for the past few months. While Soumitra did not want to speak, Surojit confirmed the move. "Yes, I've quit... Bhoomi will always remain close to my heart," he told us.

There are no talks of a replacement within the band just yet. Bhoomi, at least for the moment, will do shows with its fourmember lineup.