Once upon a time ludo was an emotion. A ‘put’ was a sentiment. A chhakka, ecstasy. A game of ludo was no less than a mini Mahabharata and you always had a Shakuni as you did a Yudhisthira. The cry was that of a war. Flared nostrils. Fist bump. Intense eyes. Prayer on your lips. And, depending on which side you ended up on, you would either relish your meal or cry yourself to bed, all that deceit from your loved ones feeling like a stab in your soul. #TrueStory. This lockdown saw a resurgence of the game. We caught up with a few ‘young adults’ who got hooked to it after so many years.

Nusrat Jahan, actress-MP

You have been playing ludo in the lockdown...

People love playing ludo so much, so majhe majhe aamake game e include kora hoi. Aami khub rege jai amaar guti keu ketey dile... tokhon jhogra hoye jai. And, in fact, when Nikhil (Jain; husband) is about to do just that, he will keep looking at me... I will start yelling! I have lost the sportsman spirit. So, my friends online... they go easy on me once or twice. Rest of the time, they are ruthless. That’s where the fun lies.

Do you mostly play at midnight?

Mostly. Actually, lines had blurred between midnight and daylight! During the daytime there would still be household work, at night anyway ghum ashto na... I used to be awake till 2am-3am... what to do... we used to play ludo.

Do you cheat during a game?

How to? Here the computer is involved. I sometimes feel it is rigged by the computer. It already chooses the winner at the first go. I feel like this when I lose!

What is your win-luck ratio?

The loss ratio is very less, touch wood! Lok e aamar guti katte bhoy pai! Ludo was an integral part of our growing up years! Yes! This generation of kids don’t know anything about ludo.

What are your earliest memories of playing ludo?

I remember we used to play ludo when all our cousins would come home. I was the youngest... so I would be made doodh-bhaat. Then when I grew up and started playing seriously, when I would see my cousins cheating, my last resort was puro board ta ke ghetey deya. They would be annoyed and stop eating. Everyone has such stories of ludo drama from their childhood.

My mother has torn apart many ludo boards because she couldn’t take it any more! (Laughs)

Are you lucky in ludo?

I am lucky to a great extent but sometimes, I won’t get the daan I want. Very annoying! I have good luck with snakes and ladders too! The online ludo board looks different. The baby snakes have bitten me most! When Nikhil was on 99, the largest snake that brings you back to the start almost, got him, and, I won!

So, you revisited a slice of your childhood...

Of course. It was a stress buster. Say I am in Basirhat (her constituency) and I have come back tired... I often didn’t feel like talking to anyone... we’d play ludo. I only play with my friends. I’ll only play with people against whom I can win!

What is the best bit about the game?

It is kind of colour therapy also. I love seeing the red, yellow, blue and green. Moja aachhe! Yellow is my favourite.

Rimi Nayak, fashion designer

How many times would you play ludo during the lockdown?

Sometimes, five-six times a day!

Who were your ludo buddies?

Rohan was one of them and apart from that, I used to play with a lot of my school friends and my family too. My friends would join in from different parts of the world... South Africa, Delhi, Bangalore....

After how many years did you actually play ludo?

I don’t even remember! Must have last played in early school....

What are your earliest memories?

I remember playing with my grandmother. This is one game she could play. I have played most with my grandmother and brother and he would cheat and 99 per cent time, I would lose!

I missed that a lot in online ludo. He too said the same thing! You could roll your dice a certain way earlier. With the online one, you just click a button on your phone. You can also chat with a co-player here. Also, most of the time, you cannot choose your colour. I would choose red during childhood.

Why do you think it became so popular in the lockdown?

It was a very popular game when we were growing up. The best part was it connected us. There was a lot of time on our hands and since we weren’t getting to meet people, playing with friends was a high.

Rohan Arora, footwear designer

What are your earliest memories of ludo?

My earliest memories of ludo are playing with my grandmother when she used to come to stay with us. I remember getting the cardboard ludo boards available at the local modi dukaan.

What are some of your fondest memories?

One of my most memorable ludo moments was playing with my parents on Diwali night. We were going through tough times financially and there weren’t many crackers to burn. So it was my mother’s idea to play ludo. My father, mother, younger brother and I played ludo till the wee hours of the night. It made Diwali special for us.

After how many years did you play ludo in the lockdown? Was it any different... playing on your phone than playing on a cardboard spread?

I played ludo after at least 16-17 years during the lockdown. Playing it on the mobile phone was way different from that on the cardboard spread. The first thing I had to do was download the game and then learn the whole process of creating a room or joining a room... and not being able to abuse the person who katoed my pawn was a big let down.

I remember playing a game with my good friend Sayantan (Sarkar, fashion designer). I actually called and abused him.

Are you lucky in ludo? Who are your fave partners?

I am absolutely not lucky in ludo. I don’t think I even won a single game during the lockdown ludo sessions. My favourite ludo partners would include my daughter (who is just six and yet is a pro in the game), Rimi (Nayak, fashion designer), Sayantan, my wife Luka and my parents.