Conceived by a Muslim. Carried out by Hindus. On church property. All the activity centring around a quintessentially Bengali art form. Confusing as it sounds, the explanation is simple. Veteran journalist, communications consultant and social activist Mudar Patherya has quietly begun yet another campaign to not
To begin with a cliché, some truths are universal. The kind of truth that Pakistani filmmaker Saim Sadiq talks about in his debut film ‘Joyland’. The kind of truth that gives birth to freedom and openness, and pushes for an end to gender discrimination. Openness of
Harry Potter fans will cry hoarse to convince the non-initiated about the existence of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters (Platform 9¾). It is a platform at King's Cross Station in London. Magically concealed behind the barrier between Muggle Platforms Nine and Ten, this Platform is where
At 65, Sheikh Nazim is one of Kolkata’s old ‘bhistiwalas’ (water carriers). Every day, he walks along the city’s lanes and bylanes, witness to the living history of its brick and mortar heritage. One of the last survivors of our rapidly changing times, he is
IArtists reside in every corner of the world. In our lives, art plays an important role in rejuvenating us and providing an escape from our monotonous daily hustle. This December there is an opportunity to witness the artworks of various artists who have gathered at
Shahenshah Amitabh Bachchan completed his 80th year of existence on October 11 this year. As Mumbai’s tinsel town went into celebration mode, Amitabh retrospectives were screened in theatres around the country. Kolkata has joined the bandwagon with a screening of eight of Bachchan’s most popular
It has now been 40-45 years that I have been visiting film festivals in Kolkata, Delhi, Kerala, you name it. I watched the first Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) take off in 1995, when I was working for the advertising and publicity department of National
When in the heart of tribal Bengal, one suddenly encounters a Santhali Book Fair in full swing with crowds thronging the book stalls to buy Santhali books and calendars, you realise how efficiently a dying language has been revived and is now being made popular.
In the middle of the urban city jungle, how about enjoying the food of those for whom the forest is home? Over the past few years, Kolkata has always been a foodie’s paradise. People here have experimented with and experienced ‘different’ kinds of food joints,
Chheley Kaar! (1954) Cast: Bikash Roy, Master Tilak, Chhabi Biswas, Arundhati Devi, Bhanu Banerjee, Tulsi Chakraborty, Nabadwip Haldar Director: Chitta Basu The most common description of Chheley Kaar! (literally, ‘whose son?’, but the exclamation mark is important) online is that it is a romantic comedy. Which is utter