Ramzaan Hussain at work. Picture by Bishwarup Datta

From Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to Jyoti Basu and Mamata Banerjee, he has done it all. Now with the big fat — or rather lean and private — shaadi in the offing, he is on to the Bachchan parivar.

Ramzaan Hussain, or Ramzaan bhai, as he is lovingly called by the people around New Market, lives with his wife and four children outside the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) building in Chaplin Square. He sketches celebs in news, displaying them on the street facing Regent Cinema. He mans the newspaper stall close by. Exhibition timings: 3 pm to 7 pm, all days.

In the run-up to the Ash-Abhishek marriage, his sketches feature the bride Rai, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan. “I have sold about five sketches of Bachchanji (as he refers to Big B) and one each of the would-be couple,” said Hussain. He charges Rs 150 for a small sketch and Rs 300 for a big one.

Hussain, 34, born and brought up in Calcutta, studied till Class VI in Adarsh Vidyalay in Jaanbazar. He may not be overflowing with cash, but there has been no dearth of celebs in Ramzaan bhai’s life. He presented his painting to Inzamam-ul-Haque when the team came to play against India in 2005. He gifted Bipasha Basu’s mother a sketch of her daughter. He presented a sketch of Netaji to Subrata Mukherjee. Painter Wasim Kapoor has praised Ramzaan’s works.

Ramzaan has one wish — to present one of his portraits to Amitabh Bachchan. He tried twice but failed.

Taste for English

Not so far away, in another part of the city, hangs a sign of the times. On a restaurant. Like many restaurant signs, it says a lot about our taste for English.

This fast food centre in Tollygunge sells rolls, chow mien, fried rice, Mughlai parathas, kochuri alur torkari, but is called Rice Bowl, in bold red letters, followed by the legend “Where test really matters and your mouth waters!”

Another south Calcutta restaurant was an example of total brand-integration till recently. It was called Red Hot Chilli and from the top of the sign the words “Hungry Kya?” written Dominos style greeted the hungry belly. On the bottom were the words “Ab ayega maza”. The place folded up.

Thou shalt catch the cold

Excerpts from an e-mail forward that is a perfect delineation of the Bengali character.

“One phrase every Bengali worth his sweater has grown up with is thanda lege jabey. It is the ultimate warning of impending doom, an unadulterated form of existentialist advice. Thanda lege jabey. Thou shalt “catch the cold”.

“Catching the cold” comes easy to Bengalis. It’s a skill that’s acquired almost immediately after birth. Watch a Bengali baby and you would know. Wrapped in layers of warm clothing even if the sun is boiling the mercury, the baby learns quickly that his chances of survival in a Bengali household depend on how tightly he can wrap himself in cotton, linen and wool.

...I’m sure wool-shearers even in faraway Australia say a silent prayer to Bengalis before the shearing season. I’m also sure the very thought of Bengalis sends a chill down the spine of many a sheep…

(Contributed by Nabamita Mitra and Mohua Das. Readers are invited to contribute to this column that will throw light on different facets of the city, past and present. Write to sunday.metro@abp.in)