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Divorce and its impact on children take centre stage at Golaghata Sammilani Club’s Durga Puja this year. The north Kolkata puja, in its 47th year, explores the theme ‘Break Fail’, encouraging visitors to reflect on how relationship breakdowns affect the young members of a family.
Secretary of the club, Tapas Sarkar, said, “When our artist Manosh Roy pitched this idea, we thought why not? It was unique. We have done so many themes, this was something out of the box for a Durga Puja theme.” The club hopes to spark conversations on a topic that is often considered taboo, urging parents to think of the psychological impact on children before taking the final step of divorce.
Manash Roy clarifies that the focus is not on opposing divorce but on portraying its repercussions. "I am not against divorce. But I want to highlight its effect on children. They face social scrutiny and are dragged into legal wrangles, often having to choose one parent over the other,” Roy told My Kolkata.
The pandal design reflects this turmoil. The walls are lined with saw blades, each etched with reasons for relationship breakdowns such as ego clashes, jealousy, infidelity and domestic violence. Between the blades, children are depicted marching with placards, one reading, “What is our fault?” Scissors jut out from the walls, symbolising division, while a sewing machine stands as a hopeful emblem of mending bonds.
Adding to the experience, shadow artist Amar Sen will present a hand shadow performance, showing parents drifting apart, with a child caught between them. A Kalighat patachitra of a babu’s affair with a courtesan serves as a reminder that marital discord is not new to society. Last year, Roy had taken on another social taboo — menstruation — at a north Kolkata puja, underlining his commitment to using art as a tool for dialogue.
