Ritabhari Chakraborty’s home in Salt Lake is hard to miss. Done up in aesthetics that she loves — European and shabby chic — it is the prettiest house in her quiet lane. Adding to its beauty this year are the twinkling Christmas decorations, a sight that is an instant pick-me-up. Step inside and you can almost feel the warmth and joyful familiarity of Jingle Bells. A big Christmas Tree greets you, and inside is a room full of Yuletide goodies. Sitting cosy among them are Christmas-themed miniatures Ritabhari has put together only for t2. The detailing is mind-blowing. And, Ritabhari’s eyes light up as she describes them to us.
Take us through the Christmas miniatures you put together for t2...
First of all, thank you for letting me do this. Making miniatures is definitely something that gives me a lot of joy. When t2 told me to combine Christmas and miniature, I got very excited. So, absolutely exclusively, the first miniature that I made for t2 is a lot like my living room, maybe the furniture and feel are different, but it has a story. I had a family in mind, complete with young parents and kids... maybe two or three babies, however you want to imagine when you look at the miniature. They have moved into a beautiful new house with a fireplace. There are a lot of children’s books like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan. So, either the father or the mother narrates stories to the kids. There’s definitely a girl child because there are so many dolls strewn around.
When you live in a house, it’s not always picture-perfect. It’s always a little messy. I always try to capture that essence of realism in my creations. It’s not just a decorated interior. So, there are a lot of books scattered around. The father does something which definitely has to do with academics. It’s a joyous time. There’s a cake for Christmas, but the mother is on a diet, so her slice of gluten-free cake is separate. There are so many things that play in my mind (laughs). This is my imagination when I made the room, but it is open to interpretation. Your story could be totally different.
The second one is a Christmas party by Tintin. Tintin is having a conversation with Captain Haddock, and Bianca Castafiore is about to sing and break a glass! So, it’s a very European Christmas. Let’s imagine France. There’s a piano, and a performance is about to start. Tintin lovers are absolutely going to love it.
The third one is Christmas in a pub. I call it an Irish tavern. It’s been around for many years in my imagination. This is the place, at the end of the day, where people actually come to unwind. There are people on Christmas who work or have moved cities and don’t have any family or friends. That’s where they get together on Christmas night, maybe watch a game. Maybe, they do something special on Christmas, like a Secret Santa, or there’s a drink on the house. Sometimes strangers can be family, especially during the holidays. Holidays can be hard.
Since when have you been this crazy about Christmas?
I think since I was growing up. When I was a little girl, my mother (filmmaker Satarupa Sanyal) used to make a big deal about Christmas. People might laugh, but I used to believe in Santa Claus! Gradually, when I grew up, I started taking the initiative to celebrate Christmas my way. First, I got a big tree from New Market and then set it up. My friends would come over.
Eventually, when I adopted the Ideal School for the Deaf, for me, having those many kids, back then, like 33 of them, I was like, I’ll do whatever was within my means. I was only 17 years old. Seeing my kids glow up with joy excited me more. Eventually, I have moved three houses, and it has only gotten bigger and better. When my proper physical exposure happened to the western countries, for whom the festival is a big occasion, be it America, London, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, I was like, this is something I have to do.
Christmas is a very decorative festival. When you think of Christmas, Santa Claus, the Christmas Tree and gifts are the elements that come to mind. And, I am big on gifts. It is a big love language for me.
What is in the goodie bag this year?
It’s never the same. I curate each person’s gift separately. Like, for example, I remember last year I gave Abirda (actor Abir Chatterjee) magnets, among other things, which bore images of Uttam Kumar’s film posters. He loves Uttam Kumar a lot. And there’s always cookies and chocolates or plum cakes.
What is Christmas Day like for you?
I wake up, and then I open the presents that I got. I take my own sweet time opening them all, and then I usually have a very quiet day with my partner or with my family or just with very close friends. Literally the opposite of what we do on December 24. I have to unwrap the gifts that very day and figure out where I’d like to place them. It is pretty crazy (laughs).
What were your major takeaways from 2025?
It was pretty much a rebooting year because I literally moved into a new house last Christmas. This day marks one year of living here, living a very different life. The year went by so fast, with so many things happening, and yet somehow it felt really slow.
For the first time, a film of mine was submitted for an Oscar (Papa Buka), I got engaged, I lived in a new house. I had a bunch of releases this year. I broke my leg. It’s been quite a ride, but I must say that I feel more settled than I felt when I started the year, in my own body, in my own self, in this whole new journey.
So, 2026 will be?
A surprise! (Laughs) If anything, I’ve learned not to plan. You can plan the basic nitty-gritties, but otherwise, staying open is the best thing we can do.