Food ’n’ Fun, Song ’n’ Dance — International evening at Calcutta Club, with The Telegraph
TT Bureau
Published 10.02.18, 12:00 AM
Ballet dancers from Russia, a multi-ethnic band from Canada, Chinese martial arts and food... lots of food! That’s what summed up the International Evening 2018 partnered by The Telegraph, one of the signature events of Calcutta Club. “The response has been wonderful. Apart from the food stalls and the performances, this year’s highlight was the stage put together by renowned architect Dulal Mukherjee,” said Tamal Kanti Mukherjee, president, Calcutta Club. Snapshots...
They drew many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’! The Russian Stars Ballet enthralled with their take on The Nutcracker, a ballet production.
For International Evening debutant Fabrice Plancon (left), it was an absolute hit! His food picks? “I loved the French patisserie by The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat. The chocolate walnut cake was wonderful,” said the director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale, with Montakan Hengsuwan (right), a consul at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Calcutta. “This is my second time here. You get a taste of different cultures, be it through performances or food,” said Montakan.
DJ Hardik got the party started with a playlist that included Despacito, Mi Gente and Let Me Love You. A packed dance floor was the ‘it’ place to be during the later half of the night!
US consul-general Craig L. Hall (second from left) was the guest of honour. He lit the lamp with wife Meeryung, chief guest Retd. Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (third from left), architect Dulal Mukherjee (first from right), chairman of the International Evening Dilip Bose (second from right) and Calcutta Club president Tamal Kanti Mukherjee. Meeryung also regaled with her renditions of Rabindrasangeet songs like Kotobaro bhebechhinu and Aguner poroshmoni.
International Evening regulars Ramnik Sethi Basu (left) and Priyadarshini Agarwal, were back at the AJC Bose Road address. While Ramnik jazzed up her outfit with a printed scarf and full-sleeved top in the Pantone colour of the year — ultra violet — Priyadarshini chose to go red-and-black in her one-shouldered dress which she teamed with a pair of knee-high boots and stockings. “We don’t get to experience an event like this very often. The crowd, the food and the music are lovely. It’s so refreshing!” said the friends.
Tai chi, Shaolin stick form, lion dance — James Liao and his group, Chinese Ring Leader, showcased a slice of Chinese culture.
Well, that’s how they reacted when they spotted the t2 lensman.
The Consulate General of Russian Federation in Calcutta food stall was a hit with its caviar and ham canape being the pop picks. They scored ‘high’ points for their serving of vodka with every dish!
These red velvet cakes were totally Instagramable. Japanese, Bangladeshi, Nepali and more... there was an array to feast your taste buds on.
Full marks for dressing like a true-blue Bengali! Adding to the dhoti-kurta-jacket-shawl ensemble were the tinted glasses, beret and the pipe!
Mosaique, a five-member Canadian band, spelt soul with predominantly folk songs in different languages like French, Spanish and African. “Our main concept is to bring in a mix of culture through songs and also, share our love for travelling with the audience. We are happy to be performing here as it’s a great experience for us too,” said band member Pascal Bouchard.
Masayuki Taga, the consul-general of Japan, went click-click.
Diptasri Roy rocked a black Promod jumpsuit. “I have been coming here since I was 18. I make it a point to attend the event as I get to meet my friends who don’t live in the city any more,” said the Calcutta-based entrepreneur.
