On a hot and humid Saturday evening in July, a motley group of Calcuttans came together to watch Mad About Drama’s With Love, Calcutta, directed by Ayanti Ghosh and Aritra Sengupta, at Gyan Manch.

The play follows Neel and Rai, docu-fiction makers, as they struggle to capture Calcutta on camera in all her glory as well as contradictions. A seamless transition between various vignettes shows us different aspects of the city — from its nostalgia to Durga Puja, touching upon the not-so-nice elements as well. As Rai and Neel struggle to accept their imminent separation when Neel decides to leave the city for good, the audience is taken on a joyride that tugs on the heartstrings. t2 took a front row seat to bring you snapshots from the evening.

Text: Sulogna Ghosh
Pictures: Arnab Mondal