Paoli Dam and Mainak Bhaumik engaged in an adda about a few of their favourite things in north Calcutta at The Telegraph Bagbazar Festival held on the Bagbazar Puja ground. Excerpts.

N FOR NOSTALGIA

Paoli: My mamabari was in Haldar Bardhan Lane in north-central Calcutta. I remember how we’d get fried rice and chilli chicken for Rs 14 near Vidyasagar College, where I studied. And we’d complain when the price would be hiked to Rs 20 during Puja! Basanta Cabin was another favourite place. I have memories of north Calcutta which will stay with me all my life... memories of travelling around these areas by tram. I remember wanting to study in Scottish Church but I eventually got into Vidyasagar which was good in a way because the year I graduated, there were no first classes from Scottish, whereas I secured a first class.... I would indulge in a lot of adda at Hedua Park where boys and girls would come in pairs… but I’m not going to say anything more than that! I know what you want to hear from me! When living in Bowbazar, I used to visit the Girish Park and Maniktala bazaars with my father to buy my favourite fish — magur, tyangra, boal.

BANGALIANA

Mainak: North Calcutta became a part of my films for the first time during Maach Mishti & More…. That was primarily because it was a film centred around my childhood. My mother’s mamabari is in Sovabazar and when I would come down from New York I would stay at Santragachhi or Sovabazar where I’d find the atmosphere of what it meant to be living with a big family. This part of Calcutta still holds on to that bangaliana.

PARA CULTURE

Paoli: Of course there is bonding and friendship in both places, but north Calcutta has this joint family atmosphere which I miss living in the south. And then there’s the rawk culture. Something that was very common in north Calcutta, especially where I lived. In the lanes and bylanes next to Firingee Kalibari. I’ve seen my father and uncles sit and chat there for hours and it wasn’t about who’s going where or who’s paying how much EMI but beyond that. It could be political or social.... I remember festivals were always about bringing people together. That kind of bonding I’ve always found in this part of the city.

SCREEN PRESENCE

Mainak: If Calcutta is divided into two halves, architecturally north is so much more beautiful that no matter at which angle you place your camera, one is sure to find a good-looking backdrop. The small stories about the city that we’ve grown up with — be it Naxalbari discussions or literary, it’s all happened around here. Thank God the mall culture has not entered this part of the city!

(When the audience was asked whether there should be malls in north Calcutta, all hands went up in the air against it!)

THE BAGBAZAR FESTIVAL

Mainak: I think it’s a unique effort of focusing on this area. It’s a great way to get back to your roots and to enjoy and romanticise nostalgia.

Paoli: Thank you The Telegraph for organising such a festival. It’s a great endeavour. I hope it happens every year. In fact, there should be many more such festivals around these areas. It was a great opportunity for me to meet all the people from this part of the city and talk about my memories.

After lighting the inaugural lamp, Abir Chatterjee took a few questions from the audience. “Should I question Bomkesh or Felu?” asked Sourya Pal and Abir quipped: “That probably is the biggest question!” The Jodi Love Diley Naa Praane star also toured the Suchitra Sen gallery on the fairground.

Anjan Dutt kicked off a power-packed performance with his evergreen love anthem Ranjana ami ar ashbona, before reflecting on how he rediscovered his Bong connection in the old alleys and atmosphere of north Calcutta. “Although I come from old central Calcutta, north Calcutta is very dear to me and I genuinely mean it when I say it because north is what actually turned me into a Calcuttan,” said the actor-singer-filmmaker. “I was from Darjeeling and 16 when I returned to Calcutta and gradually became a part of this city thanks to a few poets, filmmakers, houses, paras and songs. It was this environment of north Calcutta that attracted me and turned me into a fan of old Calcutta. Old Calcutta keeps coming back in my films and my songs.... While it’s important to embrace the new, it is also necessary to preserve some of those old parts. I would like to salute The Telegraph for celebrating this part of Calcutta, which to me is the real Calcutta,” said Anjan. Keeping him company on stage were son Neel and friend Amyt Datta. The pop picks from their playlist? Ranjana ami ar ashbona, Bela Bose, Tumi ashbe boley tai...

WERE YOU THERE AT THE TELEGRAPH BAGBAZAR FESTIVAL? WHAT DID YOU LIKE BEST? TELL t2@abp.in

PAPER ART

Bowls, figures in different postures, animals, birds... all made of paper at an origami workshop by Devarati Dutta (left) on Day Three. “The benefits of origami are widespread. It helps understand maths better, it increases sense of proportion and logical reasoning. It also boosts confidence and enhances speech and language development in children,” Dutta said. “You only use three fingers for origami — your thumb, index finger and the middle finger. It might appear complicated in the beginning but with practice it is an art that is easy to master.”

Radha Gupta (right), who owns a boutique in Chennai and is in town to be with her mother, found the origami workshop very relaxing. “I didn’t know it had mental health benefits even for adults. That was an eye-opener,” she said.

 

PICTURE PERFECT

Reena Mitra, designer and art teacher, demonstrated how to use paint on glass, T-shirts and tiles. “My advice is to avoid fussy subjects. They make the end product look untidy,” said Reena, chic in an LBD with a touch of bling.

“I came here because I liked the idea of a painting workshop. It’s very different from a painting class because it is highly interactive. Also, I got to volunteer with the instructor and gathered some hands-on experience in glass painting,” said Tulika Jati, a first-year BSc student at Narasinha Dutt College.

What is the best/worst part of living in north Calcutta? Tell t2@abp.in