This is definitely the first ever photographic exhibition on China in Calcutta after the Indo-Sino war in 1962. The venue is the south gallery at the Academy of Fine Arts.

It’s not easy to portray China because of its huge size and the vast population. However, the established photographer, Mala Mukherjee, has taken great pains in trying to capture the flowing life of both urban and rural China with the help of 75 beautiful colour photographs of high aesthetic and technical standard. The sizes of the photographs vary according to the importance of the subjects. An appropriate introduction in both English and Bengali has helped the viewers to enjoy the exhibition more.

This show has not covered all the aspects of China. Yet it is most admirable of Mukherjee to capture so many aspects in her hectic backbreaking journey of just 15 days. Twenty-first century’s pragmatic way of life in China is delightfully presented. There are pictures of Chinese life ? the playful young and the old or different kind of people plying their trade on the pavements and so on. The striking contrast in the society has been predicted as a section of affluent people enjoy themselves in a posh and lavishly decorated restaurant. Below that, a poor man is photographed while having his modest meal in a corner of a pavement.