Passersby along First Avenue were treated to the music of Salil Chowdhury performed live on a January afternoon. As 2025 marks the 100th birth anniversary of the legendary music composer, Ward 41 organised a musical afternoon to celebrate his journey and contribution to the musical world on an open stage in AB Block, outside the block's community hall.
More than 100 artistes, mainly from the ward, presented music and dance performances on the occasion.
Tamali Bhattacharya performed in an all-woman electric guitar group, named Tarer Sur-ey and played the tunes of Path harabo bolei ebar and Dhitang dhitang bole. “I have been playing electronic guitar for the last 20 years. It is a beautiful instrument and has been a hobby for a very long time. All of us stay in different neighbourhoods but gathered at my home for practice a few times before we performed here today. We really enjoyed the experience as these songs are very close our hearts,” said the AD Block resident.
Aloke Mukherjee, another AD Block resident, was happy to sing Amay proshno kore neel dhrubo tara solo. “I joined only yesterday. I agreed to sing here as I love music. I enjoy performing in front of people whenever I get a chance, and these are such beautiful songs,” she said.
Many pedestrians stopped to listen to the performances. “I was on my way home but these songs are so close to our hearts with so many memories attached to them that I am lingering for a few minutes. Salil Chowdhury was an incredible music director. We enjoy his songs even today,” said Nandini Gupta, an HB Block resident.
Many groups also presented dance performances. Matir Pradip, an AB Block-based dance group, performed to Dhitang dhitang bole and O projapati.
Anupam Mukherjee, all of 82, was very excited to sing Zindagi kaisi hai paheli and Ami jhorer kachhe rekhe gelam on stage. “Salil Chowdhury should be celebrated in a bigger way. One can go on listening to these songs,” said the AA Block resident.
“We have grown up listening to Chowdhury’s compositions. In our ward, everyone enjoys taking part in cultural activities so to celebrate the musician in his centenary year, we put up a stage in the open so everyone can enjoy the weather and also the music,” said councillor Ratna Bhaumik.
Tribute from a fan
Tapas Adhikary sings at a Salil Chowdhury tribute show at Nazrul Tirtha Sudeshna Banerjee
A Salil Chowdhury fan put together a personal tribute to the legend in his birth anniversary month. Tapas Adhikary, a New Town resident known for his socio-cultural activities, sang at the open-air performance space in Nazrul Tirtha before a sizeable gathering that tapped to the beat of his songs.
There were both Hindi and Bengali hits in Adhikary’s two-hour melodious bouquet. And to remind listeners of Chowdhury’s pan-Indian oeuvre, there was a reel of his album covers, spanning his Telugu and Tamil films as well, that was shown on a raised space in front of the stage. And the digital backdrop showed Chowdhury’s photographs as also clips of relevant films. Thus as he crooned Zindagi kaisi hai paheli, there was Rajesh Khanna on the giant screen, smiling and nodding away.
“I especially love singing Hemanta Mukherjee songs, composed by Salil Chowdhury,” said the former air traffic control official who retired this January from his airport duty. “Not just the melody, even the lyrics pull me,” he added, pointing out how watching the men in villages leave to make a living in the aftermath of Cyclone Aila in 2009, when saline water made their agricultural land uncultivable, reminded him of the last two lines of Gnayer Bodhu — Ajo jodi tumi kono gnaye dyakho bhanga kutirer shari, jeno shei khane shey gnayero bodhur asha swapaner
somadhi. “I had actually seen such villages with only women and children when we went to distribute relief,” said the New Town CD Block resident.
The programme was presented under the banner of Abovahika, a non-profit organisation formed by him and his wife Mahua Bhattacharya Adhikary, which teaches dance and academics to underprivileged children.
