Nine years ago when Sohini Bose walked through the gates of CF Block’s Choopkatha, she suffered from aggression, insomnia and a host of other psychological problems. Cut to a recent bakery carnival at Choopkatha and Sohini, now a confident 28-year-old, made a killing selling home-made cupcakes and tarts.
Choopkatha is a theatre group formed by Dolly Basu that has several differently-abled actors and at the carnival students and their parents had set up stalls selling snack and drinks for one another.
“I run a home bakery named Twin Tales now but I’ve come this far with the support of my family and Dolly ma’am,” says Sohini, who completed her graduation from an open university and pursued some bakery courses. “Theatre helped me gain confidence.”
Dolly Basu herself recalls sharing recipes and menu ideas with her student to encourage her. “And of course, performing on stage was a confidence booster. Sohini has a twin sister Saheli, who is academically brilliant, but she once told her sister that no matter what laurels she achieves in academics, she can never act like her on stage,” she smiles.
Some parents had put up a stall called Sip & Bite and served sandwiches, dahi vada and soda sikanji. “This is a venture we have started and are looking for catering opportunities at small get-togethers too,” said Chaitali Jain, one of the founders. “We have roped in our children and this will help support them too.”
Shreya Game was one such 10-year-old who was enjoying her duty at this stall. “I helped make the drink and also sliced the bread for the sandwiches. Everybody is complimenting our food,” beamed the girl who has autism.
Dipannita Basu, mother of Devansh, a student, relished the goodies baked by the others. “I tried the cookies, tarts, dahi vada, cup cakes and loved them all. They’ve put in so much effort,” she said. “How I wish I could open a café that employed differently-abled people!”
Dolly Basu said the carnival was held to build confidence in her students and to open new avenues for them. “Sometimes the problem is not medical. Sometimes it is created by society. Their families cannot give up on them. Maybe these children will take longer to learn, maybe they’ll need a different method but they have it in them to go all the way.”
After the carnival, there were some cultural programmes. Five-year-old Anika Bhattacharya danced to Uthchhe jege shokalgulo from the film Autograph and Dolly Basu herself performed a monoact. The day concluded with one and all singing Sakhi bhabona kahare boley.
