The album cover, featuring Sukumar Ray?s Kathburo

What happens when two of the Bengali?s passions ? food and music ? are blended?

Out of the cauldron emerges an album, called Bhojohori Manna and bearing an illustration of Sukumar Roy's immortal Kathburo cooking logs of wood.

Saregama India has hit upon a winning recipe. ?This album is a compilation of songs related to food from our Bengali music archive,? said Suvojit Roy, regional marketing manager.

So, while Manna Dey?s introduction of chef Bhojohori Manna in the film Pratham Kadam Phool is the inevitable starter, the main course is provided by songs like Anup Ghoshal?s Bhuter Raja Dilo Bor (Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne), crisp-fried Horidasher Bulbul Bhaja served by Hemanta Mukherjee (Sriman Prithviraj) and Manabendra Mukherjee pleading gluttony in Khabo Khabo Korchhey Amar (Bishkanya).

A taste of the new age is provided by Nachiketa, Anjan Dutta and Suman Chattopadhyay in Khaoar Gaan. Then, there is Ashoktoru Bandyopadhyay crooning Jodi jotey roj emni bini poyshay bhoj/Disher pore dish, shudhu mutton curry fish/Shonge tari whisky soda du-char royal dose... Those familiar with the lines from the play Chirokumar Sabha will salute Rabindranath Tagore for just desserts.

?The idea was born out of a chance meeting at the eatery chain Bhojohori Manna. They were planning to host musical events. That prompted me to think of a theme-based album,? Roy explained.

Manna Dey himself was present at the launch to give lip service to the title song. ?It?s been ages since I sang Bhojohori Manna. Who could imagine that a restaurant would come up with the name?? said the iconic singer, now settled in Bangalore.

He recalled how lyricist Pulak Bandyopadhyay went to his Mumbai bungalow to find him busy cooking.

?He asked me what dish I was preparing and I replied it could not be announced in advance. By the time I finished, he was ready with the song. Later, when he showed it to friends in Calcutta, director Inder Sen offered to incorporate it in a picnic scene in his film,? revealed the real ?Bhojohori? Manna, his gastronomic passion intact even at 86.

The audience comprised a galaxy of musical stars ? Ajoy Chakraborty to Shrikanto Acharya, Shraboni Sen to Bikram Ghosh. Director Goutam Ghose, a partner in the Bhojohori Manna venture, flew back from Mumbai to raise a toast to the third anniversary of the chain.

?It is a wonderful idea to re-release original songs under whatever pretext. This gives the next generation the chance to hear the masters, rather than the raunchy remixes,? felt Haimanti Shukla.

?We are planning a tie-up whereby people coming to the restaurant can pick up albums of choice from a permanent music rack,? said Saregama business manager S.F. Karim.