The panelists at the Oxford talk.

There’s something about theatre that gets Calcuttans going more than most other things — a private gathering for 70 will easily cross the hundred mark, people will be on their feet for over an hour and the wrap-up will have questions flying in from all directions.

Monday evening at Oxford Bookstore was no different. The crowd that had flocked to hear about the changes and challenges of English theatre in Calcutta from the horse’s mouth (read: stage actors, directors and producers) was all too eager to get to the core of the issue. And the two teams of speakers — the “privileged rookies” pitted against the “stage veterans” — held out the promise of time well spent.

The salt-and-pepper brigade (Jayant Kripalani, Katy Lai Roy and Dina Ardeshir) turned out to be young at heart, while the young (Tathagata Chowdhury, Prithviraj Choudhury, Shuktara Lal, plus moderator Dhruv Mukerji) came through as bold without being brash.

Katy Lai Roy: The founder-member of The Red Curtain with more than 30 years’ experience in the circuit, set the ball rolling. “Calcutta was receptive to thinking theatre,” said Katy, calling for support from the audience in sustaining the English theatre culture.

Tathagata Chowdhury: The actor-director-producer in the “city’s youngest theatre group” Theatrecian, wants to work towards making it more than a hobby into “a profession”.

Dina Ardeshir: Another veteran who also did a cameo in Chokher Bali as Aishwarya Rai’s governess, harked back to the good ol’ days when “few wanted to miss the terrific plays being put up, say Hamlet or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”. Also that one needed to make theatre, be it serious or farce, “enjoyable” to pull in the crowds and hold them back.

Prithviraj Choudhury: The post-graduate literature student of Jadavpur University (JU) and a regular on stage harped on “newer interpretations” and “contextualising” of plays.

Jayant Kripalani: The popular stage and TV personality kicked up the much-awaited storm. “I don’t agree that farces are easy to do. Making people laugh is the most difficult thing to do,” he quipped. Theatre should be able to give “total entertainment” to its viewers just as a multiplex would, he added.

Shuktara Lal: Another English masters student from JU, poised to debut in stage direction with Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, discussed problems she faced while scouting for a producer.

The talk drifted and digressed — from the social relevance of the plays being put up to the need for a “multi-lingual language”.

A model in a Diva creation. Pictures by Pabitra Das and Rashbehari Das

Take a detour

Diva Fashion Ensemble has taken fashion a little off the main road — both in terms of geography and content. While its location, on the narrow Mahanirban Road near Triangular Park, has proven to be a disadvantage, admits proprietor Priyanka Chandok, its clothes — conventional with a touch of class — are well worth the trip.

Working with her karigars, Priyanka has churned out a soothing collection in pashmina cottons, linen, cotton matka and jamewar brocade. The boutique opened end-April, with a reasonably interesting collection of salwar-kurtas and Indo-westerns and there are plans to introduce saris in September before the Puja rush begins.

Not only are the pashmina cotton suits comfortable for Calcutta summers, they come with a sheen that make them perfect for evenings out as well. Contrasting churidars, parallel pants and salwars complement the hand-embroidered suits, which come with matching georgette dupattas.

Embroidered linen suits in shades of beige, off-white and cream are perfect for day-wear on special occasions. Delicate patti finishes, sequins, tie-and-dye, kundan and bead work dress up the lightweight pure crepe pieces. The kurtis, with fine Parsigada and Kashmiri embroidery, are a great casual option as well. Benarasi strips and organza are used to charming effect on kurta-pant sets. Suits lengths too are stocked at Diva, in Maheshwari cottons, with Kalamkari, kantha and Kashmiri work.

Bard beckons

MusicWorld is celebrating Rabindra Jayanti with its annual weeklong fest, Kabi Pranam, which will see eminent Rabindrasangeet exponents pick songs from compilations currently on offer at the Park Street store.

The celebrations started on Monday with singers Indranil Sen and Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta doing the honours. While music lovers heard Tagore renditions by Debarati Shome on Monday and Swagatalakshmi and Sandip Bhattacharya on Tuesday, the rest of the week will feature Sraboni Sen, Dwijen Mukhopadhyay, Suman Panthi, Suchhanda Ghosh, Sukanya Nath and Anushila Basu, 5 pm onwards.

The festival is also an indicator of the huge popularity of the genre. “More and more music lovers are turning to Tagore for both inspiration and entertainment,” said Lalita Sinha, regional manager, MusicWorld, at the inauguration on Monday.

Currently stocking 500 Rabindrasangeet cassettes and CDs, the store plans to add to its collection. “Last fiscal, out of every 100 Bengali music albums, 60 were from the Rabindrasangeet section,” the manager added.

e Swagatalakshmi topped the list with Asamapta Gaan, the top five for the current year also includes Panchali Dhar for Prem Prakriti, Arundhati Hom Choudhury and Shibaji Chatterjee for Aalo, Swagatalakshmi once again for Chena Fagun and Srikanta Acharya and Rajeev Chakrabarty for Pather Sathi.

The spread at the Bay of Bengal. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Just like home

A real treat has added to the south Calcutta Bengali restaurant spread. The Bay of Bengal, opposite Menoka cinema, has been serving up all things Bangali, with an emphasis on home-style recipes.

e it is easy to miss the tiny entrance to the restaurant, the aroma will make sure hungry passers-by don’t give the small eatery a miss.

Set up by Debapriya Banerjee and Rupa Dhar, who gave up jobs with an international airline to make a business out of their culinary skills, the 26-seater restaurant takes up 440 sq ft.

Traditional recipes like Chhanchra, Kumro Phool Bhaja, Chitol Machher Muittha, Dhokar Dalna and Potoler Dolma are being served up, as well as more elaborate fare.

The menu has been carefully designed so as not to leave out any authentic dishes, and is divided into sections titled Appetisers, Starters, From the Frying Pan, Set Platter, Only Fish, Only Meat and Happy Endings.

There is a rich range of fish and seafood, from parshe, pabda, topshe, koi, to chingri and kankra. Popular items on the menu are Kosha Mangsho, Chitol Machher Muittha and Lau Chingri. Chhana Bhapa, made of cottage cheese steamed with mustard and coconut, also found many takers for its succulent taste at the restaurant which also offers home delivery.

The cheapest thing going is Aam Porar Sharbat for Rs 20, while a plate of Chingri Malai Curry will set you back by Rs 150.

To pamper the sweet tooth, Bay of Bengal serves up Mishti Doi, Kesar Pista Doi, Malpua, Rasamalancha, Rasamalai and Amriti, all of which come straight from the KC Das franchise next door.

“When people order hilsa, we ask them how they would prefer it cooked, and have provision for off-the-menu items as well,” says Debapriya. “The idea is to provide a homely atmosphere,” she adds.

Though small, the restaurant is well appointed, with brocade-bordered chiks, carved wall hangings and silver nick nacks.

Lunch timings are from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm, while dinner is on from 7.30 pm to 10 pm.