The fifth book in a series that began with Delhi, followed by India, Mumbai, and Chennai, Calcutta Then, Kolkata Now captures the dramatic transformation of the stunning eastern city, from a colonial capital to a modern-day metropolis.
Calcutta Then, structured beautifully by Sunanda K Datta-Ray and Pramod Kapoor, dives into the rich history of the city. You have iconic images of the construction of the Victoria Memorial and the Howrah Bridge along with anecdotes on how both the structures were painted black with gas-filled balloon barrages tethered above to escape attention of the flying Japanese aeroplanes in World War II. There are moving images of Rabindranath Tagore’s last journey, pre-Partition riots, and of course, the infamous Bengal famine. There are also street scenes and garden parties painting a picture of the multicultural city that was the capital of British India from 1772 to 1930.
It’s a total paradigm shift in Kolkata Now by Indrajit Hazra and Anshika Varma. The city’s identity and the unique Kolkata culture, with its quintessential Bengali adda sessions to the spectacle that is Durga Pujo, come to the forefront. People playing chess under the Gariahat flyover, the celebratory buzz of Chinatown during Chinese New Year, the bookstores at College Street, along with the jubilations over Kolkata’s favourite son Sourav Ganguly and the adopted ones, Diego Maradona, Pelé and Lionel Messi... it is a Kolkata that is vibrant and buzzing with life.