Sohail shows us how the ‘Calcutta Culture’ is constantly renewing itself.

Calcutta is not old. Not older than the nation’s capital, Delhi, or Varanasi, or even Chennai for that matter. Yet, once anyone has been here, this mundane historical fact is sure to be challenged. For it is in the very nature of this city to feel old and classic. And it is extremely ironical to note that even at this relatively young age, the city, along with erstwhile Awadh, has almost single-handedly redefined the nation’s culture. There was indeed a reason why it was called the cultural capital of India.

Culture, as we know it, is a dynamic word. It encompasses a huge range of activities and traditions and beliefs and customs which the average modern Indian is either proud or embarrassed of. But when we say the culture of Calcutta, it becomes a little easier to identify and brand as something
unique to this city. Unlike Varanasi or Rajasthan or southern India where the form is either influenced or driven by religious dogma and more to do with conducting daily life, the culture of Calcutta is lead primarily by the pursuit of the fine arts and with a dash of social reform thrown in.

It all started way back in the 2nd decade of the 19th century as an effort to cleanse our society of unnecessary evil practices in the name of God and also to point out the unequal treatment of locals by the British. The methods employed were sharp and articulate arguments and discussions voiced by a group of Calcutta based Bengali gentlemen. Knowledge and reason were to become
the greatest strengths of the city. And it soon turned into a movement of educational reforms and cultural awareness of our forgotten glory days. What formed the majority of the self aware and educated but not so rich gentry came to be known as the Middle class later on. On the other hand, the era also saw the rise of the great families of Calcutta. Besides making a lot of money through
trading and property, the families of Ghosh, the Mullicks, the Lahas and the Tagores, did what a modern day Hollywood studio does for artists looking for stage and audience. It provided them both. Soon, the family’s courtyards were abuzz with musicians and singers and dancers honing their skills and pursuing excellence. The first drama clubs were being set up. Initially in the courtyards
and narrow lanes of Black town and later on at the country’s first public theatres and halls built by natives. With the advent of printing and access to modern world literature, a new wave of literature swept the entire region. Had it not been for the financial help provided by a member of one of the noble families, the writer Bibhutibhushan would not have been able to get his works printed and
years later the world would not have known the genius of Satyajit Ray! Similarly, had it not been for the freedom of mind exercised by even wealthy business families like that of the Tagores, the great Rabindranath may not have been encouraged to think! Calcutta was the place to be seen and heard.

Apart from the native population, the city had been receiving in various communities from across the sub-continent and also from Europe as its trade and commerce boomed. Soon, Calcutta had become a world city like no other and was already referred to as the Empire’s second city. The first being London! All this, quite naturally, added to the flavor and became a heady concoction of
cultures.

Today, in the 21st century and after 65 years of political Independence, I try to gauge if that culture still exists. Calcutta today is trying hard to be in the race for the tag of a modern city on the lines of post liberalization success stories like Gurgaon and Bangalore. But while doing so, it has also been trying to retain a part of its soul. The pride with which an average Calcuttan talks about its cultural heritage indicates that it is not a relic but an organism. Along with the lanes and the Para rock we also have gleaming malls and college campuses now and the adda goes on at both the places.

Groups are now formed in Facebook and Twitter but the intensity of discussion is the same as before. Rabindranath is still the ultimate icon and not David Beckham. On any given day, the people of Calcutta would still be considered the most pleasant to speak with. It is still considered here that earning money is not the ultimate goal in life. There could be no other place on Earth where a books-
only festival would see a footfall of almost a million. Yes, that culture still lives on. It is present in any Indian trying to make his opinion count by raising a voice and not a gun. It is also present in any one feeling richer than a King when acquiring a new book. It is displayed unintentionally when a lost soul
is helped with directions in the city. It is evident when the leading local newspaper comes with the headline lamenting about an author not being allowed to enter the city on political grounds instead of a ‘Breaking News’ of the usual fashion. It is this shared sense of belonging which becomes the pulse of the city. To feel it one has to hold its hand just about right.

Never gone, never dead, the culture of Old Calcutta is constantly renewing itself.