With Durga Puja almost here, the artists are busy with their puja pandal decorations all over Kolkata. This year various colourful aspects of Bengali life would come to life through illustrations, comic strips, paintings and other art forms at the community puja pandal of Behala Debdaru Fatak. The puja, turning 47 this year, is all set to capture the essence of regular lives of common Bengalis. Many popular themes have been used to depict the festive spirit which would envelop eventually in a month’s time.

“We have used a picture sequence based on Joy Baba Felunath to portray the love that Bengali’s have for detective stories. Similarly, the motorbike sequence from the all-time superhit Bengali film Saptapadi has been used to highlight the onscreen chemistry between Uttam Kumar nad Suchitra Sen. The romanticism in Bengali life has been focused with myriads of symbols. These are some of the variations in Bengali life that we have tried to focus on, said one of the organisers of the Puja. The other popular cultures such as love for football, cuisine, chat on the Sunday mornings, different festivals, literary heritage, folklore, theatre, fine arts have been brought to light in our puja theme.

“We have termed it as ‘Gladly Bengali’. This is perhaps for the first time that any puja is covering the quintessential Bengali life with all its aspects both good and bad”, said an organiser. “Once the pandal-hoppers enter the pandal, they would be experiencing the Bengali life in all its multifaceted and kaleidoscopic glory. As they slowly progress inside the pandal, the visitors would find that there are so many subtle yet simple aspects of common Bengalis which are not usually given importance to.

Till they come in front of the idol of goddess Durga, there will be a series of paintings on Durga Puja itself. Since Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengal, it has been given a special attention in the illustrations,” said Sakti Mondal, the president of the puja committee. The Puja organisers’ have also depicted various shortcomings in the life of an average Bengali and have been portrayed in illustrations and paintings in a slightly comical and satirical manner. The theme of the puja has been conceptualised by Subhadip Majumder and Sumi Majumder. The idol has been crafted by Pintu Shikdar while Sujog Bandyopadhaya is the illustrator. Goutam Brahma has sung the theme song.