KMC to unveil sprawling art gallery at Star Theatre before Durga Puja

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is going to unveil a new art gallery in the city before Durga Puja. The gallery that will have a display area of 3,500 square feet will be located at the first floor of Star Theatre on Bidhan Sarani.

"There is no art gallery in the northern part of the city. The art lovers from the north have to travel to the southern part of Kolkata in order to entertain themselves. This is our gift to the art lovers," Member Mayor-in-Council (health) Atin Ghosh said who is supervising the work of the art gallery.

Named Binodini Art Gallery, it will be a tribute to Noti Binodini, the legendary theatre personality of the latter half of the 19th century of the city who set the stage on fire night after night for nearly three decades starting with her debut in 1874. Interestingly, Binodini lived in a house located almost adjacent to the present Star Theatre.

The gallery will be inaugurated on September 16 by state Panchayat and Rural Development minister Subrata Mukherjee. It was

Mukherjee who had renovated the Star Theatre after he became Mayor in 2000. The theatre at Hatibagan was ravaged by a devastating fire in 1990 and the Left Front government had done nothing to renovate it.

The restored Star Theatre maintains the heritage façade and the interiors are contemporary. The property is maintained by a private company. At present, it is primarily a cinema hall; plays are staged on about two days per month.

It was built way back in 1883. Initially situated in Beadon Street, the theatre later moved to Cornwallis Street — now called Bidhan Sarani. The Star, along with Minerva Theatre, was one of the first institutions of commercial Bengali theatres.