KOLKATA: Koto dur ar koto dur bolo na…, the riveting song by the iconic Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, picturised on Anil Chatterjee’s Rooplal with Uttam Kumar, Sabitri Chatterjee and a group of weary pilgrims trudging across the desert in Bikash Roy’s 1959 Bengali film ‘Marutirtha Hinglaj’, captures the grit and endurance of their journey to reach their sacred destination.
The revered Hinglaj Mata Temple, situated in Balochistan, Pakistan, is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas and among the most challenging pilgrimages in the world. A cave temple, it houses a small stone worshipped as Hinglaj Mata. This Durga Puja, visitors to the Dakhin Bediapara pandal in Dum Dum will get a glimpse of that arduous journey.
Inaugurated by veteran actress Sabitri Chatterjee, the pandal recreates the pilgrimage’s hardships, with Mukhopadhyay’s timeless song playing in the background, transporting pandal-hoppers to the Uttam Kumar era.
In London too, Bengal’s matinee idol Uttam Kumar is being celebrated on his birth centenary. At the London Sharad Utsav, a ‘Wall of Fame’ showcases film posters of the Mahanayak. The venue, the Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, Europe’s largest Durga Puja ground, also dazzles with the lights of Chandannagar.
Movie-inspired thematic pandals have truly been a highlight this year in Kolkata’s Durga Puja. Ballygunge 71 Pally, in its 59th year, is marking the golden jubilee of Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella. At Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha, Byomkesh Bakshi, the city’s beloved detective created by Sharadindu Bandopadhyay, comes alive.
Kankurgachi Chalantika Club’s theme Tik-Tiki celebrates Bengal’s legendary sleuths, while Samaj Sebi’s Pather Panchali depiction reflects the events surrounding the Kolkata riots of 1946. In Salt Lake, AK Block Association is commemorating the centenary of filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. The pandal showcases large images of his film posters, enhanced with light-and-shadow effects to create a soothing ambience.
Between 1874 and 1886, Binodini Dasi aka Nati Binodini played close to 90 roles in 80 plays, most of them written by none other than theatre legend Girish Chandra Ghosh. Bhowanipur 75 Palli has chosen to pay tribute to her life and legacy through their Durga Puja 2025 theme.