Kolkata: Though the official Puja vacation is yet to begin, city streets are already crowded with pandal hoppers making their way to Durga Puja marquees.
In Salt Lake, the popular pujas at AK Block Association and BJ Block Sharadotsav Committee are drawing heavy footfall from evening till late into the night.
This year, AK Block Association is commemorating the centenary of filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak with the theme ‘Jukti Aar Torko’ (logic and debate). The pandal showcases large images of his film posters, enhanced with light-and-shadow effects to create a soothing ambience.
Organisers said many of Ghatak’s films feature frames connected to Durga Puja, while central female characters often carry a reflection of Goddess Durga. Visitors can also view details of his films and documentaries, including unfinished and unreleased works.
Nearby, BJ Block Sharadotsav Committee has chosen nostalgia as its theme—‘Fire Dekha’ (a look back at the past). Organisers said today’s younger generation, aged 20–25, have never experienced black-and-white television, rotary telephones or the palki. Even those born after 1950 may have forgotten many of the objects they once used, given the pace of technological change.
To revive those memories, the pandal features models of items such as black-and-white TVs, vintage telephones, palkis, gramophones, radios, pocket transistors and audio cassettes. The exhibits aim to spark memories for older visitors while introducing younger ones to a bygone era.