Kolkata confidential

‘Unhygienic’ tryst with history
In the city to inaugurate his art exhibition,a Swiss scientist was in for a shock when he visited the Indian Museum. Firstly,in the section devoted to the evolution of civilisation,he was greeted by the stench of urine. “Just when we were thinking that the smell was a ploy to heighten the authenticity of the situation by showing people lived when there was no civilisation,we realised that there were two toilets on either sides of the entrance,” laughed the scientist. It was,however,the section on rare animals that walked away with the cake. “I showed my colleague,that only the Indian Museum has come up with a new species of animal — the black polar bear!,” he said,referring to the thick layer of dust on the replica of a polar bear.

Laughing out of differences
The fabled differences between Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his Cabinet colleague and State Industries Development Minister Nirupam Sen appear to have momentarily melted away in laughter. Bhattacharjee who was inaugurating Bengal Summit 2010 was seated on the dais while Sen was seated in the audience. After his speech,the chief minister was receiving questions from industrialists present in the hall. In more than one question he faced,the chief minister stood up smiling and pointed towards his cabinet colleague saying,“Please leave some questions for my cabinet colleague to answer. He is the best person and knows all about industrialiation in the state. He is doing such a good job.” Sen broke into laughter and stated,“Our chief minister knows no less.”

Media-ting the difference
When a National award-winning Bollywood director recently came to the city to promote his film,he naturally had the Kolkata media eating out of his hands. Starting from American-accented English news channel reporters to the Bengali-speaking vernacular press reporters,everybody wanted a piece of him. As soon as he arrived at the press conference,a hierarchy was established. English media persons were to interview him first and only after they were done would the Bengali channels and newspapers get a chance. The director,a pravasi Bengali from Delhi,intervened and chose to speak to the Bengali press first,that too in chaste Bengali. “I don’t know why the vernacular media representatives are given such a step-motherly treatment. They actually reach out to more people,and we should always keep that in mind,” he said. Needless to say,he managed to win quite a few Bengali fans.

FIRe minister’s reel ambition
Last week,when PWD minister Kshiti Goswami and Fire Services minister Pratim Chatterjee were engaged in verbal dual on allowing the Super-Hospitality Box at Eden Gardens,another minister joked: “Surely,the Fire minister,also known as a Tollywood actor who played the father in many films,has an agenda behind his objections. He wants to play a part in Shah Rukh’s film.” The minister added: “If SRK selects the fire minister in his next film,he will withdraw the FIR,” said the minister,adding that name of the film would be “My name is Pratim”.

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