Premankur Biswas
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The toxic Fathers of St. Xavier’s, Kolkata
Premankur Biswas writes: The teacher forced to resign, her privacy violated, is no aberration. St Xavier’s has a history of control and oppression
Sat, Aug 13, 2022
Why Satyajit Ray is still the saviour for the Bengali film industry
Over the years, there have been many Ray tribute films of different shades and stripes. The earliest of them being the 2010 Srijit Mukherji film, Autograph.
Thu, May 19, 2022
How a school WhatsApp group helped these women rebuild their lives
“We need women to be strong to build a strong nation. And that concept made me realise that we should do something about dropout mothers."
Wed, May 11, 2022
India’s first post office cafe opens in Kolkata
“If India Post has to maintain its hold in not only the market but also in conversation, in people’s mindscapes, then something more has to be done — that’s why this café"
Wed, Mar 16, 2022
Why Badhaai Do spoke to a jaded gay man like me
Badhaai Do, though, was a hard nut to crack. It’s almost as if director/writer Harshavardhan Kulkarni baited us hardened gays with the trailer. We walk into the theatres with our claws out, what we get instead is a surprisingly sensitive film depicting the specific heartbreaks of being queer in India.
Sun, Mar 06, 2022
Narayan Debnath, the cartoonist who never underestimated children
Narayan Debnath, like all great artists, managed to make most of his creations timeless. Which is ironic because for generations of Bengalis, a Narayan Debnath comic strip exudes nostalgia.
Sat, Aug 13, 2022
5 Buddhadeb Dasgupta films that are essential viewing for Indian film lovers
Here is a list of Buddhadeb Dasgupta films that makes for essential watching. The director died on Thursday at the age of 77.
Fri, Jun 11, 2021
Breathless from Covid-19, Kolkata is willing to pay a high price for oxygen
A cylinder which would generally cost about Rs 7,000 in Kolkata is now commanding Rs 40,000 to Rs 75,000.
Tue, Apr 27, 2021
Till the end, Tollywood tried to live up to the phenomenon called Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra Chatterjee dead: In Mrinal Sen’s Akash Kusum, Soumitra Chatterjee plays an ambitious middle-class executive, who is losing everything he values because of one bad decision. The Hindi remake Manzil starred Amitabh Bachchan, but a back-to-back viewing of both these films will tell you how nuanced Chatterjee’s turn as Ajoy was.
Sun, Nov 15, 2020
Why we keep mixing up Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, and the subtle distinctions between them
Both, Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee turned to the wealth of Bengali literature several times in their respective careers and also ensured that their films dealt with themes of progressive socialism.
Thu, Jun 04, 2020
Stuck in Bihar village, transwomen dancers from Bengal just want to get home
About hundred or more trans women from West Bengal are stuck in different districts of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh because of the lockdown.
Thu, May 28, 2020
No electricity, mobiles down, Kolkata residents talk of ‘petrifying’ cyclone Amphan
Although Kolkata's entire population was affected, it is the eastern fringes of the city where the impact was apparently felt the most. Teghoria area of North 24 Parganas district woke up to submerged streets on Thursday.
Thu, May 21, 2020
‘No labourers, running out of stock’: How eastern India’s largest wholesale market is dealing with the lockdown
Posta, which would see retailers from neighbouring states like Assam and Sikkim, among others, hasn’t seen any buyers from neighbouring states.
Thu, Apr 02, 2020
Why Basu Chatterjee’s interpretation of Byomkesh Bakshi is the gold standard
Rajit Kapur, who played the detective with such ebullient, cocky enthusiasm, was and still is the definitive Byomkesh Bakshi for most Indians. A remarkable feat considering the character has been played on screen by a galaxy of stars including Uttam Kumar, Jisshu Sengupta, Anirban Bhattacharya, Dhritiman Chatterjee and even filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh.
Thu, Jun 04, 2020
Delhi: United by pain and hope, Hindus, Muslims pick up pieces at Chand Bagh
"The mob didn't care I was Hindu. They just wanted blood. My Muslim friends helped me salvage some stock," says Ganesh Pandey, whose fruit shop was burnt down.
Fri, Feb 28, 2020
Delhi violence: How can anyone do this to my school, asks a past student
Arun Modern Senior Secondary School in the northeast Delhi neighbourhood of Brijpuri was vandalised and gutted by a mob on Tuesday evening. An ex-student, who now owns a shoe shop nearby and was a witness to the violence, shares his account.
Thu, Feb 27, 2020
Stranded with a dead body in GTB hospital, this shopkeeper wants Arvind Kejriwal to intervene
GTB hospital has seen a rush of people injured in clashes among anti- and pro-CAA activists.
Wed, Feb 26, 2020
From bhalo chele to a controversial politician, Tapas Paul’s rocky journey
For a generation of Bengalis, Tapas Paul, who passed away late Monday night, was almost always the wronged man.
Tue, Feb 18, 2020
Tiger widows of Sunderbans: In the shadow of mangroves, tale of courage and hope
The West Bengal government claims that since 2009, 100,000 women are being trained to be independent through vocations such as embroidery, bee-keeping, tailoring, etc.
Fri, Feb 14, 2020
How Wendell Rodricks taught a generation of Indian gay men to be comfortable in their skin
We treated Wendell Rodricks like an anomaly, who was leading this strange life of domesticity in Goa.
Thu, Feb 13, 2020
‘Instead of abusing us, why can’t BJP talk of education, infra’: Hurt, anger in seat that houses Shaheen Bagh
Even a month ago, not many would have guessed that a mohalla in Okhla would come to dominate discourse around Delhi Assembly elections. As BJP top guns make Shaheen Bagh a poll plank, we find out what the voters here aspire for.
Tue, Jan 28, 2020
Kolkata: Tired of physical abuse, gay man files complaint against parents
Things took a turn for the worse, says Subhankar, when his parents insisted that he get married to a girl. “I told them I can't think of anyone apart from my boyfriend in that way. Even if they break us up, I will be with another boy,” says Subhankar.
Wed, Nov 20, 2019
The master of weepy blockbusters with melodramatic battles over fish
The Tollywood director burst into the scene in the early 1980s, when the Bengali film industry was in mourning. Its reigning deity, Uttam Kumar, had passed away.
Sun, Aug 04, 2019
The Vanishing: A Kolkata magician’s death puts the spotlight on his art
A magician died in Kolkata, trying to replicate American stuntman Harry Houdini’s famous escape act. Is it a sign of the flailing fortune of magic in India?
Sun, Jun 30, 2019
Bengali actors Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan deal with memes, sing for Didi’s victory
Two Bengali actors hit the campaign trail. Will the newbie politicians ride the Mamata Banerjee wave?
Sun, Apr 28, 2019