Kolkata gets its groove back

Sunday today. As the dust of the euphoric electoral celebrations settles down, the city is once again donning the cultural mantle it is famous for. The weekend and the next two or three days are full of functions and events.

A new Italian restaurant Casa Toscana near Menoka Cinema is slated to open, yesterday there was an interactive session with Mahesh Bhatt at The Conclave, Koneenica’s birthday bash at the Plush Lounge on Friday (picture), Star Jalsa event at The Oberoi Grand, the function of Neelanjanaa Sengupta Productions, Entertainment Awards at The Science City auditorium, May Queen Ball at Fort William, launch of Parambrato and Rudraneel Ghosh’s joint venture and the Italian National Day reception at The Taj Bengal, to name a few.

I went to Mahesh Bhatt Productions play “The Last Salute” – a play based on Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi’s book The Last Salute to President Bush at the G D Birla Sabhaghar, Kolkata, on May 29th at 7 pm.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, an Iraqi broadcast journalist shot to fame on December 14th, 2008, when he shouted “This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people. You dog,” and hurled his footwear at the then President of United States, George W Bush. The video footage became a rage in the cyber world. This act of shoeing triggered a spate of similar incidents across the world as a form of political protest.

Mahesh Bhatt’s play dwelt upon this unusual subject.

I think the hosts were unable to get the right audience – which Kolkata has more than any other city – for a play based on this kind of subject.

ess bee