Kalam with Nadira and Swiss National Day

July 30, 2016: I usually go to sleep around 12 pm. But for the last few days I have been going to sleep around 2:30 am thanks to myself trying to become Tweeter-savvy and also the late night flights and engagements.

I landed in Kolkata around midnight from Jaipur on July 26 after attending a session of Kalam with Nadira Babbar. Nadira is a well known theatre artiste, poet and author. She has also acted in quite a number of films. She was quite impressive in her interactions with the audience. Recitations of her yet-to-be-published poetry was the highpoint of the event. Today I had an informal dinner evening at the Hyatt Regency with Shatrughan Sinha who in Kolkata to attend the Ladies’ Study Group function. We both get along very well and he too is quite a late night person.

Prior to my dinner, I dropped in at The Oberoi Grand for the Swiss National Day reception hosted by Umesh Chowdhury, the Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Kolkata. The Swiss National Day reception, hosted by Umesh, is one of the biggest affairs in the city where you get to see and meet prominent faces from all walks of life. In fact, it is Umesh and his wife Rashmi’s personal invitation and attention that draws everyone to it. I chatted up with the new British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Mr Bruce Bucknell, at the reception.

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