Behala Baganbari was a nondescript place in the heart of south kolkata. An initiative taken sometime ago makes this place a well known one in Kolkata and abroad.
“Behala Art Fest” (A group of young talented artists) and the team of new Bengali serial “Gantchhora” (television series on Star Jalsha) came together for a unique project and painted the walls of Behala Baganbari to transform the place. The wall art has been done around the theme of Bengali Wedding. The idea was to create something unique and beautiful for the people residing there and give them a change of taste after almost two years of the pandemic. The idea finally has taken place & the ordinary narrow lanes turn into vibrant colorful walls with the touch of the artists. There were more than 15 artists under the leadership of “Sanatan Dinda” who worked on the project. It took about more than two weeks to complete the work with the permission and the enormous help of local people & they liked it very much after its completion.
The artists chose this particular area because it has many empty walls and these are very useful to execute such work. Not only that, the locals are also very friendly & they gave their kind permission for such work also, extended their helpful hands during the entire work to make this thing happen. Along with the walls and the boundaries, the windows and the doors of each house have also been painted by them. Besides, each of the near about 60 families residing there has received special gifts like saris and other accessories, from the members of the fest.
The purpose of covering this beautiful place is, I want to see the involvement of art in our daily life. Every person & his/her activities somehow is connected with some form of art. The special moment with some specific art denotes something very special. It tells a story, it evokes emotion which is commonly uncommon to others. With this beautiful creation of some young artists I want to taste this hidden truth & capture some moments within my ability.
Text & Photos: Santanu Dey
Copyright of all photos in this album is with the photographer.
