Kolkata and its old world charm in the field of architecture, facade, splendours and architectural shift that happened over the years were documented in a book titled Kolkata Happening City.

The book launch took place in the presence of Bratya Basu (Hon’ble Minister, Department of Biotechnology Science and Technology, Government of West Bengal), Soumitra Chatterjee (Veteran actor), Anuradha Lohia (Vice Chancellor Presidency University), Nandu K Belani (Chairman, Belani Group), Partha Ranjan Das, Architect and others.

Kolkata Happening City is not only a coffee table book but is also an encyclopaedia of the city’s architectural beauty. The book has been conceptualized by Mudar Pathreya. The book is a tribute to the city by Belani Group.

The book has more than 2700 photographs which capture many known and unknown nooks and corners of our beloved city. Howrah Bridge, Eden Garden, Victoria Memorial, Kolkata High Court, Metropolitan Building, Kolkata Gate, Raj Bhavan and many other places have been photographed in this book.

It also contains interviews of important personalities like Harsh Neotia, Sanjay Jhunjhunwala, Sumit Dabriwal, Vivek Rathod, Abin Chowdhury and so on.

The event also saw an engaging panel discussion “Can Kolkata’s rich architecture legacy transformed into competitive advantage?”

Speaking at the event, Partha Ranjan Das said “The problem in Kolkata is not many people are aware of the fact that heritage buildings can be preserved and also modernity can be added to them. Also there is another fact that sometimes new buildings are made with old designs. That is a bad thing because that shows that the architects do not have any vision. What one must do is to merge the old with the new and create something to preserve the character of the city without hindering the pace of growth”.

Soumitra Chatterjee highlighted on the fact that what attracted him as a young man was the buildings in Kolkata and the people of the city. He also added that acting in heritage buildings always excites him than acting in a posh set.

Anuradha Lohia mentioned interesting facts that she got to know when the renovation of Presidency University was been done.

In short, the conversation kept the audiences engaged as one got to know many unknown facts about the City of Joy.

Priyanka Dutta