The Hindu Lit for Life Unplugged launches with Usha Uthup and Anand Puri at Kolkata’s Trincas
The Hindu's Lit for Life Unplugged event featured singer Usha Uthup and historian Anand Puri discussing the cultural history of Kolkata's iconic Trincas restaurant. The conversation explored the venue's role in the city's nightlife and Uthup's five-decade musical career.
Why it matters
It celebrates the cultural heritage and historical significance of landmark institutions in urban Indian history.
“That side,” said Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee Usha Uthup, pointing towards the right corner of Trincas , a restaurant in Kolkata’s Park Street, “is where Sharmila Tagore and the Nawab of Pataudi would sit.”
Then she swept her hand across the room. “Farokh Engineer... the West Indies cricket team... Jyoti Basu... Uttam Kumar... Suchitra Sen...”
“I never had to go anywhere, the world came to me,” said the legendary singer as she remembered a particularly fond encounter with filmmaker Satyajit Ray at Park Street. The maestro visited Trincas often and had expressed his interest in making a film about the restaurant.
Usha Uthup with Shonali Muthalaly | Photo Credit: chitrographer media
She paused before smiling. “It sounds like I’m dropping names. Which I am, actually.”
The audience erupted into peals of laughter. Around them was the same dining room that had once hosted many of those famous names.
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