Pancham er Adday, a popular café on Hindustan Park Road in South Calcutta, celebrated its fourth birthday on August 11, with singer Usha Uthup as the special guest. Amrita Annie, the owner of the café, recounted her memories of opening the café in 2019 and the consistent response she received throughout the Covid years. The celebration was a sumptuous combination of food and Uthup’s energetic performance, which made the audience shake a leg.
An array of delicious snacks was served to the guests, which included Fried Prawns, Fish Fingers and hot and cold beverages. The cosy ambience of the cafe and the thoughtful décor paying homage to the musical maestro R.D. Burman added flavours to the evening.
Usha Uthup recounted her memories of working with the legendary R.D. Burman and expressed her excitement about visiting a café in his name. She informed the audience about Burman’s hold in Western and folk music which gave his songs a distinctive flavour that was new in his time. He craftily used the hook line in his songs, which made them virtually impossible to forget. The singer also expressed her sadness to see Burman receiving so much love only after his death but conceded the song is always bigger than the singer, and it lives on. She then sang some of the most iconic songs like Pyar karnewale pyar karte hain, Shono mon boli tomay, Dum maro dum and Duniya mein logon ko, making everyone sway. The event concluded with cake-cutting and felicitation.
Singer Supriyo Shome played with Usha Uthup. Post her performance, Uthup said, “There is a very strong connection between Rahul Dev Burman and myself and probably besides Ashaji I don’t think there is anyone else living who has worked so closely with Panchamda except, of course, the musicians. Coming to Pancham er Adday, it is fantastic. When you have so many fans and someone making a café with your name is wonderful. I wish he was appreciated so much when alive. He must be so happy wherever he is. What better tribute can anybody gift than something like this? I would like to say thank you to Amrita for doing something in his name. I am sure it is getting to him some way or the other.”
Amrita Annie welcomed Uthup with a bouquet and a frame. Annie said, “Pancham er Adday is famous for R.D. Burman’s songs, and we have formed a good relationship with the guests. Many people, even some related to his family, come here, and I get to know so much about his life. The journey so far has been very smooth. I have plans of opening a café in Bombay and more branches in Calcutta in a few years from now. If you want to run a café, you need to give your everything and consider every staff your family. A lot of effort goes into it, and then only you can succeed.”
Patrons enjoy the performance at Pancham er Adday