Music flows through the soul of Kolkata. There’s a tune to mark every occasion – from parties to politics. Though not as robust a phenomenon, even today the dawns and dusks in the paras of the city are filled with the sounds of riyaz and the harmonium. The once-ubiquitous melodies might be fading from many paras, but the city’s busy intersections have the sweet sound of music for motorists, playing Bengali songs (usually Rabindrasangeet).
Kolkata has celebrated and accepted musical artistry from around the world, and in many songs through the years, that love has been reciprocated. From classics to modern-day numbers, ‘Kolkata’ has been woven into lyrics or inspired many a tune.
My Kolkata gives a listen to some of these iconic numbers. Feel free to sing along.
Dada Thakur’s humorous ode to the city
The first song in the list is Kolkata kebal bhule bhara from the 1962 Bengali film Dadathakur, sung by Debabrata Biswas. It was written by Sarat Chandra Pandit, popularly known as Dada Thakur, who was a master of humorous rhymes. Born in 1879, the social critic published the newspaper Jangipore Sangbad on his own. The song was recorded by Ramkumar Chattopadhyay.
This is possibly the first commercial song written about Kolkata. It speaks about city life and mocks the names of different places in the city with lyrics like, “Naiko haathi naiko bagan Hatibagan bole.”
Bringing in the style
This iconic number hardly needs an introduction. Both the singer and the actress on screen were legendary in their fields and this is one of the most-loved numbers from both of them. Ami Miss Calcutta 1976 from the 1973 Bengali classic Basanta Bilap, is sung by Arati Mukhopadhyay and features Aparna Sen.
The movie, and this song composed by Sudhin Dasgupta, has trickled down generations and is enjoyed by many age groups. Though it does not speak about the city, if you mention ‘Calcutta songs’, this one is sure to make the list every time. After all, there was a generation of men and women mesmerised by the song and Miss Calcutta’s style.
Tribute from a pop queen
From her trademark bindi with the Bengali letter 'k' to the many wonderful things she’s said about the city over the years, pop icon Usha Uthup’s love for Kolkata is well known. Perhaps her most famous tribute to the city is her song Kolkata Kolkata don’t worry Kolkata.
Set to the tune of A.R. Rahman’s Mustafa Mustafa, this number is a nod to the nostalgia that the city inspires and the sentiments every Kolkatan feels for this “shohorer rani” (queen of cities).
A childhood in Kolkata
Kolkata 16 Amar is a number that resonates with almost everyone who grew up in the city. Anjan Dutta’s song is a walk down memory lane – chronicling the experiences of growing up in the city — from the big dreams thought up while ambling the neon-lit streets to the lasting friendships forged in little eateries.
History, paradox and more
Nachiketa Chakraborty’s songs have inspired both laughter and grief with their lyrics and almost always had a social subtext to them – from the hopeful Tumi ashbe bolei to the hard-hitting Briddhashram. This song from his album Ei Besh Bhalo Achi is simply and aptly named Kolkata. The singer sings of the city’s history and its paradoxes, the heritage it holds and its many personalities, giving the listeners a glimpse into the multitudes that make up the city.
The big and small things
Bengali band Chandrabindoo’s album Daknaam has a cheerful number by lead singer Anindya Chatterjee called Amar Sahar, which is an ode to the many big and little things of Kolkata. This number will probably be the one that only someone who has lived in Kolkata can truly chuckle along with, as it records all the nuances of the city with its ubiquitous icons from egg rolls to Sutanati.
Sentiments and the city
Anupam Roy’s modern lyrical style has been capturing hearts since the beginning of his songwriting career. In the 2016 movie Praktan, Roy’s song Kolkata (Tumio hete dekho Kolkata) is set to the scene of tour guide Prasenjit Chatterjee taking a group on a walk around the city that he calls “the city of passion.”
The number makes a fitting score for the sentiment and talks of the city like it would mean to young lovers — the balmy air of lazy afternoons, pockets of literary history that can be discovered together and walks that go on forever. In fact, this Shreya Ghoshal-Anupam Roy number is probably an exact depiction of how couples still spend time in this city.
The soul of the ‘shohor’
Written by Srijato, composed by Joy Sarkar and sung by Shreya Ghoshal, this song is from the 2020 movie Uraan. O Kolkata does not speak of the city itself, but is an ode to it nonetheless. It captures, in many ways, the little things an everyday existence in the city might bring and imparts a feeling of oneness with the city.