For a week every year, hair and makeup pro Abhijith Chanda packs away his kit and gets ready to welcome and celebrate Devi Durga with a multitude of people who throng his South Calcutta apartment. Almost a must-do on the Puja itinerary for most of Calcutta's beauty and fashion fraternity, you are guaranteed to meet members from the industry there, engaged in hearty chats over yummy bhog and narkel'r nadu, the latter clearly our favourite as much as a handsome Abhijith in his red jor.
This year, ahead of the Pujas, we tried to recreate the same adda at his home, with designer duo Dev and Nil dressing select invitees, a mix of regulars and new, in their traditional and contemporary designs. We get you an album and snippets from the chat!
Makeup pro Aniruddha Chakladar is family for Abhijith Chanda and has been frequenting his home puja ever since Abhijith decided to continue with the family tradition. “I have been attending Abhijith’s Puja since 2011. I don’t go anywhere else. I always offer anjali here. My mother also loves to attend. It feels like my own puja,” he says, dressed in a traditional red kurta and white dhoti with threadwork. “I love wearing dhoti and kurta and the second dhoti (see cover) is excellent,” he smiles. This shoot is probably the only time that Abhijith gets to dress up for the Pujas. Dev and Nil chose an all-white regal look for the man of the house, complete with tissue applique and embroidery.
The next-generation makeup pros, Prasenjit Biswas (left) and Abhijit Paul (centre) are joined by St. Xavier’s College mass communication student Raag Vansh Bhimani. While Abhijit is in a Dev R Nil “signature cutwork” kurta, very minimalist, much like his quiet personality, paired with a dhoti, Prasenjit is in a lime green dhoti and kurta with cutwork. Raag is in a lovely kurta and his dhoti has colourful stripes.
The designers and stylists for the shoot, Dev and Nil, are in classic Puja shades of red and white. “This is something that I would wear. I don’t like experimenting with too many colours and embroidery. I prefer cotton,” says Dev. He chooses a linen kurta with subtle cutwork with a Phulia weave dhoti with ikat patterns worn mundu style. Nil gets into an all-red look with an angarkhastyle kurta with ombre threadwork and a dhoti. “I have lost count of the years I have been attending this Puja. Navami is the main day. You meet a lot of the industry peers here. It is a meeting point. It is also a trend-spotting stop when it comes to blouses!” laughs Dev.
(From left) Nil and Abhijith rock colourful and trendy dhotikurta sets. “Our mothers love coming here,” says Nil. Abhijith ultimately loves his look. “I was not confident whether I’d be able to pull off the second look, but I am very happy now that I have worn it,” smiles Abhijith.
Abhijith gives t2 a glimpse of his new thakur ghor. “Earlier the space was too constricted. This time, there will be more room for the visitors. I enjoy everything about the Puja. I prepare through the year. The preparation is important. Durga Puja is exhaustive... I sleep on the floor, don’t eat outside food and don’t wear stitched clothes,” he says.
Dev and Abhijit Paul complement each other in cool shades. “I love the dhoti-kurta look and I want to try something like the coord set,” he smiles. His only complaint? “Aamader keu make-up koreni,” he laughs. This will be his first time at Abhijith’s puja. “The vibe is very homely and the environment is nice. I usually spend time with my family, but this time I am planning to visit a couple of home Pujas,” he says.
(From left) While Prasenjit rocks a funky dhoti-kurta set, Raag is in cool coords. “A coord set can also get into a traditional space. We have played around with geometry and florals,” says Dev. Prasenjit has been to Abhijith’s puja twice. “I am someone who doesn’t like stepping out much. So, when I come here, it feels like I am at home. Pujo’r adda should be uninhibited where you can be yourself,” he smiles. He’s always been a dhoti lover. “My father has always worn dhotis and it was my childhood dream to wear a dhoti. It has its own charm. Puja is the time I get to wear a dhoti. Today I wore something which was traditional but with a modern twist. I prefer white, beige and off-white and don’t wear black at all, but I like this black dhoti a lot. This is more me and it is fashionable and looks very rich,” he adds. His biggest takeaway? The bonding. Raag has been to Abhjiith’s puja as a kid and is looking forward to this year to attend it once again. Though he “only wears black”, he likes the “little more plain colours” that Dev and Nil have chosen for him.
For the Puja feel in its entirety, Abhijith treated us to bhog. “I don’t know much about the rituals and he is my guru and he has taught me a lot of things. During the initial days, I remember being reprimanded by him because I would always do the wrong thing. There have been the learnings and now when I arrange a puja, I do everything on my own except the puja. Even though I was ignorant, he always made me do things. I still light the lamps for Sandhi Puja and help in arranging for the Kumari Puja,” says Aniruddha, in between polishing off the bhog.