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The monkey cap: Bengal’s top ‘tupi’

The inception, journey, and laughs associated with our beloved winter headwear

Pooja Mitra Published 15.01.23, 06:53 PM
The monkey cap – still cool? Or too old school?

The monkey cap – still cool? Or too old school? TT archives

The monkey cap, or tupi, in Bengali households, is a generational inheritance — usually found stashed inside an old trunk with other winter wear, blankets and kanthas for the majority of the year. Nostalgia-laden and smelling of evaporated naphthalene balls, these woollen wonders still have a place in Bengali hearts (and heads). There are, of course, many more fashion-forward headgear available nowadays, but nothing comes close to matching the monkey cap in ‘Bangaliyana’.

Read on as we follow the monkey tupi’s journey from a soldier’s headgear to cinema and Twitter trope…

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Where it all began

Also known as dadur tupi, what we call monkey caps in our part of the world is a derivative of the ​​balaclava. Similar to ski masks, too, a version of it dates back to the 19th century and the Crimean War, when headgear like it were popular among Polish and Prussian soldiers. In fact, the name ‘balaclava’ is derived from the Battle of Balaclava, in which these caps were extensively used by British soldiers.

The monkey cap is also known as ‘dadur tupi’

The monkey cap is also known as ‘dadur tupi’ TT archives

The Bengali and the monkey tupi

Despite our grandparents arguing that winters were much colder during their time, Kolkata and south West Bengal do not have freezing temperatures, like in north India. But central and north Bengal certainly have cold mornings and colder winters – making the need for a cap that covers the ears and throat more necessary. And somewhere down the line, the monkey cap became a one-stop solution for Bangalis and all our shordi-kashi problems.

Monkey caps in popular culture

Prosenjit Chatterjee and Dharmendra wearing monkey caps in ‘Hanuman.com’ and ‘Chupke Chupke’, respectively

Prosenjit Chatterjee and Dharmendra wearing monkey caps in ‘Hanuman.com’ and ‘Chupke Chupke’, respectively

From Dharam paaji in Chupke Chupke disguised as a chowkidar sporting a monkey cap to Bumba da wearing a hanuman tupi in Hanuman.com — 1975 or 2013, even megastars have taken resort to monkey caps while enacting timeless characters. Here are some more examples from cinema and the web:

Not warm enough for Big B

Perfect companion for the Bengali sleuth

Anirban Chakrabarti as Ekendra Sen (left) in ‘The Eken’ and as Lalmohan Ganguly in ‘Chhinnamastar Abhishap’

Anirban Chakrabarti as Ekendra Sen (left) in ‘The Eken’ and as Lalmohan Ganguly in ‘Chhinnamastar Abhishap’

Jatayu and his monkey tupi

Santosh Dutta as Lalmohan Ganguly in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Sonar Kella’. What remains constant in Jatayu’s life, other than Feluda and Topshe is the monkey tupi, and the penchant for adventure

Santosh Dutta as Lalmohan Ganguly in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Sonar Kella’. What remains constant in Jatayu’s life, other than Feluda and Topshe is the monkey tupi, and the penchant for adventure

Sawan Dutta’s take on monkey caps

Finally, some food for thought?

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