The terrace of the Glenburn Penthouse offers a panoramic view of Kolkata, a city teeming with stories both grand and obscure. Among the miniature houses and winding toy cars, every lit window hides a tale. Amid countless untold stories, one extraordinary narrative has been resurrected – that of Reba Rakshit, a forgotten circus stuntmaster from mid-20th century Kolkata.
Reba Rakshit was a name all too familiar to the locals of Kolkata; she was oft-remembered for, and associated with, one particular spectacle: having an adult elephant walk over her chest. Yet, history chose to overlook her. This led author Ida Jo Pajunen to take it upon herself to give Reba a voice through her book, Strong Woman Reba Rakshit: The Life and Adventures of a Stuntmaster.
Ida Jo Pajunen speaks to Pratiti Basu Sarkar (centre), chief administrator of CIMA Gallery, along with Rohinton Babaycon, a tea veteran, and his wife Nilufer, a home chef Photos: Amit Datta
The session, hosted by Prabha Khaitan Foundation, Glenburn Penthouse and My Kolkata, commenced with an introductory note by journalist Chandrima Pal. She talked about her own connection to the book, and to Ida – the project, initially, stemmed from their common love for yoga. “This is a remarkable story of a remarkable woman who had a remarkable life, but everything we know about her has been told by the men in her life,” said Pal. “And each person in her life was there for a transactional reason. She never got to tell her own story, and that’s where Ida comes in.” Priyam Marik from My Kolkata led Ida through the journey she undertook to bring this book to life.
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, filmmaker, and Pallavi Roy, associate professor at SOAS University of London, meet the author who is also an alumnus of SOAS
(Left) Bertram da Silva, vice-principal, arts and science, St Xavier's College, flips through the story of the indomitable stuntmaster Reba Rakshit; (right) journalist Chandrima Pal, who had helped the writer with research on Reba Rakshit, chats with Ida’s partner, Scott Lamps, over a cup of tea
(Left) A glimpse of the late-afternoon spread at Glenburn Penthouse ahead of the session; (eight) Elizabeth Decker, director, Chaitown Community, with graphic designer Urvashi Suraiya
Ida, a writer, musician, artist and yoga expert, found herself in north Kolkata amid research into the ancient practices and gendered stereotypes of yoga. It was a journey that eventually led her to Reba Rakshit. “I think at the simplest level, Reba achieved these incredible feats of strength,” said Ida, while speaking of the title of her book, Strong Woman. “This is what she was most known for. But then she also faced so many difficulties, tensions and conflicts, because this was the 1940s and 1950s. Reba is in a leotard costume, yet she’s the star of the circus.”
How big was Reba back in her day, and why did history suddenly forget about her? “I first started feeling like her story was as big as it is when I was doing research,” said Ida. “Hers is not a name most people would say to you. But if you ask them about her, they’d immediately remember. And then you start to see that the name is very much alive in their recollections, but it’s not alive in recorded history. Reba was wooed by celebrities and royalty. She was making, at that time, a lot of money. There are stories of her wanting to quit, but the circus company would tell her that she couldn’t quit because no one would come to the circus if she was not there! And that was what was so stunning.”
Filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury clicks friends Rupnath Roy Chowdhury, industrialist, and wife Jita at the Glenburn Penthouse infinity swimming pool
“The start of this project was prompted exactly by that question: why is nothing written about her now?” said Ida. “She was very much appreciated for her entertainment value, but not necessarily appreciated as a figure that should be recorded in history.”
(Left) Subhajit Banerjee, head of digital communications at UK Home Office, (Right) Indrani Mukerjee, film producer
As the conversation proceeded, more details about Reba’s life and personality emerged. She was an inspiration to all around her, especially younger children. Ida talked about an anecdote that Chandrima Pal’s aunt told her: “The sort of legend of her stunts was so inspiring to people, including little girls, that they would then start to pile pillows upon pillows, as many as they could, higher and higher and higher, so that the pillows could act like an elephant!”
(L-R) Cathy Tongper, Manisha Jain and Sanchita Halder from the Prabha Khaitan Foundation
A significant part of the conversation also focused on Bishnu Charan Ghosh, a name well-known in the performing industry. He was Reba’s guru, and Ida attributes a lot of her success to her complete faith in him. “He had this reputation,” said Ida, of Ghosh, “of being able to spot and develop talent, and to really take someone from the street to the centre of the stage. Because of this history, or this context of faith and trust in the Guru, these relationships were built.” Another testament to the stuntwoman’s success surfaced when Ida and Chandrima visited the well-known Paramount Cold Drinks and Syrups shop on College Street. As they spoke of their excitement upon spotting Reba Rakshit’s name alongside that of Bishnu Charan Ghosh on a list of distinguished personalities who had frequented the establishment, the two women high-fived each other – a moment symbolic of the fruition of their efforts.
Ida Jo Pajunen signs a copy of her book, flanked by educationist Bratati Bhattacharyya, and Bishan Samaddar, editor at Seagull Books
Steered by Priyam, the discussion about Reba’s craft touched upon many other facets of her life: her family, her struggles, and, significantly, her relationship with her adoring audience. The evening wound to a close with a Q&A session with the attendees at Glenburn, and concluded with Ida signing copies of her book for her audience.
