The story of a city is often the culmination of a number of smaller stories of its people. One such story of Kolkata is that of Sienna Cafe and Store. Another, much older story of Kolkata, is of the Kuljian Corporation in India (later, Development Consultants) — the first engineering consulting firm in India, which was set up in the Calcutta of the 1950s. Both of these tales had one person in common — an elegant woman who was the pillar that held up and quietly supported those building these legacies. Bharati Dutt was wife to engineer-entrepreneur Sadhan Dutt, mother to architect and businesswoman Shanta Ghosh and a doting grandmother to foodpreneur Shuli (Sulagna) Ghosh.
If you have lived in Kolkata for a few generations, chances are the name Bharati Dutt is familiar to you, your parents or grandparents. A philanthropist, a businesswoman, an excellent hostess, the first principal of The Future Foundation School’s Arun Nursery School — she was known for her many roles. She also lived a rather extraordinary life.
Born in 1928, Dutt saw many epochs of India and Bengal. She travelled away from home to the US at a young age and adapted to a different culture. On her return to Kolkata, she became the person that ran things seamlessly behind the scenes, as her husband built his business. Along with being one of the city’s most prominent philanthropists, she was the biggest champion of what is today Sienna.
A year after her passing, My Kolkata spoke to her daughter and granddaughter to get a glimpse into the life of Bharati Dutt.
Principles and heart
Bharati grew up surrounded by uncles and aunts in a large joint family and Shanta Ghosh remembers her mother telling stories about how there would be about 54 people eating at the house, including family members and staff. (Above) a 20-year-old Bharati Dutt in the US, soon after her marriage
Born into a business family, Bharati (Jolly) Dutt nee Basu’s life was marked by change, and what sailed her through was her mindset and principles. The family owned Basusree, a popular cinema hall back in the day, along with other cinema halls, restaurants and the venue for numerous gatherings and important events, including the screening of Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali.
Bharati saw India change as it went through the Freedom Struggle and grew up with the everyday realities of it. “From inside the shutters of the window in their Bhowanipore house, she saw the communal violence of the Partition,” recalled daughter Shanta. “The family hid and sheltered their Muslim employees during the violence. She was the only one in her family who gave up wearing and using anything British-made and even got teased for it. Yet, she refused to buy fancy clothes from shops during Durga Puja.”
The story that stands out for granddaughter Shuli was when Bharati, accompanied by one of her older cousin brothers, attended a lecture by Subhas Chandra Bose. At the end of the lecture, there was an appeal for funds and she donated her gold bangles, since that was the only thing she had on her, despite her cousin’s warning that kakima (Bharati’s mother) would be annoyed. “That highlighted how feisty she was, and that she really knew her mind,” said Shuli.
In Massachusetts, in the 1950s, a photo of newlyweds Bharati and Sadhan Dutt, taken by a neighbour’s friend, a local newspaper photographer who wanted to write an article on the couple since the town’s residents had never met anyone from India and only knew about Gandhi
Sticking to her beliefs, and following her mind and heart guided Bharati’s life. When Shanta was in Class V, Bharati enrolled in college again. “She had this immense urge to finish her education,” remembered Shanta. “She enrolled in Women’s Christian College and finished her undergraduate studies, and then enrolled at Jadavpur University for her Master’s.” For Shuli, her grandmother’s urge to learn, to improve and to always do better by expanding her horizons is one of the many things she remembers her for.
Change and resilience
Bharati Dutt identified with Ashima from ‘The Namesake’ — a woman who didn’t know the language or her husband very well, but together they discovered a new place and learned the big and small things (Above) the couple exploring their neighbourhood in Pennsylvania, 1949
Bharati was studying in Asutosh College in 1949, when she married a young engineer, Sadhan Dutt, who soon moved to the US for work. As with arranged marriages of that time, the courtship was brief. “She only saw the back of him!” said Shanta. “But she would say that he was a gentle and kind person, who never said no and didn’t impose anything on her. And he was a doer.”
Bharati’s own journey from Kolkata to Philadelphia and back to Kolkata was marked by big and small changes, cultural differences, and many surprises.
One surprise for the young Bengali bride was the food. Today, every American neighbourhood has an Indian or Asian store where you can buy familiar supplies, unlike in the US of the ’50s. “They found an Italian market in Philadelphia where they could buy lentils and spices like cumin, coriander and red chilli flakes. It still exists,” said Shanta. A young Bharati learned to cook and joined YWCA classes to learn how to bake. She took spoken English classes to learn to communicate in English
Bharati with Sadhan and one of his colleagues
Later, the couple moved to Kolkata, and regularly visited the US as Sadhan Dutt set up the Kuljian Corporation of India, which later became Development Consultants or DCL. Life changed again for the young wife and mother. As DCL grew, she not only supported and took on all responsibilities of the home and family, but also emerged as a great hostess. “My father didn’t have to worry about things like the wellbeing of family and guests, because she handled it all.”
“We used to call her the hostess with the mostest,” said Shuli. “She was at the centre of everything — she would be cooking or overseeing it, she would bring out the dishes, she’d also be conversing with everyone. She was the heart of it all. And, the thing is that you could see she loved it. It wasn’t stressful for her.”
While the cultural etiquette might have been a change to adapt to, Shanta and Shuli reckon that caring for people came naturally to the family matriarch, who always believed in community and sacrifice. Her community had family, friends, and the many others she cared for and helped.
Community and sacrifice
In the US: Bharati showing off her perfectly round ‘luchis’ at a cook-out with other Indian residents
Dinner parties and guests staying over were a regular feature in the Dutt household. “My uncle and aunt, who lived in Shillong, would spend every winter with us and my mother took care of them and my grandparents, all with a smile. I think because she grew up in a large family, the idea of sharing space and hosting people came naturally to her. Keeping the harmony and happiness in the house was very important for her,” said Shanta. When her grandchildren were born, she went back and forth between India and the US to help her daughters.
Even when living in the US in the early days, she would cook for other Indians who craved home cooked food. “She didn’t have all the spices, so she said she would add a lot of butter to everything, since there was no ghee as well,” recalled Shanta, laughing.
An active part of her children’s lives, when her daughter, Shanta, grew up and got busy with work, Bharati became a doting companion for her grandchildren as well
Making progress together also translated into building a community through philanthropic work. Whether it was helping the extended family with things like tuition fees or larger community outreach programmes like setting up a nursery school or being an active part of Sri Aurobindo Seva Kendra hospital. “Education was a big thing for her. She would help out in her own way because she wanted people to be able to complete their education, be self-sufficient and stand on their own feet. My parents also set up a trust in my father’s parents name and she would regularly make donations. She did these things within her own budget,” said Shanta, adding that she remembers her mother writing cheques for hospital admissions and education. It was after Bharati’s passing that the family fully realised how many lives she’d touched as people would meet them worried about the loss of support she provided. That is one of her legacies that the family is continuing.
Shuli and Shanta Ghosh with Bharati Dutt beside a portrait of Sadhan Dutt
Shuli remembers her grandmother telling her that a single person’s achievement was never enough; good things should involve the community. “She did all of it silently and she would always tell us to do the same. In a sense, Rewant (Shuli’s husband) was her last child, and she told him that ‘the only way you can do well with Sienna or any business is if you give back to the community, otherwise it is never good’,” said Shuli.
Indulgence and balance
Everyone who knew Bharati Dutt, would always use the Bengali word shoukheen to describe her. “Yes, that’s true!” said Shanta. “It wasn’t flashy, I think, but everything she did was very well put together.” While her mother was always dressed perfectly with coordinated outfits, it was never about acquiring material things, believes Shanta. Perhaps it was a mark of the time she lived in, but restraint was a vital part of Bharati’s life. “Even today, I know to turn off lights when leaving the room because she taught me. Don’t take more than you can eat, think before buying something — things like that. She was extremely organised and knew how not to be extravagant, but also not stingy — she knew the balance.”
One of Bharati’s indulgences were sweets, and the other was cricket. A fan of Sourav Ganguly, she jokingly called him her best friend and would cheer the loudest for India during matches
Bharati’s indulgences were simple — a game of cards with her siblings, sweets and cricket, and sometimes jewellery.
“One of her indulgences was making new pieces of jewellery from her old ones. She had a special relationship with her jewellers,” laughed Shuli. “She also loved chocolate and mishti. I think, later, when she had issues with her health, we’d tell her not to have too many sweets, but she’d sneakily eat a chocolate or two — a Ferrero Rocher box in the corner of a cabinet would slowly start depleting.” An adda over tash — a loud one with laughter and conversation — was one of Bharati’s favourite things. Evenings were spent with each of them occupying a side of the four-poster bed, playing cards and chatting.
“And she was obsessed with cricket and football,” said Shuli. “In fact, she was very disappointed that none of us were interested in sports. Cricket matches were an elaborate affair and she’d rally everyone in the house and then treat everyone if India won. She cheered loudly and was a proper fan!”
Legacy and lessons
Bharati Dutt at Sienna Cafe
Bharati Dutt was the glue between her extended family, and in many ways, she did that through food. “On special occasions, she would have everyone together and it created memories for us,” said Shanta.
Though she took to it after marriage, Bharati was a very good cook. Everything was planned and meticulous and whatever she made, she did it perfectly. When Shanta and Shuli started the little Sienna cafe in Jodhpur Park, with some recipes from Shuli’s Dida, they would talk about how to present things — a trait Shuli believes was imbibed through her grandmother. Most importantly, Bharati believed in people leaving her home with a smile — another lesson she passed on to family. “‘People should leave satisfied’ was her mantra and when you have a restaurant, that idea is so important. If you speak to anyone at Sienna also, we are happiest and most satisfied when a guest leaves super happy,” said Shuli.
Bharati with her two granddaughters and great-granddaughters, and (right) with her granddaughter Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon
Bharati was one of the biggest champions of Sienna, pushing Shuli and Shanta to go ahead with the business and make mindful decisions. She would call at the end of every day during those early days to ask about accounts and sales. Shuli believes her grandmother had “a great business mind” and one of her most important lessons was being able to mix the old with the new. “She never stopped learning. I think she was a bit more conservative with Ma when she was growing up. But, she was also very open minded, and moved with the times.”
For Shanta, her mother’s biggest teaching was that “you don’t have to do something big to make a difference”. “While my father was building his business, my mother continued doing small things in her own way, which is why the people of Seva Kendra and Arun Nursery still remember her fondly. She said that if all of us did our small part it would ultimately build an ocean. You do what you can but do it consistently, and keep your dignity and principles.”
Bharati Dutt with her daughter, granddaughters, and great-grandchildren. L-R: (Standing) Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon, Shuli Ghosh and her husband Rewant Lokesh, and (sitting) Shanta Ghosh, and Sumana’s daughters Ameli Witherspoon and Isla Witherspoon
If she didn’t grow up and live within a traditional familial setup, Bharati Dutt might have donned many more hats in her life. Her daughter and granddaughters feel the same way, however, looking back at the story of Bharati Dutt, Shuli and Shanta Ghosh see the story of a beautifully lived life, nothing less than extraordinary.