There’s nothing quite like sibling camaraderie. Be it teasing each other, or a rivalry that often decides who’s going to get the bigger share, it only helps the bond grow. To have a sibling, where one motivates the other to be better, do better and grow better, is to have the safest space in life where maturing is mutual and steady, without any catalyst. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, My Kolkata lists a few such sibling duos from Kolkata who have shown what it’s like to grow and excel in life together, hand in hand.
Snehasish and Sourav Ganguly
A duo that would change the face of cricket in Bengal and eventually the country, Snehasish and Sourav made sure to own the 22 yards and make it a familial thing. Snehasish started playing cricket first and represented Bengal. Sourav, initially interested in football, drifted to the sport, but became one of the finest captains of Indian cricket – leading the country to unprecedented glory and recognition. Sourav retired as the one of the highest run-getters in international cricket and one of the most successful Indian skippers, while Snehasish retired from the sport to helm successful businesses. Sourav would go on to become the BCCI president from 2019-2022, while Snehasish continues to serve as the president of CAB.
Gaurav and Arjun Chakrabarty
Sons of Tollywood veterans Sabyasachi and Mithu Chakrabarty, Gaurav and Arjun’s tryst with fame came with the TV show Gaaner Opare, which ran between 2010 and 2011, and gained a cult following among viewers. The brothers found critical favour and were soon launched on the big screen. Cut to 2023, Gaurav and Arjun stand to be two of the most prominent actors in the industry, with numerous commercial and critical successes under their belts.
Dola and Rahul Banerjee
Two prominent archers, the duo has represented India at the Olympic level. Dola started her career in the ’90s and became a regular at national level. She represented India at the 2004 Athens Olympics, while Rahul followed it up by wearing the Indian colours at the 2008 Beijing Games. Both of them have numerous accolades to their names. Dola has an individual World Cup gold medal at the Recurve event in 2007, a gold and a bronze in the Team Recurve and Individual Recurve at 2010 Commonwealth Games and a bronze at Team Recurve in the 2010 Asian Games. Rahul boasts of an individual Recurve gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was also a part of the 2010 Asian Games bronze medal-winning team.
Antara and Ankita Nandy
The viral singing sensations, the Nandy Sisters, have been the talk of Insta town for a while now. With around two million followers collectively, the sisters have a beautiful camaraderie that is reflected every time they take to the ukulele and appear on the videos with a perfect smile, singing in over 25 languages. Antara, the older of the two, recently had her big break working for A.R. Rahman on Mani Ratnam’s PS 1 and PS 2. The duo has also collaborated and worked for Salim-Sulaiman, Udit Narayan and more. Recently, they have also worked with Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy for the upcoming thriller Raktabeej.
Suman and Sujan Mukhopadhyay
If there’s a duo who knows the stage like the palms of their hands, it’s Suman and Sujan. Following the path of their father, Arun Mukherjee, a National Award-winning actor, the brothers started their journey on the stage with the popular theatre group Chetana. Suman began his journey on screen with his National Award-winning directorial debut, Herbert, and followed it up with critically acclaimed film inspired and adapted from Nabarun Bhattacharya’s works. Sujan, a popular face on the screen, also has a long list of films to his name, while being an active thespian. The duo has produced a spate of critically acclaimed plays by Tagore, Brecht, Debesh Roy, Chekov and Klaus Mann.
Raima and Riya Sen
Born to Tollywood royalty, the sisters have always been the city’s favourites. Raima’s debut came with Vinay Shukla’s Godmother, but her big break arrived with Rituparno Ghosh’s Chokher Bali in 2003. Over the next decade, Raima’s performances in films like Antarmahal, Parineeta, Manorama Six Feet Under, Bong Connection, Baishe Srabon and more have been thoroughly praised and acclaimed. Riya’s first notable work was in Bharatiraja’s Tamil film, Taj Mahal, which also had Mani Ratnam and A.R. Rahman on board. Her next big project was Sujoy Ghose’s Jhankaar Beats. Her performance in Noukadubi, alongside her sister, won her much acclaim.
Shiladitya and Debaditya Chaudhary
Owners of Oudh 1590, Chapter 2 and Chowman, these brothers have sweetened Kolkata’s love for Awadhi, Chinese and Continental cuisines, while making a mark on the national F&B landscape. With outlets spread across the country, the brothers have turned their passion to profession. Shiladitya also owns a PR firm and is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer, while Debaditya and Chowman were recently featured on Disney+Hotstar’s docu-series Brands of Tomorrow. Both brothers are also musically invested — Debaditya is a founding member of one of the city’s most popular rock bands Lakkhichara, and Shiladitya has been music director and producer on numerous albums and films with musicians like Amit Kumar, Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu and others.
Indrani and Srabani Sen
Born to singer Sumitra Sen, sisters Indrani and Srabani Sen have been household names when it comes to Bengali music. Indrani, who was trained by Rabindrasangeet exponent, the late Debabrata Biswas, as well as Purabi Dutta, and Srabani, who received the tutelage of their mother, emerged as two of the most recognisable voices in the Bengali music industry over the last three decades. Both of them have worked on an impressive list of albums and numerous films, winning awards and acclaim.
