New Bengali literary meet to begin this weekend

On April 19, when parts of West Bengal will go to the polls, Kolkata will play host to the inaugural edition of an event that intends to give a formal touch to the city’s favourite pastime: the adda. Billed as a Bengali literary meet, the three-day event, called Baithak Khana, is being organised by the Kolkata Centre for Creativity and will see participation by a number of cultural icons, including writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, artist Jogen Choudhury, and theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty. This year’s theme will be the Bengali middle class, especially its depiction in Bengali literature and popular media. Bengali literature has often been about the Bengali middle class, probably because art has mainly been created and consumed by this class only. One exceptional quality of the Bengali middle class is that it does not shy away from this unmasking, instead, it eagerly leans forward to have a good look at the caustic juices and defective organs.” According to KCC chairperson Richa Agarwal, the event was planned in advance and it is only coincidental that it’s kicking off on a day the first phase of the General Election is taking place.