Kolkata: In a probable first, the number of Durga Pujas with women theme artists has touched double digits in the city this time. Fourteen big community pujas have engaged women as their principal theme artists, playing lead roles — from ideating themes and idol-making to overall pandal execution.
Aditi Chakraborty is a veteran in the field. This year, she is the theme artist for two big-budget pujas: Bakul Bagan Sarbajonin Durgotsab in south Kolkata and Dumdum Park Bharat Chakra in the north.She is working on ‘Mashan’, themed around an extinct tribal ritual of the Rajbanshis, for Bakul Bagan, while Jamdani, projecting the woven embroidery art of Bengal, is her theme at Dum Dum, titled ‘Uddyan’.
Chakraborty has also designed the idols for both pujas. “The central themes highlight the diverse rituals and culture of Bengal,” she said.
Suchana Samanta, another woman theme-maker, is working for Hazra Udayan Sangha’s puja, based on the “Abarito (open to all)”. She has not taken on more than one puja this year because she is seven months pregnant, she said. The work is themed around embroidery art, with help from five artisans, all women.
Upasona Chatterjee and her team are in charge at the Pathuria Ghata Pancher Palli puja. “Selecting a woman artist to shape up our idol is a constant endeavour of ours, with the aim of empowering women,” said local councillor Ellora Saha, the puja’s president.
Piyali Sadhukhan is working on two big-budget puja themes: Bosepukur Talbagan in the south, with the theme Tagore’s “Raktakarabi”; and Chaltabagan Sarbojanin in the north, where the theme is “Antarlok (finding one’s inner self)”. Apart from that, she is also the idol-maker for Kankurgachi Jubak Brinda. At the Bosepukur puja, there are 10 life-sized statues of Nandini, all veiled, except for the central figure. “The central character of the play ‘Nandini’ is projected here as Durga, who is the only unveiled figure here,” Sadhukhan said. For the Chaltabagan puja, she has put up big mirrors in such a way as to create a “tunnel effect”. She is working with Saumik Chakraborty, her husband.
Like Piyali, Tapashi Mukherjee is also working in tandem with her husband, Sandip, for four leading pujas. At Rammohan Sammilani, the theme is women self-help groups, while in Railpukur United Club, the theme is “Chakravyuham (the trap women often face)”. “At the Nawpara Dadabhai Sangha, we worked on the themes ‘Roots’, Baul tatvas or elements and in Barisha Players Corner, it is a complete presentation of the evolution of alpana,” Mukherjee said.
Sumie Majumdar and her husband, Shubhodip, have worked as theme artists for three mid-budget pujas: Thakurpukur Club, Taltala Sarbojonin and Santoshpur Avenue South. Behala-based artist Priyanka Jana has partnered with artist Tamal Sengupta for the Amherst Row Sarbojanin Durgotsav on the theme of extinct playing cards of the 16th century.
