I was married into a “Bonedi” Bengali family with regal antecedents. Though we lived in South Calcutta, having come away from the North during the Naxalite movement, most of our relatives still lived there in aristocratic large grandiose homes, the opulence, music, laughter and gaiety of yesterday echoed as the occupants spoke of “those days” with great nostalgia and wistfulness.

Unused to seeing life in these glorious mansions I was enamoured with the shared history of famous lineage, contributing to social development, trade, professions and maybe  fighting for the freedom struggle. These homes crumbled, under the weight of lost opportunities, depleted wealth due to  ostentatious life styles, with the end of Zamindari the rents too disappeared. The Italian marble floors which glistened once,  still have some sheen despite layers of grime and dust. An army of household help to clean is an impossible dream. The chandeliers of Venetian glass hang forlornly in large halls. The beautiful canvases are translucent with years of neglect. Marble statues lurk in corners. These vintage memorabilia have been also arbitrarily sold to meet rising expenses of basic needs.

The buildings made with “Surki” and lime have sturdy one foot walls, never needing air-conditioning but the walls are damp , attract termites, the archaic plumbing desperately needing an overhaul. The high ceilings need a bigger more expensive air-conditioner. The beautiful teakwood furniture has no option for hanging suits and dresses. They stored folded sarees, dhotis, kurtas with elan.

The sheer impracticality of a beautiful courtyard with running verandahs leading to rooms with shared bathrooms  is not conducive to a modern lifestyle. These are owned by expanding families and greater number of stakeholders who are obviously reluctant to concede their share to relatives as it may be the only valuable possession they own. Having lost most of their livelihood they are obviously reluctant to let go. With no business instincts in their DNA, my husband’s relatives floundered and were prey to unscrupulous investors.

Conservation, reuse is a laudable initiative. However  the expense to rid of damp, repair the plumbing, and a general overhaul of these beautiful structures needs large budgets. There is an increasing outcry to not destroy a rich past and legacy.  I empathise with these owners as they are almost literally stuck in a cul-de-sac looking for some light to better their lives, give their children a better life. With rising expenses how can they conserve, reuse or even restore? A difficult choice indeed!

Old homes have character. Verandas, roake, open windows. A neighbourhood bustles and converses. With time to stare, soak in and move at a leisurely pace.

Women in the inside quarters rule the roost with an extended family. The men gather, gossip, loiter outside and occasionally work.

Time stood still as those golden years were recreated. The windows, the upstairs windows used with panache. Tagore, Manto generously dipped into lives and painted delicious vignettes with a very deft script by A Fatehpuria. Padatik players were brilliant.

Mudar Patherya found this seductive house kept so by the owners.

Times change, society changes. Seasons come and go. Trees flower. Unfailingly. Life goes on. Middle class values just shape shift into time zones. The premise of the act – why the rush, what is the hurry when nature is still unfailing in its cycle seemed to reverberate from the walls of this 94 year old edifice.

Happiness, voyeurism, celebration, pain remain the same. Some people emerge more powerful. A model for eternity. Mrin of Stree patra. She dared to live on her own terms. Essayed by Jaya Seal Ghosh. Brilliance!

Many tangled emotions linger after viewing magic

We came out and found an old woman wearing a sequined pink saree sitting in the dark. Reliving a grandiose past perhaps which exists no more. Waiting!

The show must go on!

Somehow this played on for me.

कहता है जोकर सारा ज़माना

आधी हक़ीकत आधा फ़साना

चश्मा उतारो फिर यारों

देखो दुनिया नयी है चेहरा पुराना

Such an initiative is a very important change as we are showcasing the way in which these old mansions can be reused keeping the character and façade. It provides an opportunity for the owners to earn some money to restore and keep these traditional spaces. The idea being to create an interactive dialogue with the space. The stories challenged the concept of progress and questioned if there are pretences behind the facade of being modern and progressive,  a celebration of values of reinvention and preservation .