Visitors to turn pages of history at Sabarna Sangrahasala

Kolkata: Few people know that famous comedian Bhanu Bandyopadhyay had joined the Indian freedom movement and was a favourite student of Satyen Bose.

He was Bose's student at Dacca University and used to visit his mentor's North Kolkata residence frequently. Bandyopadhyay had Economics, History and Physics as his subjects at the undergraduate level, while he had Economics at the post-graduate level. He was one of the few artistes in Bollywood with a post-graduate degree.

The spectacles and clothes used by Bandyopadhyay, whose birth centenary falls in 2020, along with other items he used, including his passport, will be exhibited at the 13th edition of Sabarna Sangrahasala at Barisha from February 4 to 7.

The exhibition will be organised by Sabarna Roychowdhury Paribar Parishad. The Roychowdhurys were the original zamindars of Kolkata and they gave patta of three villages to Sir Charles Eyre, the son-in-law of Job Charnock in 1698, four years after Charnock's death. The deed was signed between the descendents of the Roychowdhurys and Sir Charles Eyre at the famous Atchala in Barisha.

There will be a section on Satya Chowdhury, the famous Bengali composer whose centenary will be celebrated soon.

A 1,500 square feet wall will be erected where the history of Kolkata will be put up, along with several photographs.

A day will be dedicated to composer and lyricist Pranab Roy. Boxes where ornaments were kept in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, will be exhibited. Cigarette and lighter cases were signs of aristocracy in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and some beautiful examples will be exhibited.

There will be a section dedicated to Terracotta art of Bengal. There will be photographs and some samples. The section has been titled Potpourri. The international theme is Thailand. The influence of India in Thailand will be depicted through pictures. Emperor Asoka had sent an emissary to Thailand to preach Buddhism. Tourism of Thailand will be highlighted at the exhibition.

The exhibition is expected to pull huge crowds, particularly those of students. There will be a section of unpublished letters of Tagore, Nazrul, Dr BC Roy, Pramathanath Bishi and Premendra Mitra to the Roychowdhurys.