With a
name that sounds like a local train, Chitpur Local is an event, or rather a
collection of events aimed at reviving Calcutta’s Chitpur area, which was once
known for its association with “Jatra”, the popular Bengali folk theatre form.
Two photowalks were part of Chitpur Local and I decided to join in. Chitpur
gets its name from the temple of Chitteshwari, and Chitpur Road (now Rabindra
Sarani) is one of the oldest roads of Calcutta. Old roads = old architecture, I
thought, and hence decided to join in. But the theme, I was told wasn’t flat
architecture, this was more in the nature of street photography, and the best
photographs would be used to create picture postcards of Chitpur. I decided to
do what the pros do, shoot with a “prime” lens. A prime lens is a lens with a
fixed focal length, no zooming. I chose the only prime in my arsenal, the Canon
EF 40mm f/2.8 STM, and turned up at Lal Bazar Police Headquarters, on the
corner of Chitpur Road and Lal Bazar Street.
