Puja being organised on Nandan premises
The staff members of Nandan, which was officially inaugurated on Sept 2, 1985, by Satyajit Ray , organised the Puja on the premises after the Left Front govt went out of power in 2011. “However, for reasons unknown to us, the puja was stopped from 2016. The tradition of celebrating this Puja at Cinema Centenary Building began in 2017.
Therefore, we felt that reviving the tradition of Vishwakarma Puja would be a meaningful way to express our respect and gratitude for the tools, machinery and technology through which we render our services,” said Dash.
This year, the staff under the guidance of the Nandan CEO, decided to revive the tradition,” said a Nandan source. This year, the idol was placed in front of the space reserved for iconic Mitchel cameras and the mixers, including those used by Satyajit Ray and Subrata Mitra during the making of ‘Pather Panchali. ’ Tollygunje MLA Papiya Adhikari , who was also present at the Radha Studio Puja, said, “Films involve working with camera, editing and mixing. Rabindranath Dash, maintenance engineer-cum-chief manager (lab) at the West Bengal Film Archive (Radha Studio) and West Bengal Film Development Corporation Ltd, told TOI that all arrangements were made last year for organising the puja. “But we were unable to do so since we were verbally instructed by the higher authority not to hold the celebration,” Dash said.
Kolkata: Vishwakarma Puja has returned to two major govt film hubs in Kolkata. After a nine-year hiatus, the puja was celebrated once again at Nandan. Additionally, Radha Studio housed inside the Cinema Centenary Building resumed hosting the festival following a two-year break. It was held on the first floor. It is only logical for Vishwakarma Puja to be held at a film centre. It is so offensive to bar such a Puja from being held at Nandan and Radha. Staff members emphasized that reviving the puja is not merely the return of an old tradition. “The West Bengal State Film Archive and Radha Studio are equipped with various sophisticated technical systems and equipment.