Right at the heart of Mumbai, at Lalbaug lies the Bharatmata Cinema Hall. For students studying the School of Media and Cultural Studies, TISS, Mumbai, this iconic cinema hall holds a special place as it was the subject of one of their most creative and successful student documentaries. The area Lalbaug, for a century, was the hub of the Mumbai’s textile industry. The area is dominated by Maharashtrians, who first worked in the Girangaon, the Marathi term for the mill district of south-central Mumbai. Today, the shape of Girangoan or Lalbaug is a bit different, in fact very different. The mills are gone, roads have widened. But one building at still stands tall, or rather still stands is the Bharatmata Cinema Hall. Bharatmata Cinema Hall (Photo: Amlan Das) History amidst modernity. The moment you enter the premise, it feels that you have stepped into a different era all together. The hall still holds the vibes of a bygone era, and era when Lalbaug was still flocke...

It’s been a month here in Bombay now. Sea and nightlife, what else can anyone ask for. The fast pace of the city sinks you so easily into its life that you almost forget that it was just a month back that you were roaming around in the streets of Amar Colony. Back then, I used to crib about how I miss my first home, Kolkata, my para. Here, I am in a dilemma. Do I miss Delhi more or my para, or am I too much in love with the city of dream? The answer wasn’t that simple. When a Mumbaikar asks you where are you from, Delhi is the first place that comes to my lips, though Kolkata still resides in my heart. After eight years in the city, you simply can’t help falling in love in the city. In fact, in a city like Mumbai, when you hear a Delhi lingo, it amplifies your energy level to infinity. Having spent my early days in Kolkata, things were cultured a little differently into us. The cliché goes; we are not as loud and rowdy as North Indians are. But when in Delhi, act like a Delhi’ite....

A chaotic life deserves a peaceful weekend. Beaches have always been sign of peace for me, so has been the sea. The sound of the sea waves hitting the shore and the shrill wind brings calmness into you, which possibly cannot be defined in any language. Mumbai is hectic, at least my college is. After 8 hours of classes and insane number of readings, sometimes you just wish to escape into some place where you can at least hear yourself. The fascination towards sea further exaggerates your desire to look for the inner peace, which is important for you remain sane. But in the cosmopolitan Bombay, do you have any place where you can find peace and the sea together? I am new here. I had no idea, until this friend of mine informed me about Aksa Beach. A small and calm beach some 14 kms from Malad. And there I was exploring life, on this calm beach. The following Photo Story narrates the tale of life.     Peace and the beach When you are kid, you are just car...

Of the millions things which is overdue, I resume this space from a new place, Mumbai. For sixteen years I complained about rains in Assam and the next five years about the heat in Delhi. And now, vivacious cycle, what the life is, and here I am complaining about rain again.  I rains like anything here, and if someone from Guwahati is saying, believe me, the gravity is intense. What kept me away from this space was the culmination of my undergraduate college life. College life is a very funny one. The first year you try to grasp what is happening around, the second year you finally start hanging on to things and as you finally settle by the third, it’s over. It was just yesterday that I joined in a nervous undergraduate fresher, and today here I am writing after having attended the first two days of Masters Programme. The final semester was hectic as well as difficult. As in, all throughout you study at least to pass, while now you study because you have to pass. And diff...