CALCUTTA - Part 2 of 3

Second part of an affectionate 70mins documentary about life in the great West Bengali city of Calcutta - now Kolkata, and once 'the Paris of Asia - as told by a dozen of the people who love to live there. Filmed in 1989 by Peter Middleton. Channel 4 TV. From a VHS tape.

[@Mathuradasji]

So many divese reactions to this documentary. I'm from London but have been visiting Calcutta since 1976 and have seen many changes over the years. It is my favourite city in India and for many others too. Many young Indians are ashamed to see India portrayed like this, warts and all, but I found it to be very touching. The human content is wonderful and honest and depicts an India before computers and mobile phones, but much has not changed even in the 21st Century, but also a lot has changed as well since the making of this documentary.

[@forthepasserby7204]

I agree with you! when one is able to see through the poverty they can see this rich content of life. I have seen a lot of present day travel bloggers show India in a bad light in terms of poverty and the condition of human life. But in this documentary, as that man rightly says you need to have the respect for human life and empathy for their conditions. Privilege is just pure luck. Poor people struggle so much not by their choice. They are simply trying to survive. But i have found that when you go to jopdi, chawl (slums) you notice that everyone knows everyone and are aware of their surroundings. In a rich neighbourhood, neighbours are strangers. It is weird to think that somehow privilege makes us isolated, individualistic and often selfish.

[@nilotpalmahanty]

Seeing the master Satyajit Ray at work. Brilliant

[@talwindersingh3721]

love my city,got a glimpse of the city that I grew up watching after a long time,was like time travelling,thank you uploader.

[@WASILIWA]

Very beautiful film

[@arghamaz]

Proud to be born in the same year 1989...wonderful city...central and north calcutta is cultural heritage

[@dipaksingh7150]

I m from Kolkata.... Morning starts with chai , the statesman/Asian age... breakfast is kachri, lunch rice fish . Evening snacks tea, moghlai roll dinner.. sweets dhoi & light dinner

[@perikaveera4438]

Calcutta: The Mother of Modern India. I'm from Bombay, Marathi speaking, been living in the United States for 25 years and have never been to Calcutta. It has always been my desire although there's a lot of negative things said about this great city. Calcutta can never be Bombay and Bombay can never be Calcutta. Even today, when you look at old pictures or films showing Calcutta, you can almost sense that old world imperial greatness of the city coexisting with the progressive, intellectual yet nationalistic Bengali spirit which gave India it's greatest scientists, poets, artists, economists, freedom fighters and revolutionaries. It gave us Guruji Rabindranath Tagore, Satyendranath Bose, J.C.Bose, Netaji Bose. It gave the world classics like Tagore's Geetanjali, like Pather Panchali (both the book by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee and movie by Satyajit Ray). It was this city that was so representative of the Eastern world besides being the real jewel in the British Crown. What London was to the west Calcutta was to the east. It gave India it's Indianness, it's Indian pride. Today this once greatest of cities may have fallen into decay but so have all great cities and empires eventually. I have no reservations in calling Calcutta the "Mother of Modern India". My annual visits to India (actually, only Bombay) are typically brief, 3 or 4 weeks but soon I will make the time to take a trip to Calcutta and pay my homage to this great city without which India would not be India as we know it today! JACKSON, Mississippi.

[@JyotiB70045]

Thank you so much, wonderful,...

[@mitramoso]

You have covered all levels of life in Calcutta. Very informative and revealing. I know, because I have lived in this complex city, both during British rule and post independence, when I saw it deteriorate year by year. Sad. Thank you for this journey.

[@arghamaz]

Best part is the peace serenity n calmness

[@lalalila8310]

On the other hand, I really should follow this people's example and try to do my best to make the most out of life. Thanks for sharing...watching this type of videos help me change my viewpoint of the world.

[@anthonybatista6693]

Calcutta, a beautiful City inhabited with beautiful People.

[@my4daughter]

i don't know how could ppl sit on top and let a man carry them to place to place with bare foot ??? so many poor people in india...that is sad...

[@NPC-nh9ed]

@Sahasranshu 143 Thank you Sasha , we are conquerors , thank God I'm White !!!

[@Sthmohtwenty]

One day my dream 2 visit this poor city all the way from Guyana

[@dipaksingh7150]

It's not poor but it's ideal for poor because people have 💓 which doesn't exist anymore anywhere

[@dr.zarbinashah3449]

Love from Canada........I think this is very old movie like 1990, can anybody will upload and new present time video of Colkata....Thanks..

[@subhadeepbanerjee9191]

You can watch this. It's a pretty accurate representation of the present day kolkata. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6ewpmqlrtGLbac

[@chandradiprana2]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bV7EeKV6nah_l7c this fellow has more dashcam footage of the city and around..Do check

[@agniva_rc]

Not much different now..

[@abdhfhhffh]

@@agniva_rc Kindly visit places like new town, salt lake, sector 5, em bypass, patuli etc in Kolkata before saying "not much different now".

[@agniva_rc]

@@abdhfhhffh The poverty is the same...hasn't decreased, rather increased. Salt lake and Sector 5 are for people with money, which does not matter for majority of Calcutta's population.

[@albertkhare2711]

Watching our ex chairman and also the racecourse along with Mr Bhimani calling races is really great.

[@subhojitmazumdar9862]

Amke kolkatake ke valo base....❤❤❤❤

[@teachmetelugu7320]

17:52

[@lalalila8310]

I always wonder why people cling to life so desperately. I f I had to live in such dreary conditions as the people in this documentary I don'y know if I'd have the courage to keep on living as they do. What for? Life is so pointless it makes me sick.

[@kridadounsattapong1533]

ตกปด

[@WASILIWA]

Very beautiful film

[@perikaveera4438]

Calcutta: The Mother of Modern India. I'm from Bombay, Marathi speaking, been living in the United States for 25 years and have never been to Calcutta. It has always been my desire although there's a lot of negative things said about this great city. Calcutta can never be Bombay and Bombay can never be Calcutta. Even today, when you look at old pictures or films showing Calcutta, you can almost sense that old world imperial greatness of the city coexisting with the progressive, intellectual yet nationalistic Bengali spirit which gave India it's greatest scientists, poets, artists, economists, freedom fighters and revolutionaries. It gave us Guruji Rabindranath Tagore, Satyendranath Bose, J.C.Bose, Netaji Bose. It was this city that was so representative of the Eastern world besides being the real jewel in the British Crown. What London was to the west Calcutta was to the east. It gave India it's Indianness, it's Indian pride. Today this once greatest of cities may have fallen into decay but so have all great cities and empires eventually. I have no reservations in calling Calcutta the "Mother of Modern India". My annual visits to India (actually, only Bombay) are typically brief, 3 or 4 weeks but soon I will make the time to take a trip to Calcutta and pay my homage to this great city without which India would not be India as we know it today! JACKSON, Mississippi.

[@AshaniDasgupta]

+perikaveera It is heart warming to find such an expression from a non-Calcuttan. I hope you will fall in love with the city (though it is indeed a slow process).

[@albertkhare2711]

perikaveera I was born in 81 and have seen our city change its name and at the same time we have mostly forsaken the old. Right now you may still see some Heritage in a few years only the protected and world Heritage sites might be spared.