Make Calcutta Relevant Again

In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, host Meghdutt Roychowdhury sits down with content creator Laughtersane for one of the most honest conversations on the channel yet. They cover his early life and childhood memories, the family bonds that shaped his personality, his school experience and what it really taught him, how he developed his unique content writing style, his deep obsession...

Every year, millions celebrate Durga Puja. But very few know the hands behind it. In this episode, host Sneha sits down with two remarkable self-taught artists, Anirban and Bimal, whose lives, struggles and devotion have quietly shaped the soul of Calcutta's greatest celebration. Anirban and Bimal, two self-taught artists who never went to art school, never had a safety net and never once stop...

In this special episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, Travel Artist Sneha Chakraborty steps in as the new host while Meghdut takes a short break as he prepares for fatherhood. Sneha begins a unique mini-series exploring Durga Puja, Kolkata’s art culture, and the incredible artists behind it. Growing up across different parts of India, Sneha often felt disconnected from her own Bengali roots. He...

In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, host Meghdut Roychowdhury engages in a profound dialogue with renowned historian Tapati Guha Thakurta to explore the city’s evolving soul. From her instrumental role in securing UNESCO recognition for Durga Puja to the systemic decay of our iconic libraries and museums, Tapati reflects on the shifting identity of Kolkata. The conversation sheds ligh...

Meet Harshavardhan Neotia, the man who built Calcutta's skyline and rewrote India's real estate rulebook forever. While every other builder was making excuses for delayed projects, he did something nobody in India had ever done, invented a penalty clause that made HIM pay for every single day of delay. In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, we sit down with the quiet empire build...

In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, host Meghdut Roychowdhury sits down with the visionary Ajay Rawla, the founder of Rajbari Bawali and a champion of heritage restoration in Bengal. Ajay shares the inspiring journey of transforming a crumbling 300-year-old palace into an international landmark. From navigating complex family ownerships to finding healing through restoration after per...

In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, host Meghdut RoyChowdhury chats with comedian Anuvab Pal about Kolkata's unique cultural identity. They explore why the city's "slower" pace is actually its charm, discuss Durga Puja as the world's largest public art festival, and examine how Kolkata shapes cosmopolitan thinking globally. Pal encourages embracing the city's...

The best therapy sometimes comes wrapped in a beat and a rhyme. In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, we meet Dr. Ranjan Ghosh, a doctor who refuses to stay in one box. He talks about his journey from India to the US, why mental health conversations need to break free from clinical walls, and how rap became his tool for healing. We also explore his brand Good Karma, the intersection of...

What makes Calcutta timeless? In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, Dr. Debanjan Chakrabarti talks about Sukumar Roy as a meta-modernist, how Satyajit Ray shaped our childhoods, and why humility is India’s most overlooked cultural strength. We also explore how Kolkata remains a global city, the beating heart of cosmopolitanism, and a hub for science and culture today. A conversation abo...

Before he ever picked up a camera, he was learning the rhythm of the city through classical music. Trained by the maestro Tanmoy Bose, Pubarun Basu brings a rhythmic, human-centric approach to his photography. In this sit-down, he reveals how his father’s advice to "connect before you click" shaped his career. We explore a range of "Calcutta realities" from why the riverfront i...

What does it really take to change a city? In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Make Kolkata Relevant Again, we sit down for the second time with Mudhar Patherya — widely known as Kolkata’s Lover-in-Chief — the man behind the citizen-led illumination of over 145 heritage buildings across the city. This is not a story about awards, applause, or grandstanding. It’s about accountability, c...

In this episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, features Monica Lui, a successful Chinese restaurant owner who started her journey in the 90s and today runs eight outlets across Kolkata. From her childhood and family roots to building a trusted name in the food industry, Monica shares her inspiring journey, challenges, and lessons from decades of entrepreneurship.

Tangra was once known for violence, neglect, and lost futures. Today, it tells a different story — because of music. In this powerful conversation, we meet Sanjay Mondal, a cultural activist and musician who has spent over 15 years transforming the lives of children from one of Kolkata’s most stigmatized neighborhoods. Using discarded materials to create musical instruments, Sanjay built a movemen...

In this powerful episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again, we sit down with Rahul Roy—global entrepreneur, process innovation pioneer, and mentor to multiple billion-dollar businesses. From arriving in the US with no money to building breakthrough solutions across technology, semiconductor safety, printing, networking, and data systems, Rahul shares how problem-solving, mindset, and process innovat...

Join Meghdut for a delightful and heartwarming conversation with Anindya Chatterjee, the celebrated lyricist and singer of the iconic Chandrabindu band, as they wander through the sweet streets of Kolkata, savoring the city’s most beloved mishti. Over the aroma and taste of these sweets, Anindya shares personal anecdotes from his childhood and formative years, revealing how these flavors are deepl...

Join Meghdut for a candid fireside chat with Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri, the visionary figure who transitioned from leading IIT Bombay as its Director to chairing the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), sharing the remarkable story of his journey from a small Bengali-medium school to the highest echelons of Indian academia and finance, and dissecting the fundamental connection between his two roles: te...

Join Meghdut with Dr. Michelle Harrison, an American physician who founded Shishur Shebai, an inclusive home for girls in Calcutta. She shares the incredible story of her "spiritual calling," why she decided to never leave India (and still sleeps on the floor with her girls), and the immense danger she faced fighting corruption and death threats in Behala. Learn about her deep Bengali co...

Join Meghdut on Make Calcutta Relevant Again as he speaks with Sunil Bhandari, the corporate leader, podcaster, and Chair of Social Venture Partners (SVP) Calcutta. From hosting Uncut Poetry—a global podcast heard in 70+ countries—to his strict 4:30 AM writing routine, Sunil shares the unusual creative process that fuels his life. He dives deep into engaged philanthropy and reveals how his team is...

Join Meghdut Roy Chowdhury (now known as Hiji Biji to his young friends) as he hosts a special episode of Make Calcutta Relevant Again with a bright, fearless group of students from Teach For India (TFI). Hear the emotional journey of growing up in Kolkata's underserved communities, where the conversation seamlessly shifts from the fun of learning songs on Instagram Reels and the chaos of send...

Join Meghdut on Make Calcutta Relevant Again as he speaks with Dr. Sumantra Chatterjee, the scientist behind Chinta, a 35,000 sq. ft. Kolkata lab where he’s building human mini-brains to study Indian-specific medical challenges. From IIT Kanpur to working with Francis Crick, Dr. Chatterjee shares his breakthroughs on how stress rewires the brain, and explains his mission to tackle SCA12, a rare ge...

Join Meghdut as he hosts on Make Calcutta Relevant Again with Rewant and Shuli Ghosh, the visionary couple behind Sienna Cafe, one of India’s Top 5 Restaurants. Hear the emotional journey of building a culinary and design empire, starting from a small storefront selling ceramics to managing a 125-person team today. Revant and Shiuli share the harrowing yet humbling experience of working as "e...

Join Meghdut as he hosts on Make Calcutta Relevant Again with Sumanta Chattopadhyay—an advertising honcho, celebrated content creator, and the "English Nut"—on a mission to challenge the city's self-perception. From his sharp declaration that AI is an "existential threat" to legacy ad agencies to his dissection of the famous Bengal Tourism ad, Sumanta reveals the creative w...

Join Meghdut as he hosts on Make Calcutta Relevant Again with Mr. Pawan Agarwal—real estate leader, philanthropist, and first-time podcast guest—on a mission to reshape Calcutta’s story. From rebuilding N.K. Realtors at 55 to redefining how NGOs market their impact, Agarwal reveals the power of patience, values, and purpose. Hear how his father’s morning paper rounds at Victoria Memorial sparked b...

The UN has a plan to change Durga Puja forever. Join Meghdut as he hosts this session with the UN Resident Coordinator in India , as he exposes the radical new guidelines making the world's largest public art festival fully accessible. This conversation connects a disabled person's job dream to a national challenge and reveals why India’s lack of Universal Design is costing the country bil...

Join Meghdut as he hosts an unforgettable session with Sharbari, Rianjali, and Rusha as they drop the untold story of their three-year-long documentary, Incarnations of I. Dive into the journey of a Bengali-American woman who felt foreign in both the US and India , yet found a spiritual home in her family's 40-year-old New Jersey Durga Pujo. Hear the shocking story of how Ganga soil made it th...