Sweet Nothings!

KOLKATAʼS BEST ADDA VENUES

In Kolkata, any place is the right venue for an animated ʻaddaʼ! Because ʻaddaʼ transcends beyond the limits of class and creed. From college students to intellectuals to politicians and even lovers, there is no bar to who can engage in an ʻaddaʼ. And the topics are as varied as the people dissecting the subject. From the dayʼs newspaper headlines to a new song heard over FM radio or the latest novel recently advertised, the theme for any ʻaddaʼ could be endless and diverse. 

All that good ʻaddasʼ need are suitable venues and some hot tea. If you have snacks added to the menu,nothing can stop the chat from going on and on! At one point of time, ʻaddasʼ would take place in coffee houses where poets and novelists met to deliberate on their latest creative efforts. In the past, at the College Street Coffee House, well-known personalities like Shakti Chatterjee, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Soumitra Chatterjee and many others could be seen engaged in lively ʻaddaʼ sessions. Musicians, however, held their parleys in and around recording venues.

Taking a break, the studio foyer often became the setting for tea and talk. How is the music created by a new music director as opposed to what was produced by veterans? Who is the latest singing sensation on the block? How rapidly is the music scene changing in India? All these topics remain ripe for picking!

Young men from different localities in the city often meet for informal cricket and football matches in the local park or even in a bylane, followed by ʻaddaʼ and camaraderie. Addas can be between several folk or just two persons. Today, you donʼt necessarily have to go to a shopping mall or an expensive restaurant to engage in discourse and diatribe. The Victoria Memorial is still an ideal location. So is the vast Maidan where you can talk or play. Try the Strand on the banks of the Hooghly for a great adda setting. Or even the Princep Ghat that can shelter a loverʼs tiff or fan a tête-à-tête.

Sweet Nothings with jhaal muri and cha, The right ingredients for a great adda!