Often people ask me why it is so easy to romanticize Kolkata. To all of them I say that in every street of Kolkata, one will find art, music and poetry. This is a city, which although lacks the kind of work opportunities found in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, has retained all those things that make the soul happy. Here is an example.
Near Tollygunge Metro Station is a humble roadside coffee shop run by a man named Shyama Prasad Dey. He used to be an artist, sketching cartoons nonstop and selling them for a price. However, his art business suffered because of the pandemic and in 2021, he had to open a coffee stall to be able to sustain his family.
However, his is no ordinary coffee stall. It is adorned with his work! Even the little coffee cups are adorned with his illustrations. A content creator named Aradhana Chatterjee shared a video of Shyama Prasad Dey and his shop. And trust me when I say this – his shop is almost like an art gallery! You can even purchase his illustrations from the shop.
Have a look at the video here:
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Several people online showered immense support on this man and vouched to visit his stall whenever they are in the city. Here’s a look at some of the lovely responses to the video:
Such people make the city such a wonderful place!