Campaign to save Pancham’s house takes off

KOLKATA: Close on the heels of the uproar over the demolition of the house in Mymensingh with a Satyajit Ray connection, Pancham’s uncle - filmmaker Abhijit Dasgupta – started an online petition on Thursday to save the building on 36/1 South End Park.

SD Burman and Pancham had lived in this house during their stay in Kolkata.The Dev Burmans had moved into the house from a rented property at Hindusthan Park where Pancham was born in 1939. The Dev Burmans lived in that house till 1952. Pancham stayed here after SD left for Mumbai. Many musicians of repute visited this house. Guru Dutt, whose centenary is being celebrated this year, often came to this house whenever SD Burman was in Kolkata. “I noticed that MEA has offered to help in reconstruction of a building in Bangladesh. It is nice to see this concern for saving our cinema heritage. I wish the same urgency is shown to approach the current owners of this house so that a museum can be set up on the Burmans. It is a matter of shame that we can afford to neglect a building of historic importance in our own backyard this way,” Dasgupta said.

Scientist-turned-filmmaker Bedabrata Pain, who grew up in South End Park, has signed the petition.

“I grew up hearing stories (probably apocryphal) behind the composition of ‘Mone pore Rubi Ray’ - the iconic song around the Golpark bus stop. My father, who was a big fan of SD, always used to show that house to us. Now that I live close to it, it is with real sadness that I pass that house - with its shutters drawn and in dire need of repair.

but I never forget to show the house to my son when he visits Kolkata. I cannot think of a more fitting and urgent need to preserve the building and create a museum to honour them,” said Pain.In 2021, TOI had reported that the road in front of the house has been renamed Sangeet Sarani. “But is that enough? I was assured by the West Bengal Heritage Commission that appropriate steps are being taken to approach the present owner of the house so that a museum can be set up in the room/space where SD Burman and RD Burman lived. In 2021, there were promises of installing a blue plaque. Nothing has been done yet,” Dasgupta added.