Kolkata is my favourite city: Imtiaz Ali

When filmmaker Imtiaz Ali speaks of Kolkata, his words flow like one of his screenplays – nostalgic, tender, and full of rhythm. For him, the city is a living poem of sounds, smells, and stories.

Speaking to Calcutta Times on its 25th year, the filmmaker revisited the Calcutta of his childhood and the one he keeps revisiting and falling in love with.

I have said this before, Kolkata is my favourite city in the country. There’s a dynamic mix of people, and I hope the city retains its artistic side. Congratulations to Calcutta Times for bringing the best of Kolkata to us for 25 years

Imtiaz ali says he loves Kolkata’s trams, adding, ‘The sound and experience of a tram is the essence of the city’The city where heart sets the paceEvery time Imtiaz visits Kolkata, he finds himself rediscovering the city – through its rhythm.

“Each time I come here, I’m impacted by the mix of people, by the presence of culture and tradition, along with a constant push toward the modern world,” he says. What fascinates him most is how the city refuses to trade its soul for speed. “People often say Kolkata is slow, but that’s only in comparison to other cities that move at a breakneck pace, often not knowing why they do.

I don’t think the city is slow. I think people here want life to coexist with work.

That’s a difficult, but a beautiful balance to achieve.”To him, Kolkata’s pace isn’t a pause, it’s poetry. It’s the reason artists, writers, and dreamers continue to find a home here. “The presence of artists in Kolkata is no accident. From the time of Wajid Ali Shah to the British, and even before that, the original artists of Bengal found a safe haven here. The city has always had this quiet, unspoken respect for creativity.”

For him, this nurturing spirit is what truly defines the city’s identity.

“The artist community of thecity – prominent and influential – owes its existence to the people here,” he says. “They’ve always nurtured art and kept it close to their lives. It’s woven into their everyday existence.”

A westernised wonder: The Kolkata that once was When Imtiaz speaks of Kolkata, his tone turns reflective. “The city is a very westernised one in my eyes,” he says, adding that for him, its cosmopolitan charm was not just in its architecture or people, but in the spirit of sophistication that once defined its streets.

“There was a time when Kolkata was the prima donna among Indian cities,” he smiles.His nostalgia deepens as he recalls the stories passed down from his father and uncles, tales of nights spent at Waldorf, Peter Cat, The Tollygunge Club, and The Grand Hotel – places that embodied the stylish, slightly decadent fun of an era gone by. “All of this had a promise not only of great entertainment but also a stylish kind of fun,” he added. Artistry in cuisine, fine arts, poetry, costume design, even flower decoration – and so many other things enthrall me every time I come to Kolkata