Veteran singer Usha Uthup’s association with Kolkata’s iconic Park Street came into limelight as megastar Amitabh Bachchan took a trip down memory lane on the quiz reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati.
He recalled the city’s legendary restaurants and live-music culture. The conversation took place when contestant Shourjya Das was on the hot seat. Amitabh Bachchan, who worked in Kolkata during the 1960s, recalled how Park Street was a major part of the city’s nightlife and entertainment scene.
Recalling his evenings in Kolkata, Bachchan said, “Hamara raat ka entertainment yahi hota tha. Us saare ke saare Park Street mein ek line se lagi hui hain jitne bhi restaurant hain (Our nighttime entertainment used to be right here. All the restaurants on Park Street are lined up in a row).”
“Adbhut jagah hai... Vishwa bhar mein maine kahi aisa nahi dekha hai ki ek hi sadak ke upar, 100 meter ki doori par, 5–6 restaurant ek saath milenge aur sab ek se ek avval number par.. (It is an extraordinary place... I have never seen anywhere in the world that on a single road, within a distance of 100 metres, you can find five or six restaurants together, and each one is outstanding).”
Amitabh Bachchan also remembered the musicians who performed at the popular venues on Park Street, mentioning names including Usha Uthup and Louis Banks.
For the uninitiated, Usha Uthup has a particularly strong connection with Park Street. She began her professional singing career at a restaurant located there in 1969, after moving to Kolkata, and went on to become one of the most recognisable voices associated with the city’s live-music culture.
Usha Uthup too previously has spoken about how she chose to perform in traditional sarees at a time when Western music dominated nightclub stages.
The singer has also shared memories of seeing some of the biggest names of the era at the restaurant s. Amitabh Bachchan was among the personalities she recalled as having been part of the audience there, alongside names such as Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore.
Amitabh Bachchan also recollected Kolkata's food culture. The actor spoke fondly of Nizam's kebabs, rolls and much more.
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