* A literary carnival
The 49th International Kolkata Book Fair has begun, drawing together publishers, authors, translators and readers from across languages and geographies. This edition foregrounds global exchange alongside Bengal’s own publishing ecosystem, with book launches, readings, discussions and cultural programming scheduled that extend beyond the printed page. International participation remains a key focus area. Amid the literary bustle, the fair also nods to film history through an exhibition marking the birth centenary of actor-director Uttam Kumar (1926-1980).
Where: Boimela Prangan, Salt Lake
When: Until February 3
Entry: Free
* A crossroads for ideas
The Kolkata Literary Meet returns, as a forum for rigorous, wide-ranging conversations around literature, culture and contemporary thought, drawing writers, translators, scholars and readers into lively dialogue. This edition brings together over 100 voices from across India and beyond, spanning fiction, non-fiction, poetry, history and the politics of language. Panels and conversations will focus on questions of identity, migration, memory and the evolving role of literature in a fractured world.
Among the headline participants are Jhumpa Lahiri and Kiran Desai. Known for its accessible, discussion-driven format, the meet continues to position Kolkata as a vital crossroads for ideas and storytelling.
Where: The Alipore Museum and grounds
When: Until January26
Entry: Free
* Songs, stories, nostalgia
Tumi Asbe Bole Tai brings Anjan Dutt back on stage for a live concert that revisits the music and mood that shaped generations of Bengali listeners. Conceived as a celebratory performance, the show features the 73-year-old Dutt with his band, revisiting landmark songs that blend urban restlessness, romance and social observation. Known for bridging rock, folk and lyrical storytelling, Dutt’s live sets foreground both nostalgia and immediacy, with arrangements that keep his catalogue resonant.
Where: Kala Mandir auditorium
When: January 25, 6 pm
Entry: Prices start at ₹1,499
* A legacy in ragas
The Dover Lane Music Conference continues to be one of India’s most revered platforms for Hindustani classical music, drawing leading maestros and emerging talents into a four-night celebration of vocal and instrumental traditions. Now in its 74th edition, the conference assembles distinguished performers — from sitar virtuosos and seasoned vocalists to rising sarangi artists — creating a tapestry of ragas and taals that honours both lineage and innovation. Alongside stellar music, the conference also bestows awards recognising excellence and promising young musicians, reinforcing its role in sustaining and spotlighting India’s classical heritage. This year’s line-up features Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, Anubrata Chatterjee, Pandit Ajay Pohankar and Armaan Khan, among others.
Where: Nazrul Mancha
When: January 22 to 25
Entry: ₹5,500
* Myth, reimagined
Kali Yug: Beyond the Binary brings together a group of contemporary artists to re-examine Kali beyond her most familiar visual codes. Rather than returning to established symbols, the exhibition explores the figure of Kali as a site of flux, inviting readings that are philosophical as much as mythic.
Works move across media and registers, drawing on ritual, abstraction and language to question how divinity is imagined, gendered, and fixed. Seen together, the show serves as a conversation on the deity’s many contradictions: ferocity and care, destruction and renewal. In doing so, it positions the goddess not as a static icon, but as an evolving idea, one that continues to provoke, unsettle and expand contemporary artistic thought.
Where: Maya Art Space
When: Until January 25, 2 pm to 8 pm
Entry: Free
* A remarkable man, remembered
Meghnad, a Bengali stage production by theatre collective Ashoknagar Natyaanan, traces the life and ideas of Meghnad Saha, one of India’s most influential scientists and public intellectuals. The play traces his journey from a young scholar to a pioneering astrophysicist and, later, a parliamentarian engaged with questions of nation-building, science policy, and social equity. Structured as a layered biographical narrative, the production foregrounds his intellectual restlessness and resistance to rigid social systems. The cast features prominent Bengali actors Shantilal Mukherjee, Rwitobrato Mukherjee and Chandan Sanyal, each interpreting Saha at different stages, creating a composite portrait shaped by memory, debate and dissent.
Where: Kala Mandir auditorium
When: January 24, 6.30 pm
Entry: Prices start at ₹299
