Yellow Taxis in Kolkata Turn into Art to Mark 40 Years of Sharad Shamman

Quick Summary

• Kolkata’s iconic yellow Ambassador taxis are being revived as part of Asian Paints’ Cholte Cholte 40 project to commemorate teh 40th anniversary of the sharad Shamman award, which honors inventive Durga Puja pandals.
• A total of 40 artistically designed taxis, symbolizing cultural transitions across four decades, will ply through the city by September 11, 2025. Currently, 22 taxis are operational.
• The project builds on a concept first tested in 2023 with a tram bogie turned into an artistic gallery showcasing Durga Puja’s legacy.
• Amit Syngle (MD & CEO of Asian Paints) emphasized the old taxi’s integral role in Kolkata’s social and cultural dynamics, calling it a “moving prop” embodying decades of history and transition.
• At JW Marriott Hotel in Kolkata,four specially curated taxis were unveiled.These vehicles display themes ranging from Kolkata’s rock-band era to environmentally conscious celebrations and digital representations like VR depictions from the UNESCO-recognized modern age.
• Interiors have been styled with textiles from fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s paris X Calcutta collection, representing elements such as Mughal gardens, kashmiri shawls, Persian carpets typical in Bengali homes, colonial-era paisleys, etc.
• Each decade since 1985 is depicted uniquely:

– 1985-1995: Conventional artistry like floor painting (alpona) and dhakis alongside vintage posters from Sharad Shamman awards (artist Bikramjit Paul).
– 1995-2005: Social commentary with illustrations of simpler Pujo scenes like balloon sellers and LED light designs on vehicle roofs (Meenakshi Sengupta).
– 2005-2015: Focused on women empowerment and bold depictions breaking traditional depictions (Sayan Mukherjee).
– 2015-2024: Digital influence features selfies or immersive VR views for virtual pandals (Srishti Guptaroy).

Read More: https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/kolkata-yellow-taxi-art-sharad-shamman-durga-puja

Indian Opinion Analysis

The Cholte cholte 40 initiative ingeniously blends art and nostalgia to capture kolkata’s evolving spirit while reinvigorating its deep cultural roots tied to Durga Puja festivities. The use of yellow ambassador taxis as artistic time capsules not only revives a fading icon but also transforms them into mobile archives that map transformative socio-cultural shifts over four decades.

From traditional artistry to digitization-driven global recognition-the project highlights how festivals reflect broader societal changes without losing thier essence. On one hand, this artistic endeavor may help preserve collective memory amidst rapid urban modernization; on another hand it exemplifies innovation by effectively using movement (taxi mobility) as a narrative medium that syncs everyday life with the city’s past.

for India at large-this effort underscores how localized traditions can foster broad cultural engagement and serve as showcases for historical preservation techniques infused with contemporary mediums like augmented reality or digital curation spaces. additionally significant collaborations between private players like Asian Paints deepen creative contributions toward public experiences representing community identity transformations comprehensively instead romanticizing versions stagnant artificially