The Kolkata yellow cab has been one of the icons of the city.
Bright yellow and rotund, sometimes described as a bowler hat on wheels, based on the Morris Oxford, these were all Ambassador cars. And the yellow taxi was the ambassador of the city in many ways. Sometimes down to its inertia. The cabbies would routinely refuse to go anywhere you wanted.
A few years ago the company that produced the Ambassador cars announced it was stopping production. Now the yellow Ambassador taxis on the streets will be replaced by other cars - more fuel efficient, smaller, sleeker. More modern if you will.
But recently the yellow taxis of Kolkata enjoyed a last hurrah.
This is Sandip Roy in Kolkata.
Durga Puja, the festival of the Goddess Durga, coming up at the end of this month, is the biggest festival in the city’s calendar. Hundreds of temporary temples come up all over the city celebrating the mother Goddess.
And this year for Durga 40 yellow taxis will roll out on to the streets to celebrate the festival in style.
They are no longer just YELLOW taxis. They have become murals on wheels celebrating Durga Puja.
40 years ago, in 1985, Asian Paints, one of the best known paint companies started a Durga Puja awards program. They would award the best image, the best installation and so forth, celebrating not just faith but also the artistry, Now many companies give out awards but Asian Paints Sharad Samman awards were the OGs the emcee said at an event in Kolkata recently.
OSCAR1: This is the Oscars of Durga pujo.
This year Asian Paints came up with the idea to celebrate 4 decades of its award AND four decades of the changing face of Durga Puja via the yellow cabs said Asian Paints MD and CEO Amit Syngle
AS1: we took up 40 taxis which we said would kind of represent each decade. So, each decade of the 40 years we wanted to represent through this medium of the iconic yellow taxis.
Four artists got to work - Bikramjit, Meenakshi Sengupta, Sayan Mukherjee and Srishti. The yellow taxi was their canvas. On it they painted brightly colored scenes representing 4 decades of Durga Puja.
Decade 1 was much still rooted more in tradition.
AS2: It was an era was more conventional, more orthodox.
On the body of the taxi we the clay image of the ten armed goddess, clay lamps. Even the black and white print ad for the first ever Asian Paints awards.
Decade 2 was more about razzmatazz, Lighting displays. On the taxi cab we see big crowds, lighting designs and a Bengali rock band. Bengali music was now a big part of Durga Puja not just the usual Hindi film songs says actor Abir Chatterjee who was on hand. It was a celebration of Bengali-ness.
ABIR1: Idea was to represent bengaliness. We started hearing bengali songs rabnindrannsgeet Benngali film songs playing all over
Decade 3 was about the artists. Some Durga Puja sculptors became big names. Their pictures are on the bonnet of the cab. Durga Pujas started embracing themes says Syngle.
AS3: Whole area of celebrating of the artist became a big thing.
And now its a huge industry involving millions of people. It’s been added to UNESCO”s intangible heritage list. This is age of instagram reels and digital media.
AS4: whole area of digital, whole area of multi sensory,
Durga Puja was now being seen through mobile phones.
The unchanging yellow cab might seem an odd vehicle to represent so much change. But actress Sauraseni Maitra at the launch says those cabs were the everyday companions of Durga Puja taking people to see them, transporting artisans and their materials. Entire families could squeeze into those roomy taxis.
SS1: Every day companion of Pujos. Taking around family friends artisans, lovers all over the city.
She was nostalgic remembering how they were once a bit of a splurge for those on limited pocket money.
SS2: I really Hope to get hold of one of these during my Pujas this time
I doubt she will go around in one. The rattling wheezing taxis with no air conditioning or power steering are hardly the cars a movie actor wants to be seen in. But as they exit the scene they get to go out in style. If you are in Kolkata this Durga Puja and spot one, grab it.
But Chances are the driver will still refuse to go wherever you want to go.
This is Sandip Roy in Kolkata for KALW