Tribute to Soumitra Chatterjee
After Feluda Park, now it’s time for Apu Park. Legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee had essayed the role of Apu in the 1959 film which is part of the Apu trilogy directed by Satyajit Ray. The West Bengal government has decided to construct a park themed on legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee’s debut film ‘Apur Sansar’ in New Town area on the northeastern fringes of Kolkata. This is not just a tribute to Chatterjee, who left us recently, but to all cine lovers of India. Very rarely a Park has come up in India that is completely dedicated to movies and characters.
‘The West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HIDCO) has invited an expression of interest (EOI) from bidders for deciding on how to execute the theme by retaining the flavour of the film,’ said HIDCO Chairman cum Managing Director Debashis Sen. The park might have 3D installations too. The proposed park is all set to come up near Snehodiya Housing in New Town. As part of HIDCO’s initiative to set up theme parks to pay tributes to the rich heritage of the state, ‘Sonar Kella Park’ has already been set up in New Town and work on ’Professor Shonku Park’ themed on Ray’s fictional scientist- adventurer character along with models of his ‘inventions’ is underway.
The ‘Sonar Kella Park’ has images from Ray’s 1974 children’s classic movie and models recreating the desert scenes and sequences in Rajasthan. The Apu Park will bring back the nostalgia of Black and White era and of course Bengal’s love for anything creative.
