Several fiction, non-fiction and cinemas were based on

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

or depicted Kolkata from certain point of views. Some of such works are listed here.

Travelogues

* The Great Railway Bazaar ( Paul Theroux) *

Following the Equator ''Following the Equator'' (sometimes titled ''More Tramps Abroad'') is a non-fiction social commentary in the form of a travelogue published by Mark Twain in 1897. Twain was practically bankrupt in 1894 due to investing heavily into the failed ...

( Mark Twain)

Books

* Around the World in Eighty Days *''Calcutta'' (

Geoffrey Moorhouse Geoffrey Moorhouse, FRGS, FRSL, D.Litt. (29 November 1931 – 26 November 2009) was an English journalist and author. He was born Geoffrey Heald in Bolton and took his stepfather's surname. He attended Bury Grammar School. He began writing as a ...

) *''City of the Dreadful Night and American Tales'' (

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

) - Where Kolkata is called as the titular city *''

City of Joy ''City of Joy'' (french: La Cité de la joie) is a 1985 novel by Dominique Lapierre. It was adapted as a film by Roland Joffé in 1992. Calcutta is nicknamed "the City of Joy" after this novel, although the slum was based on an area in its twi ...

'' (

Dominique Lapierre Dominique Lapierre (30 July 1931 – 2 December 2022) was a French author. Life Dominique Lapierre was born in Châtelaillon-Plage, Charente-Maritime, France. At the age of thirteen, he travelled to the U.S. with his father who was a diploma ...

) - a slum within Kolkata is called the City of Joy *'' Calcutta: The Living City'' Volumes 1 & 2 (ed. Sukanta Chaudhuri) *''Calcutta - City of Palaces: A Survey of the City in the Days of the East India Company 1690–1858.'' (Jeremiah P. Losty) *''Calcutta 1981'' (ed. Jean Racine)

Films set in Kolkata

Bengali films

Nagarik ''Nagarik'' ( bn, নাগরিক), also spelled as ''Nagorik'', ''The Citizen'' in English, was the first feature-length film directed by legendary Indian director Ritwik Ghatak. Completed in 1952, it preceded Satyajit Ray's '' Pather Panch ...

- The Citizen (

Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was a noted Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright. Along with prominent contemporary Bengali filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen, his cinema is primarily rememb ...

) (1952 - Released 1977) * Bari Theke Paliye - The Runaway (

) (1958) *

Mahanagar ''Mahanagar'' () is a 1963 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray. Starring Madhabi Mukherjee in the leading role and based on the short story ''Abataranika'' by Narendranath Mitra, it tells the story of a house ...

- The Big City ( Satyajit Ray) (1963) *

Apanjan ''Apanjan'' (also ''Apan Jan''; roughly translated in English as "One's own people") is a 1968 Bengali film directed by Tapan Sinha. Set against the backdrop of the political violence that rocked India, and West Bengal in particular, in the late ...

- (

Tapan Sinha Tapan Sinha (2 October 1924 – 15 January 2009) was one of the most prominent Indian film directors of his time forming a legendary quartet with Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. He was primarily a Bengali filmmaker who worked both ...

) (1968) * Pratidwandi - The Adversary ( Satyajit Ray) (1970) *

Seemabaddha ''Seemabaddha'' ( bn, সীমাবদ্ধ ''Shimabôddho''; English title: ''Company Limited'') is a 1971 social drama Bengali film directed by Satyajit Ray. It is based on the novel ''Seemabaddha'' by Mani Shankar Mukherjee. It stars Bar ...

- Company Limited ( Satyajit Ray) (1971) *

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

(

Mrinal Sen Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Ind ...

) (1971) * Calcutta 71 (

) (1972) * Padatik - The Guerilla Fighter (

) (1973) *

Jukti Takko Aar Gappo ''Jukti Takko Aar Gappo'' (''Jukti tôkko aːr gôppo'', ''Reason, Debate and a Story'') is a 1974 Bengali film directed by auteur of Indian cinema Ritwik Ghatak. ''Jukti Takko Aar Gappo'' was Ritwik Ghatak's last film. The film was believed t ...

- Logic, Debate and Story (

) (1974) *

Jana Aranya ''Jana Aranya'' is a 1976 Bengali film directed by Satyajit Ray, based on the novel of the same name by Mani Shankar Mukherjee. It is the last among Ray's Calcutta trilogy series, the previous two being, ''Pratidwandi'' (''The Adversary'', 197 ...

- The Middleman ( Satyajit Ray) (1976) * Ek Din Pratidin - And Quiet Rolls the Day (

) (1979) *

Grihajuddha ''Grihajuddha'' (English language:''Crossroads'') is a 1982 Bengali film directed and written by Buddhadev Dasgupta and starring Sunil Mukherjee. The film was produced under contract from the Government of West Bengal. The Naxalite movement i ...

- Crossroads (

Buddhadev Dasgupta Buddhadeb Dasgupta (11 February 1944 – 10 June 2021) was an Indian filmmaker and poet best known for his Bengali-language films like ''Bagh Bahadur'', '' Tahader Katha'', ''Charachar'' and ''Uttara''. Five of his films have won the National ...

) (1982) *

Paroma ''Paroma'' (English title: The Ultimate Woman) is a 1985 award-winning Indian Bengali feature film directed by Aparna Sen. Plot The movie is about a 40-year-old married woman, Paroma whose identity lies in the words like "bouma" (the daughte ...

- The Ultimate Woman

Aparna Sen Aparna Sen (, ''Ôporna Shen'') is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema. She has received several accolades as an actress and filmmaker, including nine National Film Awards, five F ...

(1984) *

Agantuk ''Agantuk'' () is a 1991 Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray. Notable for being Ray's last film, it was based on one of his own short stories, ''Atithi''. A joint Indo-French production, it received financial backin ...

- The Stranger ( Satyajit Ray) (1991) *

Antareen ''Antareen'' (The Confined) is a 1993 Indian film in Bengali language, directed by Mrinal Sen, based on a story named ''Badshahat Ka Khatimah'' (1950) by Saadat Hasan Manto (but with a different ending in the screenplay). It stars Anjan Dutt an ...

- The Confined (

) (1993) * Unishe April - Nineteenth April(

Rituparno Ghosh Rituparno Ghosh (31 August 1963 – 30 May 2013) was an Indian film director, actor, writer and lyricist. After pursuing a degree in economics, he started his career as a creative artist at an advertising agency. He received recognition for his ...

) (1994) * Dahan - Crossfire (

) (1997) * Chokher Bali - Sand in the Eye (

) (2003) *

Kaalbela ''kaalbela'' ( bn, কালবেলা ''Calcutta My Love'') is a 2009 Bengali film directed by Goutam Ghose. The film stars Parambrata Chatterjee, Paoli Dam, Soumitra Chatterjee and Santu Mukherjee. This film is set against the background ...

- Calcutta My Love (

Goutam Ghose Goutam Ghose (also spelled Gautam Ghosh born 24 July 1950) is an Indian film director, Actor, music director and cinematographer, who works primarily in Bengali cinema. He is the only Indian to have received the "Vittorio Di Sica" Award, Italy ...

) (2009) * Houseful (

Bappaditya Bandopadhyay Bappaditya Bandopadhyay or Bappaditya Banerjee ( bn, বাপ্পাদিত্য ব্যানার্জী; 28 August 1970 – 7 November 2015) was an Indian film director and poet. Career Bandopadhyay was the recipient of the Mo ...

(2009) * Mahanagar@Kolkata ( Suman Mukhopadhyay) (2009) * 033 (

Birsa Dasgupta Birsa Dasgupta (born 2 November 1979) is an Indian Bengali film director based in Tollywood.He is well known for directing films such as Shudhu Tomari Jonyo, Gangster, Psycho (2021 film) Early life Born in Kolkata, his grandfather was not ...

) (2010) *

Ekti Tarar Khonje ''Ekti Tarar Khonje'' is a 2010 Bengali-language film that was directed by Abhik Mukhopadhyay. The film stars Shayan Munshi, Arpita Pal, Rudranil Ghosh, and veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee. Dev appeared in a cameo role. Plot It deals with a ...

- Stars Never Sleep (

Abhik Mukhopadhyay Avik Mukhopadhyay is an Indian cinematographer who works in Bengali and Hindi films. He collaborated with eminent directors like Rituparno Ghosh, Aparna Sen, Srijit Mukherji, Kamaleshwar Mukherjee, Anik Dutta, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Shoojit ...

) (2010) * Gorosthaney Sabdhan (

Sandip Ray Sandip Ray (born 8 September 1953) is an Indian film director and music director who mainly works in Bengali cinema. He is the only child of the famous Bengali director Satyajit Ray and Bijoya Ray. Life and education Sandip Ray was born in C ...

) (2010) *

Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...

( Srijit Mukherji) (2010)

English films

The River (1951 film) ''The River'' (French: ''Le Fleuve'') is a 1951 American Technicolor drama romance film directed by Jean Renoir while Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray held the post of assistant director. It was filmed in India. A fairly faithful dramatization of th ...

( Jean Renoir) *

36 Chowringhee Lane ''36 Chowringhee Lane'' is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. It marked the directorial debut of Sen, who had until then been known as a leading actress of Bengali cinema. The film was very well receiv ...

(

) *

(

Roland Joffe Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

) * Citi Life - Calcutta My El Dorado (

) * 10 Days in Calcutta ( Gerhard Hauff) *

Bow Barracks Forever ''Bow Barracks Forever'' (2004) is an Indian film directed by Anjan Dutt about Anglo-Indians and their difficulties in retaining their identity since the end of British India. Plot The film is about the disaster of the human spirit. It is not ...

( Anjan Dutt) * Call Cutta ( Anjan Dutt) * 15 Park Avenue (

) * The Waiting City - According to the production notes the city acts as a character showing its colonial history and ancient historical relics *

The Last Lear ''The Last Lear'' is a 2007 Indian drama film directed by Rituparno Ghosh. The film won the National Award of India for Best Feature Film in English in 2007. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta, Shefali Shah ...

* The Avengers,

Bruce Banner The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

's hide-out where

Natasha Romanoff Black Widow (Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanova; Russian: Наталья Альяновна "Наташа" Романова) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotte ...

recruits him for the Avengers * Memories in March * Lion starring

Dev Patel Dev Patel (; born 23 April 1990) is a British actor. His breakthrough came in 2008 with the leading role of Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's drama ''Slumdog Millionaire'', for which Patel was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Lead ...

and

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

* The Namesake

French films

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

(

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down," Malle's filmogr ...

) *

The Bengali Night ''The Bengali Night'' (french: la Nuit Bengali) is a 1988 semi-autobiographical film based upon the Mircea Eliade 1933 Romanian novel, '' Bengal Nights'', directed by Nicolas Klotz and starring Hugh Grant, Soumitra Chatterjee, Supriya Pathak an ...

(La Nuit Bengali)

Tamil films

Vedalam ''Vedalam'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Siva. It stars Ajith Kumar, Lakshmi Menon and Shruti Hassan while Ashwin Kakumanu, Rahul Dev, Thambi Ramaiah, Kabir Duhan Singh, and Soori play supporting ro ...

Telugu films

*''

Naayak ''Naayak'' () is a 2013 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by V. V. Vinayak who co-wrote the film with Akula Siva. The film was produced by DVV Danayya and presented by S. Radha Krishna under the banner Universal Media. The fi ...

'' *''

Padi Padi Leche Manasu ''Padi Padi Leche Manasu'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. The film stars Sharwanand and Sai Pallavi while Priya Raman, Sampath Raj, Kalyani Natarajan, Murali Sharma, Priyadar ...

Malayalam Films

* ''

Vasthuhara ''Vaasthuhara'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language social drama film written and directed by G. Aravindan. It is based on the short story of the same name by C. V. Sreeraman. The film looks into the lives of partition refugees from East B ...

'' * '' Calcutta News'' * ''

Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi ''Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi'' () is a 2013 Indian Malayalam-language road adventure film directed and co-produced by Sameer Thahir and written by Hashir Mohamed. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Sunny Wayne with Dhritiman Chatte ...

Hindi films

* ''

Howrah Bridge The Howrah Bridge is a balanced cantilever bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it replaced a pontoon bridge at the same location linking the cities ...

'' * '' Pyaasa'' * ''

Amar Prem ''Amar Prem'' () is a 1972 Indian Hindi romantic drama film directed by Shakti Samanta. It is a remake of the Bengali film ''Nishi Padma'' (1970), directed by Arabinda Mukherjee, who wrote screenplay for both the films based on the Bengali sh ...

'' * ''

Do Bigha Zameen ''Do Bigha Zamin'' () is a 1953 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Bimal Roy. Based on Rabindranath Tagore's Bengali poem " Dui Bigha Jomi", the film stars Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy in lead roles. Known for its socialist theme, it is ...

'' * ''

Devdas ''Devdas'' ( bn, দেবদাস, transliterated as ''Debdās'') is a Bengali romance novel written by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee. The story pivots a tragic triangle linking Devdas, an archetypal lover in viraha (separation); Paro, his forbidd ...

'' (1955) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

Ram Teri Ganga Maili ''Ram Teri Ganga Maili'' () is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film stars Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor in lead roles. Music director Ravindra Jain received a Filmfare Award for this film. The film ge ...

'' * ''

Calcutta Mail ''Calcutta Mail'' is a 2003 Indian action thriller film starring Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji and Manisha Koirala. It was directed by Sudhir Mishra. The film is a remake of the 1998 Telugu film ''Choodalani Vundi''. Plot Avinash (Anil Kapoor) ...

'' * ''

Hey Ram ''Hey Ram'' is a 2000 Indian period crime drama film written, directed and produced by Kamal Haasan, who also stars. It was simultaneously made in Tamil and Hindi languages. Shah Rukh Khan plays a supporting role, making his debut in Tamil ci ...

'' * '' Do Anjaane'' * ''

Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa ''Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa'' ( en, The Mother of 1084) is a 1998 Indian feature filmthat deals with the life of a woman who loses her son, a Naxalite, to the violence that is a result of his adopted ideology. The film is directed produced by Govin ...

'' * ''

Morning Walk ''Morning Walk'' ( hi, मॉर्निंग वॉक) is a Bollywood Hindi movie directed by Arup Dutta featuring Anupam Kher as protagonist. It was released in India on 10 July 2009. Synopsis One morning walk in Joymohan's life changes ...

'' * '' Parineeta'' * ''

Vicky Donor ''Vicky Donor ''is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by actor John Abraham in his maiden production venture with Sunil Lulla under Eros International and Ronnie Lahiri under Rising Sun ...

'' * ''

Yuva ''Yuva'' ( Youth) is an Indian Hindi-language political thriller film directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 2004. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil as ''Aaytha Ezhuthu'', and it is loosely based on the life story of George Reddy, a s ...

'' * ''

Raincoat A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with ...

'' * ''

Kahaani ''Kahaani'' (; ) is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language thriller film co-written, co-produced and directed by Sujoy Ghosh. It stars Vidya Balan as Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman looking for her missing husband in Kolkata during the festival of Durga ...

'' (2012) * ''

Barfi! ''Barfi!'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as the eponymous lead, alongside ...

'' * ''

I Am I Am or I'm may refer to: Language and literature * " I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name ** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible * "I Am" (p ...

'' * '' Khushi'' * '' Love Aaj Kal'' * ''

'' * ''

Gunday ''Gunday'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language action drama film written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and produced by Aditya Chopra. The film features Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan in the lead roles. Set in ...

'' * ''

Badmaash Company ''Badmaash Company'' () is a 2010 Hindi-language crime comedy film written and directed by actor Parmeet Sethi and produced by Aditya Chopra. The film stars Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Vir Das and Meiyang Chang. The film was released on 7 ...

'' * ''

Kaminey ''Kaminey'' ( en, Scoundrels, italic=yes) is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language action film written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under UTV Motion Pictures, featuring Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Amole Gupte ...

'' * ''

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

'' by

Ribhu Dasgupta Ribhu Dasgupta is an Indian film and television director. He made his directorial debut with 2011 film '' Michael''. He was nominated at the Shanghai International Film Festival for Asian New Talent Award of Best Film for the film '' Michael'' ...

* ''

Lootera ''Lootera'' (; ) is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language period romantic drama film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and partially based on author O. Henry's 1907 short story '' The Last Leaf''. It is the second film directed by Motwane after the critic ...

'' * ''

No One Killed Jessica ''No One Killed Jessica'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film directed and written by Raj Kumar Gupta. It stars Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji in lead roles, with Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Myra Karn in supporting roles. The fi ...

'' * ''

Special 26 ''Special 26'' is an Indian Hindi-language 2013 period heist thriller film written and directed by Neeraj Pandey. Based on the 1987 Opera House heist. The plot follows, A team of tricksters ( Akshay Kumar with Anupam Kher ) pose as CBI office ...

'' * '' Bullet Raja'' * '' Kolkata Junction'' * ''

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz ''Babumoshai Bandookbaaz'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Kushan Nandi, Kushan Nandy and produced by Kiran Shyam Shroff and Ashmith Kunder. The film features Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bidita Bag in the lead r ...

'' * ''

Piku ''Piku'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by N. P. Singh, Ronnie Lahiri and Sneha Rajani. It stars Deepika Padukone as the titular protagonist, Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, with Mo ...

'' * ''

Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...

'' * ''

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! ''Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language mystery action thriller film directed by Dibakar Banerjee, and produced by Banerjee and Aditya Chopra. The story is based on the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi created by the B ...

'' * '' Hamari Adhuri Kahani'' * ''

Tamasha Tamasha ( mr, तमाशा) is a traditional form of Marathi theatre, often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of Maharashtra, India."Tamasha", in James R. Brandon and Martin Banham ...

'' * '' Te3n'' * '' Kahaani 2'' * ''

Meri Pyaari Bindu ''Meri Pyaari Bindu'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, written by Suprotim Sengupta and directed by Akshay Roy. It features Parineeti Chopra and Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead roles. The principal photography of the fil ...

'' * ''

Jagga Jasoos ''Jagga Jasoos'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language musical adventure comedy film written and directed by Anurag Basu, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Basu and Ranbir Kapoor. It stars Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, and tells the story of a teena ...

'' * '' Pari'' * ''

Dhadak ''Dhadak'' () is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate roma ...

'' * '' Chippa''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolkata In The Media Kolkata in popular culture