Durga Pujo is a People’s carnival and having said so, it is about the spirit of millions of people who give this festival a carnival status. The grandeur and glory of this festival is a larger than life experience. During the festivity days, the entire City of Joy becomes an exhibition of creative excellence beyond imagination. But amongst all the fun and frenzy, what we tend to miss out or forget is that, this splendor and magnificence is backed by relentless efforts and contributions of People who come from different walks of life and make Pujo even more special for all of us
From the man who helps us drive around in his taxi at midnight to visit the pujo-pandals to the Traffic Sergeant who keeps the traffic flowing through the busy city roads, a food stall owner who is up and running all through the night to keep up with our hunger pangs every now and then and a flower seller who waits throughout the year to adorn Durga Ma with his bouquets and garlands, unmentioned as they are, Durga Pujo is unfathomable without all of them.
Thus began the journey of Asian Paints Sharad Shamman with #PeopleOfPujo. It is a tribute from Asian Paints Sharad Shamman to the People of Kolkata & beyond, for whom Pujo is just not another festival, it is a significant part of their lives, a large part actually!
#PeopleOfPujo is a series of micro-tales, spinning around the lives of all these city dwellers including the ones who hail from Kolkata but professions took them out of the city, leaving behind their heart & soul with the City of Joy. It narrates the stories of all these unsung heroes which we rarely come across. Without the collective efforts of all these individual tales, the grandeur of Durga Puja would have been lost somewhere.
Asha Bhavan Centre
Durga Puja is more than a festival at Asha Bhavan Centre. It's a triumph of courage and boundless spirit. Here, specially-abled young girls take the lead to bring Maa Durga to their home with much determination.
Asian Paints Sharad Shamman People of Pujo is proud to present the inspirational story of the young girls at Asha Bhavan Centre.
Sanjit Barman
From a small home in the outskirts of Siliguri to the hearts of Pujo lovers—meet 14-year-old Sanjit Barman, who sculpted his first Durga idol at just 9.
With no formal training, only passion and clay, this young talent now dreams of seeing his creations in Kolkata’s grand pandals one day.
Asian Paints Sharad Shamman – People of Pujo Season VII, we celebrate Sanjit’s incredible story of talent, devotion and hope.
Mala Paul
From mastering the craft of making small and adorable idols to grooming the next generation, Mala Paul's journey as an artist from Kumartuli is fascinating to say the least.
Asian Paints Sharad Shamman People of Pujo Season VII celebrates Mala Paul—an artist whose creations are as heartfelt as they are timeless.
Dalim Middya
He has been carrying Maa Durga on his shoulder from Kumartuli to the pandals for the last 25 odd years. In this episode of Asian Paints Sharad Shamman People of Pujo, meet Dalim Middya - an extraordinarily privileged ordinary man.
Kripamoyee Karmakar
Her fearless brush not only revived a forgotten tradition but also turned it into a living ritual again when Kripamoyee Karmakar recreated an age old surreal patachitra at Jamkuri. In the final episode of Asian Paints Sharad Shamman People of Pujo Season VII, meet Kripamoyee Karmakar, a folk art practitioner from the Bannersingha village of Bankura district..