For Prosenjit Chatterjee, one of the leading stars of Bengali cinema, Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) has always been a day that holds a special place in his heart. For him, this day is an emotion and encompasses a lot, right from, “pujo (puja), traditional outfits, to Bangali khabar (Bengali cuisine) and much more”. The actor who was in Mumbai recently, spoke exclusively to Bombay Times as he shared some fond memories about this special day.

“Till a few years ago, this day would see a lot of Bengali film mahurats. Every studio would have about two to three mahurats of films. There would be pandals put up and shehnai would play at all the studios which were beautifully decked up for the occasion. People attending would be served hot luchi and alur torkari (puri and alu) and soft drinks. I would attend all the mahurats of not just my films, but also other films! Poila Boishak would mark the beginning of a new film. I really miss all that. This concept of mahurats has now gone out of fashion in our cinema,” says Prosenjit.

The actor has a special connect with this day and says that he loves the overall vibe of this day. “I love the ambience of this festive day, when everyone is in a holiday mood, young people are out on the streets in Kolkata, wearing traditional saris and dhuti panjabi (dhoti and kurta). For Bengalis, the first day of the New Year begins with pujo, wearing new clothes, eating home cooked delicacies and having family gatherings.”

Talking about his growing up years, the Bengali star who has also done notable roles in Hindi cinema and web shows, says, “When we were kids, things were different, but even today, I like to follow certain rituals like buying new clothes for my family members, and getting special delicacies prepared at home. For two days leading up to Poila Boishak, sweet shops in Kolkata have hundreds of people queuing up to buy mishti (sweets). ”

For Prosenjit, having sweets made at home holds a special meaning. “When we were kids, we would only have malpuas that were made by my maa, mashi, thakuma, didima, (our mothers, aunts and grandmoms). In those days feeding home cooked food was a sign of love and the immense love that our mother figures felt was showcased through the delicacies that they made on days like this. I love malpua and bonde aar doi (boondi with curd). That is the best sweet dish in the world, and the most delicious,” shares the actor.