There are some events that you know you simply cannot miss, and when I received the notification about “A Moment Apart with Usha Uthup” at the Tollygunge Club, I knew almost immediately that this was going to be one of those evenings. Music, Masti and, as it turned out, a little Mishti thrown in for good measure!
Scheduled for 26th September 2026, from 7 pm to 9 pm, the evening promised an entertaining musical experience. And believe you me, it delivered exactly that, notwithstanding the rather slick presentation by the sponsors at the beginning of the show. After all, we hadn't come there to listen to presentations!
It had been quite some time since I had witnessed Usha Uthup perform live, and what an experience it was to see her back on stage. While she may have lost a little of her mobility over the years, she more than compensated for it with her gorgeous sari, trademark oversized bindi, infectious wit, wonderful sense of humour and, of course, that absolutely amazing voice.
I was seated right at the back of the hall, so I couldn't quite make out all the finer details, but I'm fairly certain those trademark sneakers were there too!
She kicked off the evening with some of her classic English numbers from yesteryears, and the audience was more than happy to sing along. There is something quite magical about hearing songs that have been part of your life for decades, especially when they're being belted out by the very person who made them popular.
However, the real transformation happened midway through the evening when she switched gears and moved on to Bollywood.
The moment songs like Dum Maro Dum started playing, the atmosphere changed completely. The audience, which had until then been quite comfortably enjoying the music from their seats, suddenly seemed to discover a new lease of life. People got up, abandoned their chairs and made their way towards the front of the stage. Before we knew it, half the audience was on its feet, dancing and having the time of their lives!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the magic of Usha Uthup. She doesn't merely sing songs; she gets an entire room to participate in the experience.
An hour and a half later, she had once again reminded everyone why she remains an absolute legend and, more importantly, who the ORIGINAL DIDI of CALCUTTA is!
Of course, no evening out is complete without some attention to the stomach, and we had certainly done justice to the rather amazing assortment of snacks served at the event. Dinner was therefore completely out of the question.
Or so we thought!
As we drove out of the club gates and crossed the road into the lane opposite, my mother-in-law spotted a sweet shop called Narendra Mistanna Bhander. Now, you can take the foodie out for an evening of music, but you certainly cannot take the sweet tooth out of the foodie!
She immediately expressed a desire to have something sweet, and naturally, we had to oblige.
Rasmalai it was!
I hopped out of the car and walked into the shop, only to discover that they were already putting things away and getting ready to close for the day. Thankfully, they were kind enough to entertain my request.
"Rasmalai, please."
"How much?"
Now, not knowing what quantity would be appropriate, I rather tentatively asked for 100 grams.
The gentleman picked up a container and began filling it. I stopped him almost immediately.
"Is that all 100 grams?"
Clearly, that wasn't going to do justice to the occasion.
"How about 250 grams?"
He picked up a different container. Now we were talking! This looked considerably more respectable for a family of serious foodies.
Eventually, 260 grams went into the container. I knew perfectly well that my mother-in-law and wife weren't going to finish all of that between them, which meant I was going to have to take responsibility for the leftovers.
A responsibility I was quite prepared to shoulder!
But wait, there was more.
While the Rasmalai was being packed, I happened to spot Kheer Kadamba. Now, that's one sweet I find particularly difficult to resist. So I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.
Oh man! What a rush!
One simply wasn't enough, and before I knew it, I had polished off another one. Some decisions in life don't require much deliberation, and this was certainly one of them.
With the Rasmalai packed and the bill paid, I returned triumphantly to the car.
My mother-in-law took one look at the container and immediately pointed out that it was far too much for her. My wife and I promptly offered to help her out. She had a couple of spoonfuls, my wife had a few more, and YIPPEE! The rest was all mine!
There went all those millions of steps I had religiously walked during the week. Never mind. I'll make up for them next week. Perhaps!
Looking back, it was quite the perfect evening. A legendary performer taking us down memory lane with songs that have been part of our lives since childhood, an audience that rediscovered its dancing feet, some wonderful snacks and, finally, an unexpected sweet-shop adventure.
What better way to round off an evening of Music & Masti than with a little Mishti?
Thank you, Usha Uthup, for reminding us that age is just a number, music has no expiry date, and the Original Didi will always remain the Original Didi!
And thank you, Narendra Mistanna Bhander, for making sure that we didn't go home without dessert. Some evenings deserve an encore, and this one certainly did!
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