This story is about Sushil Kumar Chatterjee aka Nakku da (93) resident of North Kolkata’s Nalin Sarkar Street. Nakku da is an avid traveller, a dreamer, a thinker and most importantly, a collector. His room on the first floor of his house is so full of collectables that it gets difficult for even two men to stand in the room at one time.

Nakku da can make you sit for hours and listen to the stories of his childhood days spent with famous writers, poets and actors. He says everything that he has in his collection, has come to him as if the cosmic power conspired it to happen. He has a lot say about life, and the way of life; things that we are losing every day. Amid stories, beliefs, faiths, and philosophies, you find 2,500 pictures of old Kolkata landscape in his room.

Some of his collectables are – an 18th century calling bell made in England, a World War I army receiver, a Swiss stopwatch made by ROCAR in 1930, a box of 300-year-old buttons made of seashells, 16 mm sound projector made in Germany in 1948, 200-year-old trumpets, the oldest of folk music instruments, 3,000 music records made of shellac, the first headphone that was imported to Kolkata, a camera that was used in World war I; the list is never-ending.

A handmade bird model (1900) from Japan Ancient radio and sound tuner from the British era The first headphone that was imported to Kolkata A Chhau mask from Purulia made in late 80s A lantern used by the Portuguese sailors in the 18th century Nakku da at the room where he experiments with different sounds Nakku da, a music lover, tunes in a song from the 90s An 18th century war binoculars Nakku da enjoying his evening cup of tea on his terrace Nakku da in his room

Story by – Satwik Paul