The first in a planned series of events under The Cha Project’s “Kolkata Conversations” opened to a full house at the beautiful new Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore. Prof Tansen Sen’s riveting lecture titled ‘Temples that Connect: Chinese Buddhas in Kolkata and the Intra-Asian Connections’ explored interesting aspects of Calcutta’s Chinese heritage followed by a screening of Rafeeq Ellias’ eye-opening documentary ‘The Legend of Fat Mama’.
Ambassador K.Kesavapany, former diplomat loved and revered for his work on building strong India-Singapore cultural ties, introduced Tansen and The CHA Project and talked about the time he attended Chinese New Year celebrations in Cheenapara.
The CHA Project’s Yang Yen Thaw spoke about being Chinese in India. Yen Thaw, a lawyer by profession, won a National Award for his voice-over in the film The Legend of Fat Mama.
The audience interacted over cha and Tangra-style momos sponsored by Fifth Season.
Somebody from the audience later remarked that she loved the “intelligent chatter on history, culture, heritage, and what makes Calcutta a city with soul”.
