#DurgaPuja2022: Tolly celebs in demand again as puja ambassadors

This year, Kolkata is all geared up to celebrate Durga Puja in all its pre-pandemic glory. And in a bid to draw the crowds back to pandals, quite a few Puja committees have decided to rope in celebrity ambassadors. The reason is to not just promote their Pujas but also to help spread awareness about various social issues, on which their themes are based. “Roping in a celebrity is a budget-intensive exercise, but that’s nothing compared to the popularity they bring to the table,’’ said a member of the New Town Sarbojonin Durgotsab Committee.
Celebs help create awareness about various social issues
Kolkata’s Durga Puja is known for curating themed pandals with strong social messages. And that’s exactly what’s on the anvil this year too. “Our theme this year, Quit Smoking, is a very consciously thought out idea and we need to create more awareness about it,’’ said Rajib Chowdhuri, a member of Dakshinpara Sarbojonin Durgotsob Committee, which has roped in two actresses — Monami Ghosh and Ritabhari Chakraborty — to use their popularity in spreading awareness about the issue.
Speaking to us about the role, Monami said, “I’ll be performing a dance at the pandal and I’m very excited about it, as it’s after more than two years that we’ll be celebrating Puja on this scale. I’m also planning to create some buzz on social media to draw more people to their theme.”

Ritabhari said, “I am delighted to be the face of the pujo and I think they have come up with a wonderful theme. During the pandemic, we all got to see how harmful smoking can be and lost many to the virus because they had weak lungs. I hope with Ma Durga’s blessings, we’ll survive all future adversities.”
On the other hand, Anusha Viswanathan is the face of the Baghajatin Tarun Sangha this year. Speaking to us, the actress said, “The club holds a special place for me. I spent almost every day of Puja last year on the pandal and I’d never experienced pujo from such close quarters until then. It was a beautiful experience, and I am honoured to be its face this year. Their theme is also very thought provoking.”

Rituparna Sengupta revealed that she’s in talks with a renowned north Kolkata Puja to get on board as its brand ambassador. “But I can’t reveal which one it is right now, as I haven’t signed on the dotted line yet. Of course, like in the past four years, I’m the brand ambassador of DN Nagar Durgautsav in Mumbai this year,” she said.
Celebs ensure more sponsors, footfall
For the committees, roping in a celebrity also means an increase in sponsorships and increased footfall. “Having a celebrity face is instrumental in getting more sponsors, which ensures a bigger budget and grander Puja,’’ said Tatagatha Ghosh, the theme artist of Baghajatin Tarun Sangha. The Puja’s theme revolves around the plastic
ban. Moreover, most organisers agreed that because of their social media fan following, celebs are a good medium to spread awareness about their themes.

City Pujas not planning to have a celeb face on board this year
Kailash Bose Street Sarbojanin Durgotsab: They last had a celebrity ambassador in 2018. They discontinued the practice, as the north Kolkata Puja anyway registers record footfall and didn’t want to create stampede-like situations in the pandal
Md Ali Park Puja: The organisers told us that they decided to discontinue the practice of getting celebrity ambassadors on board post the pandemic

- Sundas Jawed