City celebrates its French connection

Kolkata amar bari hoye geche. Ami apnader atitheyotar jonye dhonyobad janai,” said French Consul General Virginie Corteval before raising a toast with chief guest Atri Bhattacharya, while her expression in Bangla was met with a loud cheer from the people present. Marking the anniversary of Storming of the Bastille 1789, a turning point in the French Revolution, Kolkata’s French Consulate hosted a party that celebrated the French National Day at a city hotel.From diplomats to Tollywood actors and members of the French community to the hosts — the event saw a large gathering on Saturday.

The party started with Virginie, her deputy Olivier Cassin and director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale, Fabrice Plancon, welcoming the guests. American Consul General Patti Hoffman and German Consul General Michael Feiner were among those who reached early.

Elaborating on the occasion, Virginie told us, “I’m very happy to host my first National Day in Kolkata. We have chosen the theme of Provence, which is south of France. We are very happy to showcase the food of the region to our friends in Kolkata. It is blended with the food of Bengal. It has been 10 months here in Kolkata and I am
liking my stay.”

At an art corner, artist Shuvaprasanna and his students, Samir Roy and Madhubanti Banerjee, were seen painting Van Gogh’s Sunflower alongsidea few more.
Paoli, who was spotted with her husband, Arjun Deb, attended the event after wrapping up the shoot of Sanjhbati. “It is the Bastille Day celebration. How could I miss it?” she told us.

The party had an elaborate spread of food comprising delicacies from France and India.