I live in a neighbourhood called Kolkata

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Kolkata may not be as cosmopolitan as Bangalore but a Kolkatan is cosmopolitan in attitude. Large-hearted, aware of the city''s roots, proud of its unique heritage: that''s the Kolkatan for you. <br /><br />Ask any young Kolkatan about Raja Rammohun Roy, and he might not know who he was. But ask a North Kolkatan and he might even point out his house.<br /><br />This comes from a sense of belonging to his surroundings, an involvement with his people.The city still has its paras; apartment blocks are not omnipresent. So there''s a strong sense of neighbourhood. You are referred to not by your name but as dada, or mashi.<br /><br />A very important expression of this involvement is the annual Durga Puja: a community celebration that dates back to the freedom struggle. And no, there''s no religious fundamentalism here. If Kolkata has any fundamentalism, it''s cultural — mainly revolving around Tagore. <br /><br />But on the whole, a Kolkatan has tremendous acceptance of the other. For example, if he hires a cab driven by a non-Bengali, he''ll try to speak broken Hindi. When away from home for more than a week he might look for machh- bhaat, but will be the first to popularise Chinese at roadside stalls.<br /><br />Fish is another passion of a Kolkatan. And there''s no scrounging here. Culinary delights come before lifestyle fads. For a Kolkatan, the material side of life is phutani (show-off). While antique furniture or haute couture are not things worth slogging for, hilsa and chingri (prawns) are.<br /><br />Of course, a Kolkatan is politically aware. Everyone has an opinion. In fact, sometimes a Kolkatan can be too opinionated. <br /><br />But that''s because of its history. The city of Subhash Bose and C R Das was inclined towards the Congress once; and when every intelligent Kolkatan started talking Left, even the grassroots got involved. But despite his diehard ideology, he is tolerant and forgiving of what the other guy thinks and believes in.<br /><br />Me and My City... The Kolkatan needs to do a lot more about the city''s cleanliness. The pond next to his house may be filled with moss and breeding mosquitos, yet he won''t chase the municipality to clean it up. <br /><br />But he will give them hell and ensure that the para''s Puja continues to be conducted with pomp and pageantry.<br /><br />-<span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Rituparno Ghosh</span>, filmmaker <br /><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">(As told to </span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Ratnottama Sengupta</span><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">)</span></div> </div>