{
  "id": 13629876,
  "title": "Shaan: ‘I Hope To Witness Kolkata Pujo This Year For The First Time’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/shaan-i-hope-to-witness-kolkata-pujo-this-year-for-the-first-time",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-11T03:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/shaan-i-hope-to-witness-kolkata-pujo-this-year-for-the-first-time"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When the dhaak sounds, for Shaan, it's not just a drumbeat but an announcement that Durga Pujo has begun. This five or six-day announcement brings with it the freedom to stay up late and participate in the festivities, especially at the beloved Shivaji Park. Shaan, who grew up as a \"Mumbai ka Bengali,\" has witnessed the evolution of Pujo from a simple way to step out and stay up late to a more complex and stressful affair. As a child, the festival was a time for pandal-hopping, performing at different Pujos, and savoring comfort meals like bhog and chop-cutlets with kashundi. However, the loss of his mother has changed the essence of Pujo for Shaan, who now prays for the health and togetherness of everyone gathered before Maa Durga. Despite no longer being able to experience Kolkata Pujo, Shaan is excited about witnessing his first Kolkata Pujo this year.",
  "summary": "For Bengalis, the sound of the dhaak is not just a drumbeat, it is an announcement. For Shaan, who grew up as a quintessential “Mumbai ka Bengali”, it meant permission to stay up late, pandal-hop at Shivaji Park, and later, rush from one stage to another as the star performer of the city’s Pujos. In a candid chat before the festiva, the singer talks about grief, bhog, dhoti-kurtas, and why he is…",
  "key_points": [
    "Shaan grew up as a Mumbai ka Bengali.",
    "Pujo transitioned from simple to complex affair.",
    "Shaan excited for first Kolkata Pujo this year."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Shaan's longing to experience Kolkata Pujo for the first time this year marks a personal shift in his connection to the festival, now infused with a deeper sense of nostalgia and togetherness.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}