Victory Colony 1950

When she lands in Calcuttas Sealdah railway station on a humid day in 1949 Amala Manna has managed to flee from the communal violence in her village but not from all her trials. Within moments of crossing over to India as a refugee from East Pakistan she loses Kartik her younger brother. Thanks to a group of young volunteers Amala finds her way to a refugee camp in Gariahata where she meets Manas Dutta who is the leader of the volunteer group. Despite the sordid camp life Amala finds sustenance in her quest to find Kartik and the new familial bonds the camp allows her to forge with complete strangers. With dwindling official support the situation in the camp deteriorates and the refugees take things into their own hands. They establish Bijoy Nagar - literally meaning Victory Colony - by occupying a zamindars vacant plot of land. This dramatic event is a harbinger of radical shifts in Amalas personal life.A compelling story set against a Calcutta thats vividly depicted in the smallest of details.- Madhulika LiddleBengal comes alive in all its sensory immediacy.- Neelum Saran Gour