What makes Hemen & Co, Kolkata’s iconic music store, special
The Hindu
Still going strong, Hemen & Co’s clients included George Harrison and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
“Who? George Harrison?” Mahadeb Pramanik points to the frayed bench, “Oh, he was sitting right there!” Pramanik has been a craftsman at Hemen & Co — ‘Manufacturer and Exporter: sitar, sarod, harmonium, tanpura, esraj, etc,’ says the weatherbeaten board outside — for almost 50 years, and his eyes light up as he recreates the time when ‘the quiet Beatle’ dropped by. “Uni obaak! He was amazed! But Hemenbabu ignored him, and kept working. At some point, he told George Harrison, ‘Arrey chhaya porchhe, shorey boshun’ (‘Move aside, you’re blocking the light.’).”
Apparently, one day when the teenager Hemendra’s sitar broke, he couldn’t afford to get it fixed professionally, so he did it himself. His guru, Baba Allauddin Khan, was so impressed with Hemen’s skills that he made him the de facto repairer of all his instruments, and those of his Maihar Band. Soon, ‘Hemen & Co’ was born and, over the years, it acquired a near-mythic reputation.
Ajay Devgn is back in action with ‘Dhamaal 4’. The sequel, directed by Indra Kumar, reunites Riteish Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi, along with a cast that includes Sanjay Mishra and Jaaved Jaaferi
Explore the Zayed National Museum's captivating narrative of the UAE's history through an Arab perspective, showcasing cultural treasures and stories.
The teaser of Ek Din gives a brief glimpse into the world of the film where Sai Pallavi plays Meera, whose smile draws Junaid Khan’s character into love
Aspiring to be a clever satire, Vir Das' ‘Happy Patel’ turns out to be more frustrating than fun.
The 19th Chandralekha Memorial Festival featured performances including Kuchipudi Yakshagana, Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Koodiyattam.
Explore the fascinating world of cameraless photography, where images are created without a camera using light and chemical techniques.
Solve The Hindu Sunday crossword no. 39 with challenging clues across and down to test your wordplay skills!
Sophie Turner stars as Lara Croft in Prime Video's upcoming Tomb Raider series, now officially in production.
A.R. Rahman discusses changes in the Hindi film industry, attributing shifts to power dynamics and communal influences over the past eight years.
Actor Ryan Hurst is set to play the titular protagonist Kratos in the series adaptation of the popular video game, God of War
The trailer of Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney’s Euphoria season 3 was unveiled by the makers on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
The ongoing Print Biennale Exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai, unfolds as a journey far beyond India’s borders, tracing artistic lineages shaped by revolution and resistance across Latin America and nNorthern Africa. Presented as a collateral event of the Third Print Biennale of India, the exhibition features a selection from the Boti Llanes family collection, initiated by Dr Llilian Llanes, recipient of Cuba’s National Award for Cultural Research, and curated in India by her daughter, Liliam Mariana Boti Llanes. Bringing together the works of 48 printmaking artists from regions including Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, the exhibition is rooted in the socio-political upheavals of the 1980s and 1990s. It shows printmaking as both a political and creative tool, with works that weave stories across countries and continents.
Supreme Court to hear KVN Productions' appeal regarding Jana Nayagan film certification on January 15.