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A guided tour of Tolly hotspots

By Rajesh Kumar, Section Tourism
Posted on Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 04:31:07 AM EST

11 am: A trip to the Tollygunge film studios. Noon: A date with Prosenjit, followed by a glimpse of the Ray address. 4 pm: A cruise down Vidyasagar Setu, a glimpse of Yuva's Calcutta clips in the coach. 6 pm: A stroll around Nandan.

The daylong itinerary is meant for the starry-eyed tourist keen to get up close to Tollywood. This October, filmi landmarks will come alive on the must-see map being drawn up by a city-based travel agency. The programme follows a successful module introduced in Mumbai from October 2004, in which foreigners and NRIs are taken around Bollywood, for a day's fare of Rs 5,000-odd, with food and stay.

Ar-es Travel Agency, located on Park Street, is drawing up the plan to give a team of travellers a feel of Tollywood's life in and behind the spotlight. Says Anil Punjabi, managing director, Ar-es, which networks with the Mumbai-based Travel Mart India for the Bollywood package: "We will start the morning with a visit to the Kalighat temple. From there to a Tollygunge studio --Indrapuri, Technician's or NT1 -- where the tourists will get to meet actors, get their autographs and take snaps with them. Around 1 pm, they will be taken to a five-star hotel for lunch. Afternoon will be reserved for more sight-seeing. It could be a visit to the Victoria Memorial and a ride on the phaeton, or dropping in at Nandan and catching a play at the Academy of Fine Arts."

The must-see destinations will also include the home of Satyajit Ray on Bishop Lefroy Road, and spots where some blockbusters were shot. "For instance, we will take the tourists around the outdoors of Yuva. In the evenings, they can check out the shopping malls," adds the chairman of Eastern India Travel Agencies Federation of India.

Each trip will take in at least 20 to 25 people, but families of four to six members are also welcome aboard. Punjabi is targeting the peak period between Pujas and end-February to introduce the package in Calcutta.

The rates will be anything between Rs 1,500 and 2,000, but for Calcuttans keen to take the Tolly trip, the fare will be further slashed.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050316/asp/calcutta/story_4497061.asp

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