He Is The 'Fanush' Man Of Kolkata And Making Hot Air Balloons Is His Only Addiction

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee, 76, started making fanush, which is a hot air balloon constructed out of paper, when he was thirteen. Through his creative fanush, this passionate connoisseur of the balloon has earned the name of ¡°Fanush Manush¡± or ¡°Fanush man¡± in Kolkata.

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee

A resident of Bhadreswar, this retired employee of West Bengal Health Service was born and brought up in North Kolkata¡¯s Belgachia. He says, ¡°I started making fanush while I was still a kid, in Belgachia. My biggest inspiration at that point of time was Gouri Shankar Dey, who had started making a name for himself as a well known fanush maker in the state.¡±

Mukherjee adds, ¡°I remember standing on the roof of our house, or open fields and seeing the way fanush used to gradually make their way to the sky, their golden twinkles shining against the black expanse of a cityscape that was still young and in its heydays. That left a lasting impression on me.¡±

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee

It turns out that Mukherjee never took any class to make the hot air paper balloons. His meticulous observations of Gouri Shankar Dey¡¯s art instilled in him the desire to create such beautiful masterpieces. Mukherjee goes on to add on a lighter note, ¡°People have addiction to smoking or drinking, but I do not. Making Fanush is my addiction. Fanush making is my hobby.¡±

However, Mukherjee adds ruefully that the level of their patience is far too limited. He says, ¡°My fans and the young generation often come to me and ask me to train them but their patience level is too limited. They can never sit for hours and observe like I would. Fanush making requires a lot of patience and alertness.¡± He goes on to add, ¡°Making fanush takes a lot of time. It¡¯s a very delicate and fragile process and making in hurry can destroy (it). Everything is done with hands there is no use of machine.¡±

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee

Fanush, to Kolkata, is not just a trend, it has been there for a long time, and one of the institutions that have always upheld this tradition is Bhola Nath Dham on Beadon Street. It is not uncommon for residents of this house to congregate in numbers and help each other in creating intricate fanush. Ajoy Dutt is another such connoisseur who is known for his intricate art.

Ask Mukherjee why most houses not set out fanush nowadays, he says, ¡°Most houses in North Kolkata would make fanush at one point or another, but now most of those families do not even exist. And more importantly there is a severe lack of place to fly fanush. Where will you find open spaces where you can set off a fanush ¡ª for it is a spectacle. Houses are becoming smaller and lanes are becoming narrower, most people prefer living in apartments with no space at all. Traditions are being forgotten and there is a severe lack of time and will power.¡±

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee

Mukherjee goes on to add, ¡°When I was a youngster, there was a time when 30 to 40 per cent of houses in north Kolkata who would celebrate or mark a joyous occasion by making fanush fly. But now, it is just like a dream.¡±

While Bhola Nath Dham is seen setting of a number of fanush after Durga Puja, Mukherjee¡¯s craft finds air a week after Jagadhatri Puja.

¡°Every year, once Deepawali gets over and a week later to Jagadhatri Puja we set off Fanush. Last year we had set off around 35 fanush in the air. Letting a fanush rise in the air and float away into the big blue sky still gives me goose bumps. It still takes me back to the time I was still a child,¡± Mukherjee elaborates.

Ask about the designs and prices and Mukherjee says, ¡°Last year on the 27th of November, I had made fanush themed 1,000 rupee and 500 rupee notes which were scrapped by the government following its demonetisation decision on 8th of November 2016. I have even made Fanush that are up to five feet tall and cost around INR 500.¡±

¡°Fanush making is a passion and chemistry as well¡±, he adds, before saying, ¡°You might only require colour papers, wire, stick, glue, spirit and camphor, but there is a method to that madness. It is all about how you put it all together.¡±

¡°And it is all about the passion as well,¡± he adds as an afterthought.

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee

Talking about the entire process, Mukherjee goes on to day, ¡°I make a point to set off fanush during the day time by 3 pm so that people can see what I have made.¡± He further adds, ¡°This is unlike the present Chinese fanush which can be set off only after sun set.¡±

Looking back Mukherjee says that one thing that he does remember, unlike now is that during his youth they would set off fanush during day time and burst crackers in evenings during Deepawali.

As for the variety, He cheekily adds, ¡°I have made fanush of shapes like football, swan, hen, pot, a story depicting the fall of world trade centre, top, clock, among others. One thing that I do every year is that I write my name address and phone number on every fanush made by me. There is a wonderful sense of adventure in doing that, almost like leaving a message in a bottle and setting it off to the sea.¡±

¡°The culture had diminished for sometime but I can see it coming back again, albeit a lot of people are opting for the ready made Chinese fanush but there are youngsters who are showing a real passion towards it. There can be no harm in fanush making, fanush are pollution free and eco-friendly, they are a perfect past time as well!¡± he adds.

Sachin Kumar Mukherjee

So, if you are in the vicinity and want to see a true blue blood fanush, head on over to Mukherjee¡¯s place. ¡°Every year I hold a festival post-Deepawaliwhen I release fanush in the air and people congregate in large numbers to see them.¡± He adds, "People from my neighbourhood and a few of my students also come on this day and set off fanush created by them. It is like a get together after festival. We all enjoy it."

Fanush maker Sachin Mukherjee is not only famous in Kolkata but he has left people of Gujarat also spellbound in the recent kite festival there. While people of Gujarat were flying kites they saw something amazing, it was a creation by Mukherjee which drew attention of the residents of the western state. Colourful kite shaped fanush was what caught the glimpses of people there.

Talking about the future of fanush, Mukherjee and other fanush makers in the city of joy feel that the tradition will never fade out completely. There are people who would keep the tradition alive and fanush will once again make a comeback like the yesteryears.