Kolkata Durga Puja Committee Apologizes Over Poster Controversy Involving Zakir Hussain
A Durga Puja committee in south Kolkata apologized after its theme poster sparked controversy for allegedly disrespecting late tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. The Behala Young Men's Association clarified that the poster, featuring a tabla with the Bengali caption "Fakir Hussain," was intended as a childlike representation aligned with this year's theme "Chhuti" (holiday), exploring childhood imagination and artificial intelligence. Artist Sanatan Dinda, involved in idol and pandal decoration, stated he was not responsible for the poster.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is neutral (50/100). Lens Score 32/100.
Outlets measured: theprint, news18. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (50–50/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
news18 broke this story on 20 Sept, 03:17 pm. Other outlets followed.
- 1news1820 Sept, 03:17 pmKolkata Durga Puja committee apologises over poster controversy
- 2theprint20 Sept, 03:27 pmKolkata Durga Puja committee apologises over poster controversy
Story context
- Category
- Social
- Location
- Kolkata, India
- Sources analysed
- 2
- Last analysed
- 20 Sept 2026
- Key entities
- Durga PujaKolkataTablaBehalaBengali languagePress Trust of IndiaZakir Hussain (musician)MurtiPandal