That 'stunning' aerial view of Kolkata is a collection of colour-enhanced clichés
Universally recognised landmarks and unreal shades.
It's almost axiomatic that drone footage of a familiar city will evoke oohs, aahs and a surge of metro pride, especially if your city is a maligned one. No wonder, then, that Sandip De's video, made with shots taken with a DJI Phantom 3 professional quadcopter has got people all misty-eyed.
As misty, in fact, as Kolkata appears to be. Except it's not, it's just polluted and dusty, like every other Indian megapolis.
The choice of landmarks – Shaheed Minar, Victoria Memorial, St Paul's Cathedral, Howrah Bridge and Vivekananda Setu – automatically limits the views to the most beautiful part of the city. Unfortunately, it's a mirage.
For instance, the river flowing beneath those two bridges is not aquamarine. It's a dirty brown.
The Victoria Memorial grounds are not usually so breathtakingly clean and empty – they're filled with people from all over the state, making entry almost impossible. Ditto for the Shaheed Minar, around which there are huge congregations of commuters, loiterers, political workers, vendors, and criminals through the day.
More important, these are not the places where Kolkata and its people live. It's a vibrant battlefield of a city, which will leave you exhilarated and exhausted, but not "nostalgic" for a black and white version, like the video below. (Does nostalgia always imply sepia?)
