The magnificent misfit men of a lost Calcutta

On July 14, Manab Pal, a distinguished figure of post-colonial Calcutta, passed away at 84. His life was marked by notable achievements in shipping, oil exploration, and even building a floating hotel in Kolkata. While this column isn’t a tribute, it reflects on the passing of an era—the Calcutta bhadralok, or the 'boxwallahs,' who embodied a unique blend of Victorian British influences and Indian traditions.