Babu-Bibi News

Partha Pratim Deb’s work is an amalgamation of the indigenous folk traditions that he imbibed at Santiniketan with the experimentation of pop art. When imbued with his leitmotif—a sense of humor—the synthesis results in delightful works such as the Babu-Bibi News. The ‘Babu-Bibi’ satire—referring to man about town and his wife—first became part of popular culture in the nineteenth century with Kalighat pats that satirised the blind aping of British ways by Calcutta’s elite. Here, Deb presents its modern version, mocking the dandy in this image through four snapshots.