Amitabh Bachchan on KBC recalls Usha Uthup, Park Street's golden era
Synopsis
On KBC, Amitabh Bachchan did something rarely seen on Indian primetime — he became the audience. His vivid recall of Park Street's 1960s restaurant row and live-music scene, centred on Usha Uthup's 1969 stage debut, offered a first-person account of a cultural golden age that shaped some of India's most enduring artistic voices.
Key Takeaways
Amitabh Bachchan recalled Park Street, Kolkata and its live-music culture on Kaun Banega Crorepati on 2 October 2026 .
The conversation was sparked by contestant Shourjya Das on the hot seat.
Bachchan named Usha Uthup and Louis Banks among musicians he remembered performing on Park Street.
Usha Uthup began her professional singing career at a Park Street restaurant in 1969 after moving to Kolkata.
Uthup has previously recalled seeing Bachchan , Satyajit Ray , Uttam Kumar , and Sharmila Tagore in the audience at those venues.
Bachchan also fondly recalled Nizam's kebabs and rolls as part of Kolkata's food culture.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on 2 October 2026 revived memories of Kolkata's iconic Park Street live-music scene on the quiz reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), paying tribute to veteran singer Usha Uthup and the city's storied restaurant culture from the 1960s. The nostalgic exchange was prompted by contestant Shourjya Das, a Kolkata native, on the hot seat.
Bachchan's Park Street Memories
Bachchan, who worked in Kolkata during the 1960s, spoke with evident warmth about the city's nightlife. "Hamara raat ka entertainment yahi hota tha. Us saare ke saare Park Street mein ek line se lagi hui hain jitne bhi restaurant hain" — (Our nighttime entertainment used to be right here. All the restaurants on Park Street are lined up in a row) — he recalled on the show.
He went further, describing the stretch as unlike anything he had encountered elsewhere. "Adbhut jagah hai... Vishwa bhar mein maine kahi aisa nahi dekha hai ki ek hi sadak ke upar, 100 meter ki doori par, 5–6 restaurant ek saath milenge aur sab ek se ek avval number par" — (It is an extraordinary place... I have never seen anywhere in the world that on a single road, within a distance of 100 metres, you can find five or six restaurants together, and each one is outstanding).
Usha Uthup and the Park Street Stage
Among the musicians Bachchan recalled performing at those celebrated Park Street venues were Usha Uthup and jazz pianist Louis Banks. Uthup's connection with Park Street is deeply personal: she launched her professional singing career at a restaurant on that very street in 1969 after relocating to Kolkata, going on to become one of the most distinctive voices in the city's live-music tradition.
Notably, Uthup has previously spoken about her deliberate choice to perform in traditional sarees at a time when Western fashion dominated nightclub stages — a sartorial statement that became part of her identity. In her own recollections, she has mentioned seeing some of the era's most celebrated figures in the audience, including Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar, Sharmila Tagore — and Amitabh Bachchan himself.
Kolkata's Food Culture Gets Its Due
The KBC episode was not only a tribute to music. Bachchan also spoke fondly of Kolkata's culinary heritage, singling out Nizam's — the legendary eatery famous for its kebabs and rolls — as a highlight of his years in the city. The mention of Nizam's resonated with audiences familiar with the institution's decades-long place in Kolkata's food culture.
Why This Moment Resonated
Park Street has long been central to Kolkata's cultural identity, blending colonial-era architecture, live jazz and blues, and some of eastern India's most acclaimed dining establishments. Bachchan's candid nostalgia on primetime television offered a rare first-person window into the street's mid-20th-century heyday. This comes amid a broader renewed interest in Kolkata's heritage spaces, as the city marks several cultural milestones this year. For viewers and Kolkata residents alike, the KBC segment served as an unexpected, warmly received tribute to a living cultural landmark.
Point of View
Told by someone who was actually there. What stands out is the circularity: Bachchan remembers Uthup on stage, and Uthup remembers Bachchan in the audience — two legends independently corroborating the same golden era. Indian television rarely produces this kind of living oral history, and the segment's viral traction suggests audiences are hungry for it. The broader question is whether India's media ecosystem does enough to archive and contextualise such accounts before they are lost.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Amitabh Bachchan say about Park Street on KBC?
Amitabh Bachchan described Park Street as an extraordinary place unlike anywhere he had seen in the world, marvelling at how five or six outstanding restaurants sit within 100 metres of each other on a single road. He recalled it as the centre of his nighttime entertainment during his Kolkata years in the 1960s.
What is Usha Uthup's connection with Park Street, Kolkata?
Usha Uthup began her professional singing career at a restaurant on Park Street in 1969, after relocating to Kolkata. She went on to become one of the city's most iconic live-music voices, and famously chose to perform in traditional sarees at a time when Western fashion dominated nightclub stages.
Who else did Amitabh Bachchan mention from the Park Street music scene?
Alongside Usha Uthup, Bachchan also recalled jazz pianist Louis Banks as among the musicians who performed at Park Street's popular venues during that era.
Did Usha Uthup remember Amitabh Bachchan from her Park Street days?
Yes. Uthup has previously recalled seeing Bachchan in the audience at Park Street restaurants, along with other celebrated figures of the era including Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar, and Sharmila Tagore.
What Kolkata food did Amitabh Bachchan reminisce about on KBC?
Bachchan spoke fondly of Nizam's, the iconic Kolkata eatery known for its kebabs and rolls, as a cherished part of the city's food culture during his time there.
