Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Mamata Banerjee treats visual politics like a contact sport. Her lawyer avatar is proof

After her election defeat, Mamata Didi seems to be reinventing herself again. And for her first role, she has chosen to be a courtroom protagonist. Because Didi without a fight has never really been Didi.

Mamata Banerjee may have lost Bengal, but she has no intention of leaving the frame. First, she refused to resign as chief minister and now days after her crushing poll defeat, Didi has taken it a notch up and appeared in a new avatar, ready to take on the establishment single-handedly.

On Thursday, the 71-year-old walked into the Calcutta High Court in a black lawyer’s coat and advocate bands to appear in a post-poll violence case herself. But she didn’t leave vintage Mamata behind. Underneath the gown, visible enough to miss only if you haven’t seen Didi, BA, LLB, ever before, was her trademark white saree with blue border. Chin up, she strode into the court surrounded by male lawyers and ‘chor, chor’ slogans and took a seat. It was classic Mamata again: a hint of theatre, a lot of anger and in today’s Reel generation — a meme template.

Then came the perfect second act. As spicy as the Bengal........

© ThePrint