Around 1928-1929, Himmatbhai Patel, upon reaching Kolkata, started selling chanachur / bhujia in a handcart opposite to Ujjala Movie hall. It was having an average business till 1950 when a blockbuster movie got released in Ujjala named Agnipariksha with the star pair Uttam Suchitra. And with the flourishing business of Ujjala movie hall, this small chanachur shop got the required boost. The brandless chanachur was called as Ujjala r chanachur, for the location. And as they say, rest is history. This information is taken from the FB post here.
Once you’re crossing Basusree Cinema hall and going towards Rashbehari Crossing, you’ll find this on the same footpath. And, the identifiable factor is the standard queue in front of it. Get in the queue. The owner, Mr. Ram Chandra Prasad sits there personally and makes sure the same is maintained. He works from 8 AM- 8 PM on all days. Try sneaking in and asking for some chanachur, all you’ll get is “Line e asun” and you’re back to square one. So, wait patiently in the queue and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to meet that gentleman there who has been a loyal customer there for probably decades. Happily, he’ll start narrating those golden days of his youth and you won’t even realize when your turn has come…
