| Elgin Fairlawn, Kolkata | |
|---|---|
 The mascot of the Elgin Fairlawn hotel | |
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| General information | |
| Location |  India, Kolkata 13/A, Sudder Street, 700016 |
| Owner | Elgin Hotels Pvt. Ltd. |
| Management | Elgin Hotels Pvt. Ltd. |
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
Elgin Fairlawn, Kolkata (formerly known as Fairlawn Hotel) is a heritage hotel owned by Elgin Hotels and Resorts. It is located on Sudder Street of Kolkata. Initially built as a house, it was later turned into a hotel in 1936. [1]
The colonial bungalow was built in 1783 by an Englishman William Ford, when Warren Hastings was the Governor General. The house on Sudder Street became a hotel in 1936 after passing into the hands of Mrs. Rose Smith (née Sarkies) of Armenian roots. [2] During the Second World War, the property was requisitioned for Canadian Airforce personnel and was known as "Canada House" for two years. During this time, it also functioned as a residential quarter of Air Force Major Melvyn Douglas and his family. In February 2018, the hotel was acquired by Elgin Hotels & Resorts. [3]
The hotel's architecture is characterized by colonial-style elements, including a white facade, arched windows, and wrought-iron railings. Its verandas are furnished with vintage wooden furniture, offering guests panoramic views of the city.
Indian film actor Shashi Kapoor met his wife Jennifer Kendal at the hotel. The couple returned to the hotel after they got married in 1958 for their honeymoon. [4] Shashi Kapoor liked spending time in the hotel, specially in the Room No. 17 — which later on became known as the Shashi Kapoor Room. [5]
Felicity Kendal, the British actress and also the sister of Jennifer Kendal has spent some time with her family in the hotel. She wrote in 2012 - "I loved it here, and it is from this hotel that I left, aged 17, to try my luck in England, my father’s disapproval ringing in my ears." [6]
The hotel has hosted a great many personalities such as British playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard, British actress Julie Christie, British musician Sting, British television actor Clive Anderson, Royal Artist Norman Hutchinson and his wife Gloria, Landscape Artist Julian Barrow, British art historian Dan Cruikshank, British journalist and writer Ian Hislop, German novelist Gunter Grass, British film and television actor Michael Palin, travel writer Eric Newby and French Writer Dominique Lapierre who stayed at the hotel in 1985 while writing the story about Calcutta titled City of Joy. The novel was then made into a film in 1992 and the cast and crew of the film, including Patrick Swayze have also stayed here. Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, whose 1965 film Shakespeare Wallah was loosely based on and starred the Kendals, have also been guests at this hotel. [7]
Shashi Kapoor was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his works in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards, he also featured in a number of English-language international films, particularly films produced by Merchant Ivory. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 2014, for his contribution to Indian cinema.
Prithviraj Kapoor was an Indian actor who is also considered to be one of the founding figures of Hindi cinema. He was associated with IPTA as one of its founding members and established the Prithvi Theatres in 1944 as a travelling theatre company based in Bombay.
Shakespeare Wallah is a 1965 Merchant Ivory Productions film. The story and screenplay are by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, about a travelling family theatre troupe of English actors in India, who perform Shakespeare plays in towns across India, amidst a dwindling demand for their work and the rise of Bollywood. Madhur Jaffrey won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival for her performance. The music was composed by Satyajit Ray.
Jennifer Kendal was an English actress and the founder of the Prithvi Theatre. She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981). Her other film appearances included Bombay Talkie (1970), Junoon (1978), Heat and Dust (1983), and Ghare Baire (1984).
Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It was built by Shashi Kapoor and his wife Jennifer Kapoor in memory of Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi's father, who had dreamt of having a "home" for his repertory theatre company, Prithvi Theatres, belongs to the Kapoor family, one of the most influential actor and director families in Bollywood. Prithviraj Kapoor founded 'Prithvi Theatres', a travelling theatre company in 1944. The company ran for sixteen years. Ved Segan was the architect who designed and built the Theatre with the supervision of Jennifer Kapoor. Jennifer, (Trustee) supervised the building and running of the theatre until her death in 1984. In 1978 Prithvi Theatre opened in Juhu, Mumbai. Shashi Kapoor was the Managing Trustee, the daily affairs are looked after by Kunal Kapoor (Trustee) with a small but efficient team. Prithvi Theatre has shows every day of the year, hosts an annual Summertime programme of workshops and plays for children, the Memorial Concert on 28 February, an annual Theatre Festival in November, and many partnership programmes promoting language, poetry, international cinema & documentaries, performing arts – which are free to the public.
JW Marriott is an American luxury hotel brand owned by Marriott International.
Karan Kapoor is an Indian photographer, actor and model. He is the son of actors Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal. His paternal grandfather was Prithviraj Kapoor and his paternal uncles are Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor. His elder brother Kunal Kapoor and younger sister Sanjana Kapoor have also acted in some films. His maternal grandparents, Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Kendal, were actors who toured India and Asia with their theatre group, Shakespearana, performing Shakespeare and Shaw. The Merchant Ivory film, Shakespeare Wallah, was loosely based on the family, which starred his father and his maternal aunt, actress Felicity Kendal.
The Kapoor family is a prominent Indian show business family with at least 4 generations of the family over 95 years being active in the Hindi film industry. Numerous members of the family, both biological and those who have married into the family, have had prolific careers as actors, film directors and producers. "The Pioneer" founder of the dynasty was "The Patriarch", Prithviraj Kapoor, who was the first member of family to begin acting in movies with his 1929 debut film Be Dhari Talwar. He was a pioneer of Indian theatre and the founding member of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). His son Raj Kapoor was the most influential actor and director in Hindi cinema. The genesis generation or the earliest linear generation of the Kapoor family tree to ever act in the films was Prithviraj Kapoor's father, Basheshwarnath Kapoor, who debuted as actor in 1951 film Awaara, which was produced, directed and starred in lead role by his grandson Raj Kapoor.
Conrad Hotels & Resorts is an American multinational brand of high-end luxury hotels and high-end resorts owned and operated by Hilton Worldwide. Conrad was considered the luxury flagship brand in the Hilton Family of Brands, named after company founder Conrad Hilton, until being supplanted by The Waldorf-Astoria Collection in 2006. As of December 31, 2021, it has 42 locations with 15,085 rooms in 21 countries and territories, including two that are owned or leased with 778 rooms, 38 that are managed with 12,152 rooms, and two that are franchised with 2,155 rooms.
The Grand Hotel, now known as the Oberoi Grand, is situated in the heart of Kolkata on Chowringhee Road. It is an elegant building of British era and is a famous building in Kolkata. The hotel is owned by Oberoi chain of hotels.
Sudder Street is a street in Central Kolkata and famous for cheap hotels. Foreign tourists often prefer the living places in this street during their stay in Kolkata.
36 Chowringhee Lane is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. It marked the directorial debut of Sen, who had until then been known as a leading actress of Bengali cinema. The film was very well received upon release. It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role, along with Dhritiman Chatterjee and Debashree Roy.
Bombay Talkie is a 1970 film by Merchant Ivory Productions, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory.
Geoffrey Kendal was an English actor and theatre director who delivered Shakespeare performances throughout India in the 1940s and 1950s.
Sanjana Kapoor is an Indian theatre personality and former film actress. She is the daughter of actors Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kapoor. She ran the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai from 1993 to February 2012.
Kunal Kapoor is an Indian actor, film producer, director and advertisement maker. Elder son of actors Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal, he made his debut with the 1972 English-language film Siddhartha, later acted in Shyam Benegal's Junoon and in his first mainstream Bollywood film, Ahista Ahista, opposite Padmini Kolhapure as well as Vijeta. He also acted in the art films Utsav (1984) and Trikal (1985).
Junoon is a 1979 Indian Hindi language film produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Shyam Benegal. The film is based on Ruskin Bond's fictional novella, A Flight of Pigeons, set around the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The film's soundtrack was composed by Vanraj Bhatia, and cinematography by Govind Nihalani.
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