Mitu Bhowmick Lange begins her Diwali celebrations early with Bengal’s famous Durga Puja

Join host Raksha Burman in conversation with Mitu Bhowmick Lange, a Melbourne based film distributor, producer and festival director of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Hear about Mitu’s Bengali roots and celebration of Durga puja, a popular festival celebrated in Eastern India in the lead up to Diwali.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange and her daughter in Kolkata at a Durga Puja pandal Credit: supplied

Mitu Bhowmick Lange has made a career in the male dominated film industry by channelling the power of her favourite Indian goddess Kali!

This festive season, Mitu is looking forward to sweet treats like Bengali ‘payesh’, home and office pujas (prayers) and re-connecting with loved ones.

In the morning you wake up to the sounds of the dhak and the shonkos playing, the pujos and aarti, it is just a very spiritual, special and very festive time.

Mitu Bhowmich Lange

A foodie at heart, Mitu looks forward to her favourite festival food, ‘bhog’ - vegetables slow cooked over fire with a smokey flavour and porridge like consistency, served with a delicious chutney.

And during Kali puja, her favourites are mutton curry and fish curry, along with ‘luchi’ (a deep-fried flatbread, made of finely milled flour giving it a flaky interior and crispy exterior), and date chutney.

For dessert, she cant go past mentioning her favourite dessert is ‘Payeesh’ (Indian rice pudding sweetened with date palm jaggery).

There is nothing that matches up to the celebrations back home but I think slowly you adapt. You also start embracing the differences and bringing your own personal touch to it.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange

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Executive Producer and Host: Raksha Burman

Edit and Sound Design: Delys Paul