LUCKNOW, Feb. 1 -- The cultural kinship between Lucknow and Kolkata took centre stage at 'Taana Baana: Lucknow-Kolkata Ka', a conversation at the Sanatkada Lucknow Festival on its second day. The programme brought together curator Srila Chatterjee, designer Subrata Pandey and researcher Paola Manfredi to explore the deep-rooted artistic and cultural connections between the two cities. Drawing parallels between the temperament of the two regions, Subrata Pandey noted how Lucknow's 'adab' and Kolkata's 'ada' echo the same cultural refinement. "Both cities flow along tributaries of the Ganga - Gomti in Lucknow and Hooghly in Kolkata - which perhaps explains their shared sensibility," he said. Pandey compared Lucknow's chikankari with Bengal's jamdani, describing both crafts as understated yet intricate. "They are not loud. Their beauty lies in subtlety, in how the embroidery dissolves into the fabric," he noted. Pandey also pointed to everyday objects as carriers of shared histories. "Cities meet in objects of daily need like 'chaabi ka challa' (keychain) and paandaan," he observed. He also noted how paandaans in Kolkata are typically box-like, while those in Lucknow are circular, reflecting regional aesthetics. Manfredi presented her research on the recurring fish motif in Lucknow, linking it to Bengal's cultural symbolism. "From historic buildings to chikankari embroidery, fish motifs appear repeatedly, carrying layered meanings across regions," she said. Reflecting on her curatorial journey, Chatterjee highlighted surprising overlaps - from La Martiniere and biryani to embroidered dhoti worn in Bengal. She described Nawab Wajid Ali Shah as "a curator ahead of his time", recalling how he recreated a mini-Lucknow in Metiabruz after his exile to Kolkata. "Kathak's Lucknow Gharana, paan culture, kabutarbaazi and kite-flying travelled with him," she said....