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Empty roads and eerie silence: Aerial view shows Kolkata during lockdown. Watch
Freelance photographer Archisman Saha has used a drone to give a vivid picture of the otherwise hustling city engulfed in an eerie silence as people stay indoors.
As the entire nation is under lockdown, netizens are keeping busy by tracking surprising phenomenas taking place all over the world through videos and pictures. From animals fearlessly stepping out from forested areas into city streets to striking pictures of the Himalayas seen from Jalandhar, Punjab, social media is flooded with some interesting events. Adding to this list is a stunning video of the City of Joy, Kolkata, captured during the lockdown.
Freelance photographer Archisman Saha has used a drone to give a vivid picture of the otherwise hustling city engulfed in an eerie silence as people stay indoors.
Shared on Facebook, the three-minute-long video was shot from 10 am to 2 pm during what are peak office hours when one can usually see people rushing to catch a bus or hail a cab.
The video starts with a view of the empty streets of Kolkata with occasional appearances of birds, along with a completely blank picture of one of the city’s busiest spots, Esplanade. A few seconds into the video, the frame takes flight and goes on to document the city minus its constant hustle and bustle.
Shot on a Gopro hero 7 and DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone, the video also shows empty roads and flyovers across different locations of Kolkata with few to zero vehicles. Giving one the perfect aerial tour, it ends with a shot of the iconic Howrah Bridge majestically overlooking the Ganga. The footage of the river looks right out from a movie with its serene state devoid of any water traffic.
Check out the blissful video:
“While I was shooting the clips, it was mostly blank. I heard the birds chirping and not the shrillness of loud horns. I am being brutally honest, it made me uncomfortable,” Saha told Hindustan Times. “Witnessing this completely different side of the ‘City of Joy’ it dawned upon me that when everything stops we must remember and learn to coexist,” he says.
Covering all the prime and busy locations of the city, Saha was genuinely surprised with such a different picture of the city. “I tried to maintain all the safety features and guidelines while shooting and had absolutely zero contact with people and honestly, during these four hours of shooting and travelling, I hardly saw 20 people,” he adds.
The video has garnered over 3,100 views and tons of praise and surprise from netizens.
“Incredible clip. Never imagined will see my favourite City of Joy in a form like this,” writes a Facebook user. “A different Kolkata!” exclaims another.
What do you think of this striking bird’s eye view of Kolkata?
