The evening brought together eminent figures from the worlds of culture, business and civic life. The Consul Generals of the United States, Germany and Australia in Kolkata were among those present to mark the occasion.

In what is being seen as a significant cultural and historical initiative, Ghose announced his intention to undertake the restoration of rare archival documents held in the Sheriff's office — records that have lain largely untouched since the days of the East India Company. Established in 1774, the Sheriff's office currently holds administrative and judicial documents spanning nearly two and a half centuries.

"The present office holds administrative and judicial documents dating back to the 18th century. I'm very keen to restore these documents in collaboration with the High Court's archive committee," Ghose said at the function.

The Bengal members H M Bangur, Sundeep Bhutoria, Sirshendu Mukherjee and others at the function felicitating Goutam Ghose. Photo: The Bengal

He did not underplay the scale of the challenge. "I know it's a very, very difficult job because they are more than 200-year-old documents — but I'm sure there are people who have the expertise to restore this kind of material. If we can restore them, so many unknown facts we might find in those papers that will give students and researchers a new insight about Bengal and colonial rule."

Ghose said he would work closely with expert conservators and the Calcutta High Court's archive committee to draw up a formal restoration plan. He also lauded Pronam — a joint initiative of The Bengal and Kolkata Police that reaches out to over 20,000 senior citizens across the city.

H M Bangur, Chairman of The Bengal, paid warm tribute to the filmmaker. "Goutam-da is not merely a filmmaker; he is a cultural ambassador, a storyteller of civilisations. That such a man now serves as Sheriff of our beloved Kolkata is not a surprise — it is the natural order of things," he said.

Sundeep Bhutoria, Secretary General of The Bengal with filmmaker Goutam Ghose, also a member of The Bengal. Photo: The Bengal

Sundeep Bhutoria, Secretary General of The Bengal, added: "Goutam-da's lens has always captured the heartbeat of Bengal — its rivers, its people, its longings. The Bengal is immensely proud that this honour has come to one of its most cherished members."

The Bengal has a distinguished tradition of its members serving as Sheriff of Kolkata — from footballer Chuni Goswami in 2005 to literary giant Sunil Gangopadhyay in 2002. Goutam Ghose's appointment continues that illustrious legacy.

The headline change shifts the emphasis from the plan to the promise — "unlock Kolkata's buried colonial past" gives it urgency and intrigue while the "untouched since the East India Company" line in the deck does the explanatory work. Otherwise the edits are light: tightening sentences, standardising name formats, and removing a couple of minor redundancies.