Calcutta Topical Number One provides an interesting study of British influence in India. The experience of the British racecourse is imported almost wholesale to the sub-continent. The form of the race, the style of betting, the design of the cup, the racers and the majority of the horses are all western in origin (‘Royal Calcutta Turf Club’, 2009), as is the majority of the crowd. The film itself is preoccupied with western attire. Its longest scenes depict the perambulations of the racegoers. Here the camera is attracted to those who are dressed in the most modern 1920s styles (scenes tend to be cut when someone wearing less fashionable clothing walks into view). Contemporary fashion is particularly in evidence among the younger women attendees.

A lengthy introduction depicting crowds arriving at the course is followed by a section entitled ‘Scenes in the Paddock’. Again, the camera stays focused on the spectators. The scene begins with a panned shot from the crowd to the horses being paraded. The following scenes are always framed so that we can view both the racegoers and the horses.

The footage of the King Emperor’s Cup Race is severely truncated. There is a quick edit from the start straight to what a title card describes as being ‘the exciting finish’. The lack of attention given to the race is probably not only attributable to the filmmakers’ priorities: filming the entire course would also have required multiple cameras. Moreover, it is apparent that the filmmakers wish to relate the story of the sporting event. During the paddock scenes the camera had focused primarily on the eventual winner, and following the victory the rider, horse and owner are each posed for the camera. There is also a close-up of the cup that they have won.

Although Indian racegoers are vastly outnumbered, one of the most striking features of the film is their presence in the crowd. Here there is a difference between the male and female attendees. The majority of the Indian men are wearing western clothes; some are in fashionable 1920s attire, including a man in a three-piece suit, white shoes and trilby who becomes the main focus of the camera’s attention. The Indian men are not seen in groups. The Indian women, meanwhile, usually appear collectively and, although dressed in their finery, they commonly wear traditional Indian clothing, typically saris. Indian men and women are not usually seen together. Elsewhere in the film, Indians are depicted in a more subservient role. One function of the Indian staff is to lead the horses in the paddock; Indians are also seen in uniform, serving as guards and stewards.

Calcutta Topical Number One depicts a life far removed from the struggle for independence. Here a westernised social event is proudly on display. The race appears to have been a high social occasion for both the British and Indian members of the crowd. However, this is a gathering that, on the surface at least, appears to be tolerant and at ease with itself. A wide variety of styles can be witnessed among both the British and Indian attendees, some of them outré (one British woman can be seen wearing a gentleman’s top hat). Moreover, this gathering of cultures is depicted intermingling freely.

Richard Osborne (June 2009)