Kamal Ghorui
Kolkata: Filmmaker Goutam Ghose was sworn in on Wednesday as Kolkata’s sheriff for 2026, reviving the colonial-era honorary post after a five-year vacancy. Appointed by the West Bengal governor on the recommendation of the Calcutta High Court, Ghose joins past sheriffs such as Sunil Gangopadhyay, Suchitra Mitra, Ranjit Mallick and Chuni Goswami.Kolkata’s sheriff is an apolitical honorary office. The post has remained vacant since 2019 after the term of author Mani Shankar Mukherjee. Speaking to TOI after the ceremony, Ghose said the swearing-in took place “in a dignified way” at the sheriff’s office in the HC. Apart from court officials and Ghose’s family members, former sheriff Ranjit Mallick and actor Paoli Dam were also present at the ceremony.Ghose said the word “sheriff” brings to mind the image of Kirk Douglas in Western films, riding a horse with a revolver. “But I neither have a horse nor a gun,” Ghose said in jest. “Jokes apart, the sheriff’s office dates back to 1776 during East India Company rule. Kolkata and Mumbai are the only Indian cities to have retained the post. The sheriff in Kolkata has to sign legal and administrative documents and also monitor how some charitable funds are allotted,” he added.The corridors of the HC are not new to Ghose. He has directed a documentary on it titled “A Temple to Solomon”. “One of my priorities now is the digitisation of old Calcutta High Court records. Some of the pages have become brittle but I know it is possible to digitize them too. Everyone feels that it might unearth some important historical documents. I am considering working with the HC’s existing archive committee,” he added.
