US traveller gets coffee and caricature for Rs 80 in Kolkata

A US traveller, Markus, received a hand-drawn caricature of himself along with a cup of coffee for just Rs 80 at a shop in Kolkata run by artist Shyama Prasad Dey. Dey has been running the establishment for around 30 years, combining his passion for drawing caricatures with serving beverages.

Markus documented his visit in a video that has gone viral online. He was drawn to sketches of Indian personalities on the walls, including former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, and was surprised to learn Dey had appeared on the Bengali TV show Dadagiri hosted by Ganguly. Dey decided to draw Markus after complimenting his face, and the finished sketch became the highlight of the visit.

Markus was amazed that the original artwork cost less than a dollar. Holding the caricature alongside his coffee, he raised his cup and said, "Cheers." For Dey, the interaction was another ordinary day at a shop that has brought together coffee drinkers, artists, locals, and visitors for three decades.