Kolkata’s Weekend Activity Club Unites Strangers

“For the Halloween party we brought in food, soft drinks, everything. We charged Rs 500 for people who only wanted food and soft drinks. For those who wanted alcohol as well, it was Rs 1,000 in total. It was basically break even. We are not trying to make a profit, just cover costs.”

“On Saturdays we meet at 6.30am at Rabindra Sarobar. We run five to six kilometres in about half an hour. Then we gather at what we call the activity point. We do relay races, push ups, different games, then go for breakfast together.”

“We do not want to copy whatever is already happening, like only runs or only supper clubs. At the same time, we cannot go totally out of the box every time because the group is big. We pick things that feel neutral and comfortable for most people, then mix in new ideas like movie nights, karaoke, Christmas walks on Park Street...”

“We were at afters, just a big breakfast table of 30 or 35 people after a run. Everyone kept saying, we like your energy, we like the time we spend together, you guys should organise something.”

“On a call or text anyone can seem nice. What matters is how they behave at events. If someone makes another person uncomfortable, I speak to them privately. I tell them clearly, this is how your behaviour is making the other person feel. If they do not change, I ask them to skip events. The ones who come back usually apologise and behave differently. The idea is that everybody feels safe.”

“They told me, you are not even putting in effort and still people are following you. They said, you should start something of your own. At first I did not want to, because some of the founders of that club were my friends. But more and more people kept saying the same thing.”

“The community has everything you could ask for — good people, good vibes and genuinely fun sessions. In this age of social media, it feels rare that people take out time to meet in real life and do meaningful, joyful activities.”

“My first event was a walk through Kumartuli followed by a jamming session. Exploring art, culture and then music together felt refreshing and deeply connecting.”

“I had heard of Kumartuli, but had never been there. Walking through those lanes with people my age, talking to them, seeing the idols being made, it was all very new. I did not know Kolkata had these kinds of people.”

“I never had such a big group to play these games with. Now I tell my friends that my weekends are sorted. I do not have to plan anything. WAC plans it for us, we just show up and have fun.”

“My weekends used to feel repetitive. Now I look forward to them. WAC has made me more active, more social and overall happier. It feels like a group of friends rather than a club.”

“From the very first day the vibe felt different. Everyone was warm and welcoming and genuinely excited to be there.”