Sen Saloon

You can find us in the Jagatpur area, specifically over in Gobindanagar here in Kolkata. Our shop, Sen Saloon, has been a part of this street for quite a while now. It’s a quiet corner most of the time, away from the really big main roads. We open up the shutters every morning and start by cleaning the mirrors and setting out the combs. The chairs we have are the old-fashioned heavy ones that are actually quite comfortable once you sit down. Most of the people who come here are our neighbors who have been living in Gobindanagar for years. We know their names and how they like their hair cut without even asking anymore. Sometimes the local kids come in and they can be a bit restless, but we manage. We don't have fancy air conditioning, just a big ceiling fan that wobbles a little bit when it’s on high. The walls have a few faded pictures of different hairstyles, though most people just ask for the same thing every time. It’s a humble place with a stone floor that we try to keep clean. During the monsoon, the rain splashes against the front, and we all huddle inside and talk about the weather while we work. It’s just a normal barber shop where we do our daily business. We don't try to be anything we aren't. It’s just about providing a place for a decent haircut in the neighborhood.