It was between 2019 and 2021 when Shamindra Ghosh, who had just graduated in civil engineering from the Ideal Institute of Engineering in Kalyani, West Bengal, was sitting in one of his friend’s cafes in Kolkata, wondering where life would take him. Desperately looking for work, he was also grieving the loss of his mother. He was consumed by depression.
A die-hard fan of Lionel Messi, Shamindra often played videos of his favorite footballer on YouTube and other social media platforms. Watching Messi dribble past his opponents and reach great heights had a telling impact on the young man from Dumdum.
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It lifted his spirits and inspired him to use a small empty space in his building to honor the person who helped him overcome depression. The Leo cafe was born.
“I noticed that whenever I felt depressed, I would watch Lionel Messi videos. That would cheer me up,” said Shamindra. mint alive. “The idea to start a cafe arose during that time and I decided to dedicate it to the person who helped me get out of depression.
Portraits of Lionel Messi decorate the walls of Cafe Leo.
“Messi is God to me and I call this cafe my temple. I want to leave a legacy for the next generation. People should know me as a die-hard Messi fan who built a temple for the Argentine through my cafe,” he added.
“I want to feel Lionel Messi one day”
Located a stone’s throw from Dumdum railway station, it is not just a cafe for Shamindra, but a temple whose walls are decorated with moments from Messi’s illustrious professional career, which began in 2004 in Barcelona.
Originally a six-seater cafe, Shamindra’s temple has grown over the years. It is a popular spot for all Messi lovers in the area, especially on days when Messi takes to the pitch, creating a match day atmosphere.
Word of Cafe Leo has already reached Satadru Dutt, the man behind bringing Messi to India. Meeting his God would be a dream come true for Shamindra. However, things did not go as he would have liked as Shamindra has yet to hear from Satadra.
“When I heard he was coming to Kolkata (December 13) I went crazy and my first reaction was if I can meet my God. I want my story to reach Messi. Satadru Dutta asked me to contact me on Facebook and assured me that he is trying to arrange a meeting,” informed Shamindra.
Interior view of Cafe Leo.
“But I haven’t heard anything from him lately. I tried to reach him, but I couldn’t. I want to feel my God (Messi) for once. I still hope to meet Messi, and if it happens, I would like to tell him my story. I want to tell him that I dedicated some part of my life to you,” he added, his eyes shining with hope.
What if the meeting with Messi doesn’t happen?
Shamindra knows that getting to Messi is difficult. But that doesn’t stop him from being among the first to reserve a ticket for the event. It may even end up at the Kolkata airport on December 12 when Messi enters Kolkata around 11:55 PM IST.
Four years after he opened the cafe, life was better for Shamindra. At the same time, he has a job in a private company and is getting married on December 15. “I’m still saving up to watch one of Messi’s matches live from the stadium before he leaves,” he concluded.
Lionel Messi can heal anyone.
