January 22, 2025

Have you ever seen a poster advertising call boy services? We spotted one outside the Agri-Hotricultural Gardens in Kolkata’s toniest residential locality, Alipore. Just the words “CALL BOY” and a cell number on a A4 size paper. Nothing left to the imagination and everything in place.

We tried to trace the number via True Caller. The app also gave the name as call boy. We could not muster up the indecency to call the number.

For long, we had heard whispers that such studs wore a particular wrist band and were found near Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, near Victoria Memorial in Kolkata and in the vicinity of Brigade Road in Bengaluru. But since their services were requisitioned in extreme secrecy, not much was known about their operations outside of a ‘charmed’ circle.

But with the spotting of this poster, it seems the call boy is coming out of the closet.

In these hard times, with demonetization and income tax raids, it seems that the madams who requisition them are short of cash. Hence, call boys also feel the need to advertize.

But this is true gender equality. Why should only males have the benefit of call girls? Shouldn’t females be given the luxury of having a stud satisfy their lust? Bachelorette parties – all the rage currently – must be the happy hunting ground for these types, more so after the 'scintillating' performance by the two ultimate Bollywood stud-types, John Abraham and Akshay Kumar in the 2011 film Desi Boyz. They must also be making an appearance in highly secretive kitty parties. The movie B. A. Pass also made a case, although tragic, for their tribe.

But advertising their wares on a non-descript electrical transformer outside a flower garden in the country’s toniest locality must be a first for these high-testosterone swingers. It would be interesting to know whether such deals are also stuck without reference. Let the society frown upon these liaisons, but as the poster proves, there exists a market for the service.