Tipsy Night School is Kolkata’s very own lecture-in-a-bar experience, launched by Out In Kolkata. We invite academics to deliver talks in bars and restaurants, and audiences listen, ask questions, and make observations — all with a drink in hand.

About the lecture:

How to die without confusing the forensic scientist? By Deblina Gangopadhyay

This is a darkly humorous forensic breakdown of what happens to the human body after death, and how quickly a seemingly simple death can turn into an interpretative nightmare.

What happens when death refuses to behave neatly? Bodies stiffen, blood settles, skin changes, insects arrive, chemicals redistribute, injuries become harder to interpret and suddenly what looked obvious at first glance becomes a forensic headache.

This is not a lecture on how to die well. Instead, it takes apart the strange, messy science of the postmortem body and how death alters evidence, creates false impressions and occasionally makes the deceased look far more mysterious than they really were. 

From rigor mortis, lividity and decomposition to postmortem artefacts, toxicological surprises and the clues left behind by insects and the environment, the session looks at how forensic scientists separate genuine evidence from biological chaos. 

Expect real forensic science, uncomfortable facts and a few moments that may permanently change the way you look at crime scenes, autopsies, and every suspicious death you see on television.

About the speaker:

Deblina Gangopadhyay is a forensic science educator and researcher whose academic work lies at the intersection of science, evidence and interpretation.

She holds a master’s degree in forensic science, with a specialization in Forensic Physics and Ballistics, from the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, and is UGC-NET qualified in Forensic Science. Her teaching has ranged across forensic physics and ballistics to forensic medicine, toxicology, questioned documents, fingerprint examination and crime-scene interpretation.

She has taught postgraduate students at WBNUJS and Techno India University, guided student research, presented at national and international conferences, and contributed to interdisciplinary forensic publications. Her interests span physical evidence, medico-legal investigation, ballistics,crime-scene reconstruction and the broader science of how traces are interpreted. She is particularly drawn to the stories hidden within evidence — and to making forensic science engaging, accessible and memorable far beyond the confines of a classroom.

Event details:

Date: 18th September, Friday

Time: 7 PM to 8.30 PM

Venue: Master Jackie

The ticket price includes one drink (choice between a beer and a cocktail).

About Tipsy Night School:

Tipsy Night School is a flagship lecure-in-a-bar series launched by Out In Kolkata on 31st May. Six editions have taken place across the city’s top bars, featuring experts from various disciplines.

Out in Kolkata, founded by Proiti and Analina, is an initiative aiming to dispel the myth of Kolkata as a ‘boring city where nothing interesting ever happens.’ They promote curated lists of events taking place across the city, and design fun but meaningful experiences for engaged audiences.