I’m from near Kolkata. And yes, some do understand Hindi because it’s similar to Bangla, but people rarely speak it. And even if we do, we do it reluctantly. I speak in English with my non-Bengali friends, and it’s pretty common to do that in my cohort.
In the city, they are used interchangeably, people often using both if they are speaking to people out of the state. Of the older population, people often know Bengali+Hindi bcz most Bollywood movies are in Hindi
I’m from near Kolkata. And yes, some do understand Hindi because it’s similar to Bangla, but people rarely speak it. And even if we do, we do it reluctantly. I speak in English with my non-Bengali friends, and it’s pretty common to do that in my cohort.
In the city, they are used interchangeably, people often using both if they are speaking to people out of the state. Of the older population, people often know Bengali+Hindi bcz most Bollywood movies are in Hindi