The group theatre of Kolkata refers to a tradition in theatres in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n city

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, which developed in the 1940s as an alternative to entertainment-oriented theatres. As opposed to commercial theatres, group theatre is "a theatre that is not professional or commercial", characterized by its tendency for experimentation in theme, content and production, and its aim of using the proscenium stage to highlight social messages, rather than having primarily making-money objectives.

Indian People's Theatre Association and ''Nabanna''

The play ''Nabanna'' in 1944 is said to be the birth of group theatres in Kolkata. ''Nabanna'' was written by Bijon Bhattacharya, who also co-directed it with

Sambhu Mitra Sombhu Mitra (22 August 1915 – 19 May 1997) was an Indian film and stage actor, director, playwright, reciter and an Indian theatre personality, known especially for his involvement in Bengali theatre, where he is considered a pioneer. H ...

. They were both active members of the

Indian People's Theatre Association Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) is the oldest association of theatre-artists in India. IPTA was formed in 1943 during the British rule in India, and promoted themes related to the Indian freedom struggle. Its goal was to bring cultur ...

, the association of leftist theatre-artists. In the commercial theatres at that time, entertainment was the sole purpose. However, the time was tumultuous—the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

was strengthening on the backdrop of the World War 2, and the plight of Bengal province was further worsened by the Bengal famine of 1943. Activists and thinkers attempted to use the media of theatre to highlight the plight of the people, and to stage a form of artistic protest. In this backdrop, the drama ''Nabanna'' portrayed a group of peasants as victim of the famine. The peasants had to leave their village due to famine, and they traveled to Kolkata with the hope for survival in the big city. However, they faced a series of crises and eventually got "...reduced to the most abject acknowledge poverty in Kolkata, where they develop a political awareness of their suffering". Another production of the Indian People's Theatre Association was ''Jobanbondi''.

Notion of group

Prior to the start of group theatre movement, the commercial theatre of Kolkata strived to attract audiences based on star-power. Popular actors such as Sisir Bhaduri, Ahindra Chowdhury and others were considered consistent crowd-pullers. The group theatre tried to depart from this paradigm. Instead of superstars, the emphasis in group theatre was on the group—which was commonly an amalgamation of non-professional participants who identified themselves with the social motives of the movement and participated in the production out of passion for the art. The attempt was to make ''gononatyo'' (people's theatre).

Groups after Indian People's Theatre Association

The Indian People's Theatre Association dispersed in 1947. However, the principal members continued to carry its legacy by forming several groups with similar ideology. Ahindra Chowdhuri, Sombhu Mitra and

Tripti Mitra Tripti Mitra (''née'' Bahaduri; 25 October 1925 – 24 May 1989) was a popular Indian actress of Bengali theatre and films, and wife of Sombhu Mitra, noted theatre director, with whom she co-founded pioneering theatre group ''Bohurupee'' in 19 ...

were the leading members of the group '' Bohurupee''. ''Raktakarabi'', ''Tahar Nam Ti Ranjana'', ''Char Adhyay'' (written by

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

) were some of the earlier productions of Bohurupee.

Utpal Dutt Utpal Dutta () (29 March 1929 – 19 August 1993) was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the "Little Th ...

led another faction of artists and went to create classics like ''Tiner Talowar'' and ''Kallol''. In 1950s and 1960s, many critically acclaimed productions were staged, which used international literature including the works of Anton Chekhov,

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...

, Henrik Ibsen and Bertolt Brecht. According to one critic, the productions had the "right mix of democratic politics — with certain groups drifting towards a revolutionary rhetoric — and humane ideals, based on literature drawn from the world over". Notable group theatres include the Little Theatre Group, Gandharba, Theatre Commune, Amulya Natyagosthi, Calcutta Theatre,

Nandikar Nandikar ( bn, নান্দীকার) is a theatre group in India. The group has its headquarters in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, but works around the world. History Nandikar's story begins on 29 June 1960 at maternal uncle's house ...

Ghola Kaalmukur Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...

Prominent theatre personalities

Some notable personalities associated with group theatre movement in Kolkata are as follows: *

Ajitesh Bandopadhyay Ajitesh Bandopadhyay ( bn, অজিতেশ বন্দোপাধ্যায়; born: 30 September 1933 ― 13 October 1983) was an actor, playwright, activist and director. He along with Shambhu Mitra and Utpal Dutt are considered to be ...

: first president of ''

'' *

Anirban Bhattacharya Anirban Bhattacharya (born 7 October 1986) is an Indian actor, theatre actor, singer and director. His first successful theatre production was ''Debi Sarpamasta'', written by Manoj Mitra, directed by Debesh Chattopadhyay. His other notable work ...

: worked in ''Chetana'', ''Bratyajan''. Founded ''Hatibagan Sangharam'' *

Arpita Ghosh Arpita Ghosh, is an Indian theatre artist and politician who serves as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. She has served as the Member of Parliament of the 16th Lok Sabha for Balurghat (Lok Sabha constituency), West Bengal. ...

: mainly works in ''Pancham Vaidik'' *

Arun Mukherjee Arun Mukherjee or Arun Mukhopadhyay is a Bengali actor who started his career in films with ''Kshudhita Pashan'' in 1960 followed by his performance in Satyajit Ray's 1962 film ''Kanchenjunga''. Other films he was in include ''Ekdin Pratidin'', '' ...

: founder of ''Chetana'' *

Badal Sarkar Sudhindra Sircar (Born 15 July 1925), also known as Badal Sarkar, was an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director, most known for his anti-establishment plays during the Naxalite movement in the 1970s and taking theatre out of the pros ...

: known for Street Theatre, "Third Theatre", ''Angaanmanch'' theatre *

Bibhash Chakraborty Bibhash Chakraborty (alternatively spelt Bibhas Chakraborty; born 23 September 1937) is an Indian Bengali actor and theatre personality. He is also a social activist. He is a prolific writer too. He was associated with Paschim Banga Natya Akademi ...

: founded ''

Anya Theatre ''Anya Theatre'' is a Bengali theatre group. The group was founded in 1985 by Bibhas Chakraborty. History ''Anya Theatre'' was founded by Bengali theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty Bibhas is a Hindustani classical raga. Theory Bib ...

'' *

Bratya Basu Bratyabrata Basu Roy Chowdhury (born 25 September 1969),Bratya Basu(collected plays), Ananda Publishers, 2004 also known as Bratya Basu, is an Indian actor, stage director, playwright, film director, professor and a politician who is serving a ...

: founder of '' Kalindi Bratyajan'' *

Chinmoy Roy Chinmoy Roy (1940–2019) was an Indian Bengali male actor. He was famous for his comic roles in Bengali movies, though his versatility has allowed him to play a variety of roles. Though he was known for portraying various character roles, Ro ...

: actor at ''

'' *

Chitra Sen Chitra Sen is an Indian actress and dancer who works in Bengali language films and television series. She has worked mainly in theatres, but she has also worked in films and on television. She started her career under Jnyanesh Mukhopadhyay. She ...

: actress in '' Swapnasandhani'' *

Debasish Dutta Debasish "Deba" Dutta is an American mechanical engineer and higher education administrator. He is currently senior advisor to the president of the University of Illinois System and, effective February 17, 2024, is serving as interim executive d ...

: founded Institute of Factual Theatre Arts in 1998 * Debesh Chattopadhyay: authored and directed many plays *

Debshankar Haldar Debshankar HaldarSpelling according tTelegraph Calcutta (or Debshankar HalderSpelling according t or Debsankar HalderThis spelling has been used in Nandikar'website.) is a Bengali theatre actor with a long career in Bengali theatre groups such a ...

: worked in ''

, Rangapat, Natyaranga, Sudrak, Gandhar, Bratyajon, Sansriti'' and ''Blank Verse'' *

Dwijen Bandyopadhyay Dwijen Bandyopadhyay (22 September 1949 – 27 September 2017) was a veteran Bengali actor and theater personality from West Bengal, India. He worked onstage from the 1970s. Bandyopadhyay has also been a professor in the department of Drama at Rab ...

: worked in many plays *

Goutam Halder Goutam Halder is an Indian theatre actor and director from Kolkata. He has a graduate degree from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary (V.C.) College, Rahara. Theater career Goutam Halder was a member of the theatre group Nandikar and perf ...

: worked in ''

, Naye Natua'' and ''Prachyo'' *

Keya Chakraborty Keya may refer to: * Kolya, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province * Keya Creek (Chinese: 客雅溪; pinyin: Kèyǎ Xī), a creek in northern Taiwan * KEYA, a National Public Radio member public radio station in Belcourt, North Dakota * Atanas Keya ...

: actress at ''

'' *

Kaushik Sen Koushik Sen (born 19 September 1968) is an Indian actor of film, television and theatre based in Kolkata. He is the director of the well-acclaimed theatre group Swapnasandhani. He has won the BFJA awards for best supporting actor for his perform ...

: founded '' Swapnasandhani'' in 1992 *

Manoj Mitra Manoj Mitra (born 22 December 1938) is an Indian theatre, film and television actor, director and playwright. Early life Mitra was born on 22 December 1938 in Dhulihar village of Satkhira, Khulna, Bangladesh. Initially he used to study at home b ...

: authored, directed and acted in several plays *

Mohit Chattopadhyay Mohit Chattopadhyaya (also spelled Mohit Chattopadhyay) (1 June 1934 – 12 April 2012) was a Bengali Indian playwright, screenwriter, dramatist and poet. He was a leading figure in modern Indian drama. Mohit Chottopadhya died on 12 April 2012. ...

: authored many plays *

Paran Bandyopadhyay Paran BandopadhyaySpelling according tTimes of IndiaanTelegraph, Calcutta We'll follow this spelling. (alternate spelling Paran BandyopadhyaySpelling according t/ref> or Paran BanerjeeAlternative of surname ''Bandopadhyay'', see Banerjee) is an ...

: acted in

and ''Shrutee Rangam'' *Poulomi Basu: daughter of Soumitra Chatterjee. Director and actress. *

Ramaprasad Banik Ramaprasad Banik (রমাপ্রসাদ বনিক) (1954–2010) was a Bengali theatre actor, director and playwright. He also worked in films and televisions. He started his career at a very early age with ''Putul khela'', which was an ...

: worked in '' Bohurupee''. Founded ''Chena Mukh'' and ''Theatre Passion'' * Reshmi Sen: works in ''Swapnasandhani'' *

Riddhi Sen Riddhi Sen is an Indian film actor who predominantly works in Bengali films. He is a regular actor of the theatre group Swapnasandhani and is an alumnus of South Point school, Kolkata. In 2010, he received a special talent award from his schoo ...

: works in '' Swapnasandhani'' *

Rudraprasad Sengupta Rudraprasad Sengupta (born 31 January 1935) is a Bengali Indian actor, director and cultural critic. Biography Sengupta was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bengal, the son of Anant Sengupta and Usha Prabha Sengupta. He studied at the Scottish ...

: associated with the group ''

'' * Saumya Majumder: founded ''Sandarbha'' in 1977 * Shaoli Mitra: worked in '' Bohurupee'' * Sombhu Mitra: founder of '' Bohurupee'', director * Soumitra Chatterjee: authored, directed and acted in several plays * Swatilekha Sengupta: actress of ''

'' *

Sohini Sengupta Sohini Sengupta is an Indian film and theatre actress. Daughter of actor Rudraprasad Sengupta and Swatilekha Sengupta, who are also active in theatre, Sohini is one of the leading actors of the Bengali theatre group Nandikar. As a member of the ...

: actress and director at ''

'' * Suman Mukhopadhyay: director at ''Chetana'' * Sujan Mukhopadhyay: actor and director at ''Chetana'' * Surangana Bandyopadhyay: works in '' Swapnasandhani'' *

: wife of Sombhu Mitra, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner was mainly a worker of '' Bohurupee'' * Usha Ganguly, founded '' Rangakarmee'' theatre group in 1976 *

: authored, directed and acted in several plays * Arun Kumar Sarkar: founded Green Amateur Group in 1961 * Arindam Saha, founded Natyachetana'03 (Theatre for mass education) in 2002 * Srideep Chatterjee: founded AKTO in August 2013 * Nilkantha Sengupta: founded Theatre Commune * Biswarup Chattopadhyay: founded Dum Dum Biswarupam in 2013 * handra_Gupta:_founded_Aghraner_Nabanna_in_1999 *Deep-Gunjan_(Dipankar_Bose_&_Gunjan_Ganguly).html" ;"title="Aghraner_Nabanna.html" ;"title="handra Gupta: founded Aghraner Nabanna">handra Gupta: founded Aghraner Nabanna in 1999 *Deep-Gunjan (Dipankar Bose & Gunjan Ganguly)">Aghraner_Nabanna.html" ;"title="handra Gupta: founded Aghraner Nabanna">handra Gupta: founded Aghraner Nabanna in 1999 *Deep-Gunjan (Dipankar Bose & Gunjan Ganguly): founded

in 2012 *Pinki Ghosh Dastidar: founded Sampan in 2011 *Sumit Dasgupta & Jagdeep Das: founded Ballygunge Aarushi in 2012 *Avishek DebRoy, Ahitagni, Rajib Banerjee: founded Drishti Ekhon in 2013 *Sanjay Chakraborty: founded Ultadanga Dashkatha in 2011

References

{{Bengali Theatre Bengali theatre Theatre in Kolkata History of theatre