Reviews

MANTU O MARX

Ichheymoto’s new production is an unusual Marxism-made-easy-in-90-minutes capsule that dramatizes what many critics of Marx wished he had done—namely, lectured to the proletariat in their language about the ideas he

Read More »
Reviews

WINNER | MARI THE GREAT

We have a prolific, experimental as well as versatile young partnership in Bengali theatre operating out of Barrackpore: playwright Anirban Sen and director Suvojit Bandopadhyay. Two of their new productions,

Read More »

MATHUR | SWADESH-KATHA

The new productions by Paikpara Akhor have put the group back in the limelight with its special brand of research-based theatre under directors Bhadra and Asit Basu, both exploring the

Read More »

NADI-TA | RAKTAKTA JHAROKHA

Whether consciously or coincidentally, the two main groups in Kalyani have translated into Bengali plays by American authors with roots outside the US, both foregrounding women in conflict zones. Natyacharcha

Read More »
Reviews

BARRICADE | 1984?

Indisputably, Debesh Chattopadhyay has evolved into one of Bengali theatre’s most powerful as well as thinking senior directors—I write this mindful of the fact that theatrical impact does not necessarily

Read More »

ATMAJAN

For those who aspire to write popular domestic drama, the recipe doesn’t demand much. Just get the main characters into various crises as follows: 1) an elderly parent in poor

Read More »

JANMADIN MRITYUDIN | OCTOPUS LTD.

Once halls started taking bookings again post-lockdown, several groups strategized a pragmatic solution to their unpreparedness after the long, forced hiatus by joining hands to present double bills of one-act

Read More »
Reviews

DHRUBAPADA | TARURAG

Among the Bengali groups who premiered new productions with alacrity soon after theatres reopened following the first lockdown, two Sanghas located just outside Kolkata put on full-length originals featuring strong

Read More »

BAISHE AUGUST | KAL NIRABADHI

The temptation to recycle tried-and-tested practices may cause two promising Bengali groups outside Kolkata to rethink these methods. After their explosive debut with Kojāgari (read my review here), Belgharia Avimukh

Read More »