USHA GANGULI Life of Theatre

ABOUT NAAM GOTROHIN MANTOR MEYERA
I have been friends with Aly Zaker and Sara Zaker since as long as I can remember. We always planned to work jointly in producing a play, but it never came to be till now. Eventually fate smiled on us and made 'Naam Gotrohin Mantor Meyera' possible. The play is based on three of Saadat Hasan Manto's short stories. I have staged several other Manto stories in India in the past and I felt that it's time for his message to be conveyed to the Bangladesh audience. When I shared this idea with Aly and Sara Zaker, they agreed to work with me to stage Manto's stories in Bangladesh. These stories are driven by female lead characters, three women in three plays who come from three professions. At the end of the day, despite the difference in their backgrounds, they all end up in the state. And this is the universality of Manto's writings, based on how comparable the life of women is in our part of the world. Despite countries divided into new countries, the standing of women has not really changed. They face the same social odds and difficulties, and are oppressed in the same way in the countries of the Indian sub-continent. I love composing music for my own plays, but for 'Naam Gotrohin Mantor Meyera', Nagorik Nattya Samprodai's K.B.L. Azad had already composed much of the music for the play before he passed away. I am mostly using his music for the play, as a tribute to him.
ON SELIM AL DEEN
I was and forever will be a huge fan of Selim Al Deen, but when I received word of his untimely death, it felt as if a part of the nation had died with him; it sent shockwaves through the theatre scene of Bangladesh.  I could never forget his work. I remember taking up the challenge of bringing one of his scripts – 'Hor Goj' to life, but could never finish it, due to other things that needed my attention. This was one of the few dissatisfactions of my life. You see, his plays weren't just mere acts on stage, they were much more; and you needed to really think and analyze them to get what they were all about. The thing with Bangladeshi playwrights is, there are a lot of them, but people like Selim Al Deen are like Haley's comet, showing up once in a lifetime.
 

ON THE BANGLADESHI THEATRE
From, what I've seen, there are a lot of talented actors and theatre activists with great potential, but I feel the sort of space women need to work and thrive in as theatre performers is missing in Bangladesh. I am certain that they will want to immerse themselves in the world of theatre, not just as actors but as directors, light designers, sound directors, costume designers, playwrights, etc. I remember a time when there used to be several theatre festivals in both Bangladesh and India. People from both our countries would be invited to attend and witness plays to share valuable insights on the world of theatre. But this ever popular trend has receded. I rarely visit Bangladesh; if these festivals took place more often, I am sure it would be a great push forward for the theatre scene. I remember visiting such a festival hosted by Bangladeshis in Kolkata. It was at a time when I did not speak or understand much Bangla, but I knew enough of the language to fall in love with Nurul Din's 'Shara Jibon'. It was a wonderful and unforgettable play. I remember seeing Aly Zakir act, and since then we have been great friends. Apart from this, I love Dhaka theatre's plays, and of course Selim Al Deen's play, I also enjoyed Sudip Chakroborti's 'Chaka' and a few others.
 

IS THE CRAFT OF THEATRE
IN CRISIS?
I don't think so. I cannot comment on whether the theatre scene in Bangladesh is in crisis or not, but I know that in India, it is definitely thriving. I don't believe there will ever be a crisis. If people think that the emergence of newer media will steal the theatre actors; that is not true. Theatre actors will always want to act out on stage live, and there is a specific group of actors who enjoy this kind of performance. Other forms of performance will not fill their hearts. Of course, there are those who will start off as theatre actors, and move away to other mediums, and when I am faced with people who are leaving but might think they will simultaneously keep alive their acting in theatres and in other mediums, I give them one piece of advice, “Choose where you belong”. Theatre acting is a full time occupation, as are other forms of acting; it really isn't possible for one performer to work in more than one medium whole heartedly. And I am very glad to say that, in terms of dedicated performers who love the theatre, we do not have a crisis in India. Take me for example, after a few short stints in movies and television, including in Goutam Ghosh's 'Paar', I realized that this is not where I belong. I belong to the theatre – this is me. All these mediums are very strong mediums, despite the fact that television and movies are mostly geared towards commercial success. But not all are suitable for everyone. To me, for the kind of messages I want to communicate, in the ways that I want to do so, is only possible with the theatre. And this is where I will be for as long as we live.
 

USHA GANGULI'S LIFE AT A GLANCE
Usha Ganguli is an Indian theatre director-actor and activist. Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in a family from village Nerva in Uttar Pradesh, Usha Ganguli later moved to Kolkata, where she studied at Shri Shikshayatan College, Kolkata and did her Master's degree in Hindi literature. She founded Rangakarmee theatre group in 1976, the group invited outside directors, like M.K. Anvase, who directed Mother, Tripti Mitra directed Gudia Ghar, an adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House, besides Rudra Prasad Sengupta and Vibhash Chakravorty, before she started directing herself, having trained under Tripti Mitra and Mrinal Sen. She started directing in 1980s and soon her energetic style and disciplined ensemble work with young, large casts brought a resurgence of Hindi theatre in the city. Her important productions include Mahabhoj (Great Feast) in 1984, based on Mannu Bhandari novel, Ratnakar Matkari`s Lokkatha (Folktale) in 1987, Holi by playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar in 1989, and Rudali (1992), her own dramatized version of a story by Mahashweta Devi, Himmat Mai, an adaptation of Brecht's Mother Courage and notably Court Marital written by playwright Swadesh Deepak. She has written a play Kashinama (2003), based on a story, Kaane Kaun Kumati Lagi from the Kashinath Singh's classic work, Kashi Ka Assi and an original play Khoj. She also worked on the script of Raincoat (2004) a Hindi film based on O Henry's The Gift of the Magi, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Rangakarmee started its education wing in the 1990s, today it regularly takes its repertoire on tours across India and undertakes education extension activities in theatre with underprivileged people. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama in 1998. She has also been honoured by the West Bengal Government as the best actress for the play Gudia Ghar.
SOME OF USHA GANGULI'S BEST PLAYS
Mahabhoj (The Great Feast) (1984)
Lok Katha (Folk Tale) (1987)
Holi (1989)
Court Martial (1991)
Rudali (The Mourner) (1992)
Himmat Mai (Mother Courage) (1998)
Mukti (1999)
Shobhayatra (2000)
Kashinama (2003)
Manasi (in Bengali) (2011)
Chondalika (2012)
Sarhad Par Manto (2012)

Interviewed by Rafi Hossain and narrated by Waleed K. Rajamiya