Usha Ganguly
Encyclopedia
Usha Ganguly is an India
n theatre director-actor and activist, most known for her work in Hindi
theatre in Kolkata
in 1970s and 1980s. She founded Rangkarmee theatre group in 1976, known for its productions like Mahabhoj, Rudali, Court Martial, and Antaryatra. Apart from thespian Shyamanand Jalan
of Padatik (estb. 1972), he is only other theatre director to practice Hindi theatre
in Kolkata, which is largely Bengali speaking.
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.
, Usha Ganguly learnt Bharatanatyam
dance and later moved to Kolkata, where she studied at Shri Shikshayatan College
, Kolkata and did her Master's degree in Hindi literature.
She formed a theatre group, Rangakarmee, in January 1976. Initially since was trained as a dancer, the group invited outside directors, like M.K. Anvase, who directed Mother, Tripti Mitra directed Gudi 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
.
In the coming years, she also translated and adapts plays into Hindi. 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.
In 2005, Rangkarmee was the only Indian theatre group to perform at the Theatre der Welt Festival in Stuttgart, Germany It staged the play Rudali at "Punj Pani festival" at Lahore in 2006. The group staged its first multilingual production, Bhor about the minds of inmates of a drug rehab centre in August 2010.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n theatre director-actor and activist, most known for her work in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
theatre in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in 1970s and 1980s. She founded Rangkarmee theatre group in 1976, known for its productions like Mahabhoj, Rudali, Court Martial, and Antaryatra. Apart from thespian Shyamanand Jalan
Shyamanand Jalan
Shyamanand Jalan was an influential Kolkata-based Indian thespian, theatre director, and actor. He is credited for the renaissance period of modern Indian theatre and especially the Hindi theatre in Kolkata from the 1960s to 1980s...
of Padatik (estb. 1972), he is only other theatre director to practice Hindi theatre
Hindi theatre
Hindi theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Hindi language, including dialects such as Khari boli and Hindustani. Hindi theatre is produced mainly in North India, and some parts of West India and Central India, which include Mumbai and Bhopal...
in Kolkata, which is largely Bengali speaking.
She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
for Direction, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, 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.
Early life and education
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in a family from village Nerva in Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Usha Ganguly learnt Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
dance and later moved to Kolkata, where she studied at Shri Shikshayatan College
Shri Shikshayatan College
Shri Shikshayatan College its an undergraduate women's liberal arts college in Kolkata, India. It is affiliated with the University of Calcutta.-Notable alumnae:*Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal* Usha Ganguly, theatre director...
, Kolkata and did her Master's degree in Hindi literature.
Career
She started her career as a teacher at Bhowanipur Education Society College, Calcutta, an undergraduate college affiliated with University of Calcutta, in 1970. Also in the same year, she started acting with Sangit Kala Mandir and her first play Mitti Ki Gadi (based on Mrichchakatikam by Shudrak) (1970), where she played the role of Vasantsena. She continued teaching as a Hindi Lecturer at Bhowanipur Education Society College, till her retirement in 2008 and practiced theatre alongside.She formed a theatre group, Rangakarmee, in January 1976. Initially since was trained as a dancer, the group invited outside directors, like M.K. Anvase, who directed Mother, Tripti Mitra directed Gudi Ghar, an adaptation of Ibsen’s A Doll's House
A Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
, 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
Ratnakar Matkari
Ratnakar Ramkrushna Matkari is a Marathi writer, a movie and play producer/director, and a self-taught artist from Maharashtra, India....
`s Lokkatha (Folktale) in 1987, Holi by playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar
Mahesh Elkunchwar
Mahesh Elkunchwar is an Indian playwright with more than 15 plays to his name, in addition to his theoretical writings, critical works, and his active work in India's Parallel Cinema as actor and screenwriter....
in 1989, and Rudali (1992), her own dramatized version of a story by Mahashweta Devi, Himmat Mai, an adaptation of Brecht
Brecht
Brecht is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Brecht proper, Sint-Job-in't-Goor and Sint-Lenaarts. On January 1, 2006 Brecht had a total population of 26,464...
’s Mother Courage
Mother Courage
Mother Courage is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche dating from around 1670...
and notably Court Marital written by playwright Swadesh Deepak
Swadesh Deepak
Swadesh Deepak is a popular Indian playwright, novelist and short-story writer. Deepak has been active on the Hindi literary scene since the mid 1960s and is best known for Court Martial, a pathbreaking play that he published in 1991. Deepak's most recent book is Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha, a...
. 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
Raincoat (film)
Raincoat is a 2004 Hindi film directed by Rituparno Ghosh, and starring Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai. It tells the story of two lovers, separated by destiny, who meet again one day. This encounter allows each to realize the truth about the lives they are living...
(2004) a Hindi film based on O Henry's The Gift of the Magi
The Gift of the Magi
"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry , about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money...
, directed by Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 8 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad.- Early life and background :...
.
In the coming years, she also translated and adapts plays into Hindi. 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.
In 2005, Rangkarmee was the only Indian theatre group to perform at the Theatre der Welt Festival in Stuttgart, Germany It staged the play Rudali at "Punj Pani festival" at Lahore in 2006. The group staged its first multilingual production, Bhor about the minds of inmates of a drug rehab centre in August 2010.
Plays
- Mahabhoj (The Great Fest) (1984)
- Lok Katha (Folk Tale) (1987)
- Holi (1989)
- Court Martial (1991)
- Rudali (The Mourner) (1992)
- Himmat Mai (Mother CourageMother CourageMother Courage is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche dating from around 1670...
) (1998) - Mukti (1999)
- Shobhayatra (2000)
- Kashinama (2003)
- Chandalika
- Sarhad Par Manto
- Manasi (in Bengali) (2011)
Works
- Rudali (play based on Mahashweta Devi's story), Radhakrishna Prakashan, 2004. ISBN 8171197671.
Further reading
- Rudali: from fiction to performance, by Mahashweta Devi, Usha Ganguli, Anjum Katyal. Seagull Books, 1997. ISBN 8170461383.