Lalit Gupta
The three week stay of Bapi Bose, a radical theatre director in the winter capital, in connwill be remembered for uniquely galvanizing the selected group of young theatre enthusiasts for a serious and meaningful creative expression and also giving a clarion call to so-called home-grown flag bearers in Jammu theatre to fight for alternate performances spaces in the city and districts towns to widen the social basis of theater by enhanced and active participation of the civil society.
Committed to theatre of strength, courage and substance-theatre of cerebral excellence, Bapi Bose, finds immense possibilities of meaningful theatre in Jammu which is marked with cultural diversity. But for that the amateur theatre enthusiasts have to be well read, well informed. He feels intellectual receptivity is the key to understand varied social forces. At the same time it is important to take sides.
One of the prominent radical theatre directors of contemporary Indian theatre, Bapi Bose has studied at Institute of Indian Theatre Arts; Kolkata, National School of Drama; New Delhi, and National School of Dramatic Arts; Sydney; Australia. The multifaceted Bapi Bose is a theatre activist who has been grown up in jatra (Theatre in the Round), the traditional theatre form of rural Bengal.
He has also carved his own niches in the field of Scenography and Stage illumination through his unique innovative style and stage techniques as well. He is a prominent practitioner of New Media and Installation Art which he incorporates in many of his productions. As being one of the initiators and pioneers who introduced these two above mentioned subjects in the Contemporary Indian Theatre, he is engaged in propagating the use of best of science & technology with other visual medium in Contemporary Indian Theatre.
One who has worked with almost all the leading theatre directors of India and some of them of International repute, Bapi Bose was associated with IPTA and the Group Theatre Movement of West Bengal in the mid seventies, later on moved to Delhi for study in the National Drama School and become an integral part of Hindi theatre, ”whose fortes are large scale production of historical subjects with hard hitting contemporary realities”… ”. Bose made headlines everywhere for radical choice of presentation with keen sense of history and society. He always made it a point to dwell on ugly and beautiful elements of political and social history”.
As an ex-member of NSD Repertory Company, Bose acted in leading and major roles in more than fifty productions and designed sets and lights for more than hundred productions.
He has directed several productions with the professional repertory companies. Some of his major directorial ventures are: ‘Nati Binodini’, ‘Dilli Chalo’ (both are NSD Repertory Productions). In 1997, to mark the three occasions: the Birth Centenary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence and the Golden Jubilee of Indian National Army, he directed NSD Repertory’s prestigious ‘mega-multimedia’ production ‘Dilli Chalo’, the epic saga of Indian National Army’s great fights. The play was selected for Govt. of India’s Tribute to the Nation for the said occasion as an official tribute and staged twice at the historical Red Fort.
The USP of all of his productions: ‘Sanyasi Ki Talwar’ (Rangmandal Production, Sahitya Kala Parishad, Govt. of NCT, Delhi), ‘Turup Ka Patta’ (two different productions), ‘Socrates’ (Six different productions), ‘Julius Caesar Ke Aakhree Saat Din’ (two different productions), ‘Ekla Chalo Re’, ‘Pratham Parth’, ‘Parampurush’, and the latest mega multi-media production of ‘Seventeenth July'(on ‘Godhra carnage’, got rave reviews in all the national newspapers). All the above are Circle Theatre Company Productions, New Delhi that stood at par excellence in terms of its artistic quality, expression and message. For which it was selected as the ‘Best Production’ of Sahitya Kala Parishad (State Academy), Govt. of NCT, Delhi and also chosen as a lead participation in National School of Drama’s International Theatre Festival – Bharat Rang Mahotsav and Satellite Theatre Festival, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and other festivals of National importance.
Bose has participated in umpteen national and international Festivals. Awarded with Nationals School of Drama’s Scholarship as well as Fellowship, he was the youngest recipient of Senior Fellowship by Department of Culture, Govt. of India. He has been honored with various awards & felicitations from renowned cultural organizations including Govt. of West Bengal, Govt. of NCT, Delhi, Netaji Samman (Gold Medal) from AIFB, Natsamrat Samman (Best Director) in 2013.
Associated with National School of Drama, New Delhi along with many other theatre institutions and universities as a visiting faculty since 1992, Bapi Bose is a vociferous reader, attends seminars and often writes articles on theatre and is co-translator of all of his productions. At present working as a freelance designer, director, teacher, he is also the founder & artistic director of Circle Theatre, a professional theatre company of New Delhi.
Bapi Bose who left Jammu on 19th July, 2015, was happy and satisfied as his three-week long interaction with contingent of local young amateur theatre enthusiasts not only resulted into clearing their vision and concepts but also about the pedagogical foundation and applications involved in various technical aspects of mounting a production.
But he also felt sad that theatre fraternity in Jammu being a divided lot has not been able to get the theatre its due as a creative art form with great contemporary socio-cultural relevance in Jammu and Kashmir. He said an active theatre movement in a culturally diverse state like Jammu and Kashmir, can greatly help in generating a sense of tolerance, togetherness, social and political awareness, communal harmony in the cross section of the people and also towards national integration.
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