Sambhu Mitra in Raja Oidipaus

SHAOLI MITRA

Actress-director of Pancham Vaidik and daughter of Sambhu Mitra

Baba never highlighted his birthday. So we too aren?t doing anything special on August 22. But we will stage our latest production Chandali (based on Tagore?s dance drama Chandalika) for the first time that day and this will be our tribute to him.

I saw Baba doing theatre since my birth. He used to do a lot of reading in the mornings as the evenings were reserved for rehearsals. And he was a very frank person with a great sense of humour ? not very severe as some people tend to think.

Today?s generation hasn?t seen anything of him, so it?s quite difficult for them to have been influenced by his work. Filmmaker Raja Sen had made a documentary on him, where Baba had discussed his work and life. The film contains some very interesting facets, for instance the making of Nabanna and how he used silhouette in the production. The screening of this film may help young theatre enthusiasts learn something about him.

USHA GANGULY

Actress-director, Rangakarmee

Sambhuda had come to see our Mahabhoj and we had discussed the play later. He had helped me with a lot of suggestions when I translated Nathabati Anathabat into Hindi. As a director I feel he was a perfectionist. And as an artiste, we all have been deeply influenced by his commitment to theatre. But his works have not been documented in any form and it?s very sad that today?s generation doesn?t know much about him due to lack of preserved material.

MEGHNAD BHATTACHARYA

Actor-director, Sayak

I was quite young when I saw his Putulkhela, Raja Oidipaus, Pagla Ghoda, Chop Adalat Cholchhe, and later Dashachakra. Years after that, Sambhuda came to see two of our productions ? Gyanbriksher Phal and Daybaddha ? and then called me to his home for a chat. He inquired about the lighting arrangement in Daybaddha and discussed it in detail. I was amazed to see just how much he knew about lights. The 30 to 40-minute discussion helped me immensely in my career. Sambhuda had all the aspects of stagecraft at his fingertips.

On another occasion, I had gone to meet him on behalf of an organisation of playwrights. He was very interested in it, as he believed that playwrights in our country don?t get their due.

He always practised what he believed in.

KOUSHIK SEN

Actor-director, Swapnasandhani

As far as Sambhu Mitra?s legacy is concerned, I was always intrigued by his choice of plays and his theatre ideas. He and Utpal Dutt presented two distinct streams of thought. While Utpal Dutt was an outright propagandist, Sambhu Mitra?s political thought was more expansive. He dwelt more on human beings and played with various shades, which was more complex.

By the time we ? Suman (Mukherjee), Goutam (Halder) and I ? started learning theatre, Sambhu Mitra had left work. But he is very much there in our memories, from the stories that we have heard from our fathers. And we are carrying that history with us too.

We ask young members of our troupe to listen to his Chandbaniker Pala and Raja Oidipaus on tape.

SOHINI SENGUPTA

Actress, Nandikar

I used to go to Sambhujethu?s home and sit on his lap. I remember he used to smell of lavender. But I have no theatre memories of him as I was very young then and it was much much later that I read or heard about him from my father (Rudraprasad Sengupta).

In retrospect, Tripti Mitra has influenced me more than him. I was very impressed by her simple lifestyle and acting skills. But also probably because I am a woman.