For septuagenarian Shraboni Dey, an old-age home inmate in Kolkata, dealing with chronic anxiety and neurosis felt like an uphill task in the absence of family support. But the narrative shifted when she attended her first rehearsal for a play — she found on stage what she describes as “new life”.
“Performing on stage and preparing for it gave me a window into a new life. I was in such an uncertain stage before this. I suffered from insomnia and other problems. But now I have found peace and a community to rely on,” said Dey.
Dey and her fellow actors — all around 70 years of age — debuted as theatre artistes at Gyan Manch in Kolkata on March 6.
The event was a collaborative production between Theatrecian and Tribeca Care, an organisation that offers support to senior citizens.
Gouri Chowdhury, 69, another old-age home inmate, first sought support from Tribeca in 2021. “I lost my husband that year, and was drowned in grief and loneliness,” she said.
“With them (the theatre team) I have got my expressions back, my life back. Like every Bengali, I can do a little bit of everything culturally. That is my inspiration for performing today,” added Chowdhury.
The skits started with Rabindranath Tagore songs and gradually turned satirical. But the debutants never lost their rhythm.
Aniruddha Chatterjee, 75, performed a skit where he played the classic uncle in a gathering, telling tall tales with no evidence. Such was his comedic timing, it did not feel like a one-time act.
Subhasish Roy, a retired engineer, said theatre offers him a space beyond calculations and blueprints, a chance to explore emotion, memory, and humour. “I had to perform today because I have a family heritage to uphold. Joining the stage today feels less like a new beginning and more like a return to something inherited.”
Roy is the grandson of the late novelist-poet Ashapurna Devi.
Most of the senior citizens who performed at Gyan Manch have lost their immediate family. Some of them live alone because their children work abroad.
“About 10 years back, we started Tribeca. It feels really warm that today we can actually organise something like this, and have an all-senior citizen performance,” Pradip Sen, CEO of Tribeca Care, said.
Hosted by Dr Krishnendu Chatterjee, the programme did not have an amateur feel.
Director of the set, Apratim Chatterjee, said, “This was a great experience. I have directed other groups before, but this is the first time I worked with senior citizens. They are sincere, very serious, and dedicated to performing to their best capacity.”
For 75-year-old Anju Dutta, it was a return to theatre after half a century. “I am performing in a play after my college days. They have given me immense hope. I was reluctant to come, but the director and everyone in the crew made me feel so hopeful. I am here today. I feel really good today.”
Jayanti Mukherjee, like many of her fellow theatre artistes, relies on acting to keep depression at bay. “I love performing even at 70. If I do not perform, I will slip into severe depression,” said the retired school teacher.
