A life devoted to drama Perhaps the greatest Indian theatre thinker and dramatist of the post-Independence era, Badal Sircar can rightly be called the innovator of contemporary Indian theatre. A civil engineer by profession, he began writing plays in the 1950s, dismayed by the paucity of good Bengali drama. With a flair for comedy and for catching the cadence, wit and everyday speech of middle-class Calcuttans, his early comedies have a flavour unique in Bengali literature. His first serious play Evam Indrajit (1963) attracted much attention for its striking originality and themes of absurdist meaninglessness, identity crisis and social conformity. It is perhaps the one contemporary Bengali drama most translated into other Indian languages. His concern in his plays is the pointlessness of existence, compounded by a sense of associative guilt and responsibility in disturbed persons, who belong to the urban middle-class and inhabit a world of increasing violence and inhumanity. In his later plays, Sircar wanted theatre to break the barriers between performer and spectator, performer and performer, spectator and spectator. According to him, theatre would be a collective exercise to awaken and enhance the social consciousness of participants, including viewers. Hosted by Natya Shodh Sansthan, Badal Utsava will pay tribute to the man through his works, besides exhibitions, lectures, video-screenings and tributes by theatre personalities. To be inaugurated today by Mohit Chattopadhyay, it commences with the opening of an exhibition on Badal Sircar to be followed by tributes by Amol Palekar, Baharul Islam, Girish Karnad, Kumar Roy, Samik Bandyopadhyay and others. This will be followed by the release of three books: Plays in a National Perspective (English), Badal Sircar: Sakshatkar Sangrahamala (Bengali) and Pravasi Ki Kalam Se (Hindi). Finally, Shatabdi will stage Khat Mat Kring (dir: Badal Sircar; 7 pm). Event: Festival in tribute to Badal Sircar When: July 15 - 19; 4 pm - 8 pm Where: Natya Bhavan, EE-8, Phase II, Bidhan Nagar

Art

Till August 1 (except Sundays and public holidays) at CIMA Gallery; Mondays: 3 pm - 7 pm, Tuesdays - Saturdays: 2 pm - 7 pm: Summer Show 2009. Featuring works by Rashmi Bagchi Sarkar, Sumitro Basak, Shreyasi Chatterjee, Jogen Chowdhury, Sougata Das, Anita Gopal, Farhad Hussain, Paresh Maity, Ganesh Pyne, Satyajit Roy, Suhas Roy, Lalu Prosad Shaw and many other artists from across India. Till July 19 at Aakriti Art Gallery (12/3A Hungerford Street, #22893027, 11 am - 7 pm, Sundays closed), Akar Prakar (P238 Hindustan Park, #24642617, 2 pm - 7 pm, Sundays closed) and The Seagull Arts and Media Resource Centre (36C S.P. Mukherjee Road, #24556942, 2 pm - 8 pm daily): On the occasion of K.G. Subramanyan’s 85th birthday, Aakriti Art Gallery, Akar Prakar and The Seagull Foundation for the Arts present Recent Works by K.G. Subramanyan — a new collection of canvases, reverse paintings, gouaches on paper and terracotta works. Till July 15 at Academy of Fine Arts, North Gallery; 3 pm - 8 pm: Emotion & Execution — an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Refresh, a group of eight young artists Palash Chandra Baidya, Achintya Bhattacharjee, Somnath Dolui, Sanjoy Kumar Patra, Aranyadeb Das, Nabanita Ghosh, Shatabdi Roy and Debisri Paul. Till July 15 at Ganges Art Gallery, 33A Jatin Das Road, #2465 3212; 11 am - 7 pm: Trying to Make Sense of it All — an exhibition of the recent works by Somit Gupta, Debraj Goswami, Rajiba Lochan Pani and Pampa Panwar. Till July 15 at Gallery K2, Supra Court, 35 Lansdowne Terrace, #2465 1444; 11 am - 7 pm: Sudipta Karmakar’s watercolours on the wonders of India. Till July 15 at Art Walk, South City Mall; 12 noon - 8 pm: Emami Chisel Art presents an exhibition of paintings by Bhupal Roy, Rooby Singh and Kanta Choudhury. Till July 17 at Gorky Sadan; 4 pm - 7 pm: Emotions in Colour, paintings and drawings by Shuvrokanti Mitra celebrating the year of youth and dedicated to Ilya Repin on the 165th birth anniversary of the great Russian painter. Till July 17 at Academy of Fine Arts, Central Gallery; 3 pm - 8 pm: An exhibition on life and nature featuring paintings by Prabal Roy and photographs by Chanchal Chakraborty and Marutpal Mukherjee. Till July 20 at Aloke’s, 1/42 Shahid Nagar, Dhakuria; 4 pm - 8 pm: Symphony of Life — an exhibition of the latest series of paintings by Aloke Paul. Till July 29 (except Sundays) at Experimenter, 2/1 Hindusthan Road, #24630465/ 40012289; 11.30 am - 7.30 pm: Experimenter presents SEZ Who? a unique activism-based collaborative art project, curated by Tushar Joag. This is a project led by a group of artists and Experimenter exploring the impact and rationale of setting up Special Economic Zones in India. Till July 31 at Idiyas Gallery, 15 Dover Road, #65508418; 10.30 am - 7 pm: Sensorial Realities, an exhibition of paintings by Subrata Gangopadhyay, Suhas Roy, Prakash Karmakar, Shyamal Mukherjee, Samir Paul, Bratin Khan, Sanatan Dinda, Gourango Beshai, Sibsaday Chaudhuri, Atin Basak and others. Till July 31 (except Sundays and second & fourth Saturdays) at Emami Chisel Art Gallery, 687 Anandapur EM Bypass, #64577886; 11 am - 7 pm: An exhibition of paintings and sculptures.

DRAMA

Till July 17 at Ramgopal Mancha, Howrah; 6.30 pm: A theatre festival, in aid of cyclone victims, organised by Ramgopal Mancha Natyakendra. Today: Ak Naditey by Shilpi Sangha. July 15 at Tapan Theatre; 6.30 pm: Niva Arts presents Astaraag. Direction & performance: Ashok Chattopadhyay. July 16 at Padatik’s Buildwell Theatre, 6/7 AJC Bose Road; 7 pm: Little Thespian presents Bade Bhaisahab (by Munshi Premchand) and File (by Madhu Kankaria) under its story theatre Katha Collage. July 16 at Tapan Theatre; 6.30 pm: Mukhomukhi and Niva Arts jointly present Atmakatha. Adapted into Bengali, directed and performed by Soumitra Chattopadhyay. July 17 at Rabindra Sadan; 6.30 pm: Natasena will stage the comedy, Gorur Garir Headlight. Written and directed by Saroj Roy. July 18 at Girish Mancha; 6.30 pm: Nandipat presents Badal Sircar’s Ballavpurer Roopkatha. Direction: Prakash Bhattacharya. July 18 at Tapan Theatre & July 19 at Girish Mancha; 6.30 pm: Sayak will stage Dournama. Playwright: Indrasis Lahiri. Direction & in lead role: Meghnad Bhattacharya. July 18 at Madhusudan Mancha; 6.30 pm: Shohan will stage Mohit Chattopadhyay’s Daaho. Direction: Anish Ghosh. July 19 at Madhusudan Mancha; 6.30 pm: Charbak presents Apsara Theater-er Mamla, based on a story by Satyajit Ray. Direction & in lead role: Sabyasachi Chakraborty.

PERFORMING ARTS

July 15 at Madhusudan Mancha; 5.45 pm: The concluding evening of Samaroh’s Barsha Utsav, a festival of Tagore songs and recitation on the rainy season, features Srikanto Acharya, Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta, Sreeradha Bandyopadhyay, Manomoy Bhattacharya, Achin Mukhopadhyay, Basabi Bagchi, Debarati Mitra, Debi Kesh, Amitesh Chanda, Sucharita Banerjee and Tapan Sadhukhan in songs, and Arunava Biswas and Ishita Das Adhikary in recitation. July 15 & 16 at Gyan Manch; 6 pm: Santoor Ashram and Sanchita Dance Foundation, in collaboration with Nikhil Banga Sangeet Samiti, present Megha...the celebration of rain, a festival of classical music and dance. July 15: Sandip Chakraborty (Kathak), Alpana Roy (vocal) and Tarun Bhattacharya (santoor). July 16: Kumud Diwan (vocal), Keshab Banerjee (harmonium solo) and Sanchita Bhattacharya (Odissi). July 17 at G.D. Birla Sabhagar; 6.45 pm: Megeher Porey Megh — an evening celebrating the rainy season with Tagore poems and songs. Participants: Bratati Bandyopadhyay and Shreya Guhathakurta. July 18 at Kala Mandir; 6.30 pm: Phoenix - Rising from the Ashes — Sayanee Chavda’s choreographic composition based on Kathak. July 20 at Madhusudan Mancha; 6 pm: On its silver jubilee year, Saptasara presents Megher Porey Megh, an evening of Tagore songs on monsoon and poetry-reading. Participants: Shraboni Sen, Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta, Srikanto Acharya, Lopamudra Mitra, Indrani Sen, Agnibha Bandyopadhyay, Sukumar Ghosh and Subrata Sengupta.

FILM SHOW

July 15 at The Park hotel, 17 Park Street; 7 pm: World Cinemas Wednesdays: NDTV Lumière presents the screening of the romantic comedy, Just About Love?. Directed by Lola Doillon, the teenage adventure was screened at the 2008 French Festival, UK. Seating and entry free at The Park.

TALK

July 15 at Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha, Belur Math; 6 pm: Swami Narendrananda will speak on Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga. July 15 at Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Shivananda Hall; 6.15 pm: Swami Somatmananda will speak in Bengali on Sri Sri Mayer Katha. July 15 at Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, 19B Raja Rajkrishna Street; 7 pm: Swami Buddhatmananda will speak in Bengali on Bani O Bichar. July 15 at Bidhannagar Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra, DD-44 Salt Lake; 7 pm: Bimal Kumar Poddar will speak on Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita.

EXHIBITION

July 15 & 16 at Ice Skating Rink; 10 am - 8 pm: 14th Rakhi Mela organised by All India Marwari Mahila Samity. Till July 30 (except Tuesdays) at The Halo Heritage Art Gallery, 26 Ritchie Road; 11.30 am - 9 pm: Halo Heritage presents Bamar, an exhibition of Burmese artefacts. Till August 16 at Starmark; 10.30 am - 8 pm: The Giant Starmark Book Exhibition of a wide range of Penguin Black Classics and all-time bestsellers.All those who wish events to be included in this column should write not less than a week ahead to: Time out, The Telegraph,6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001; Fax: 2234-8244

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All those who wish events to be included in this column should write not less than a week ahead to:

Time out, The Telegraph, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001;
Fax: 2234-8244