USHA GANGULY (1945 – 2020)
The formidable doyenne of Kolkata’s theatrical landscape, and indeed Indian theatre, Usha Ganguli bid farewell at the age of 75, leaving behind a legacy spanning five decades of impassioned engagement with the performing arts. Renowned for pioneering an alternative Hindi theatre movement in Bengal, she was an artist of vision and conviction. Friends fondly recall her saying, ‘Theatre is my only life and passion, and Rangkarmee is my family.’
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, into a family from Nerva village in Uttar Pradesh, Ganguli was trained in Bharatanatyam before moving to Kolkata. She pursued her education at Shri Shikshayatan College and later obtained a master's degree in Hindi literature. Her theatrical journey began in 1970 with Mitti Ki Gadi an adaptation of Shudrak's Mrichchakatikamn where she played Vasantsena. An acclaimed theatre director, actor, and activist, Ganguli made her mark in Hindi theatre during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1976, she founded Rangkarmee, a theatre group recognized for its remarkable productions.
Ganguli transitioned into directing in the 1980s, bringing a resurgence of Hindi theatre in Kolkata with her dynamic style, disciplined ensemble work, and innovative productions. Notable among them were Mahabhoj (1984), adapted from Mannu Bhandari's novel; Lokkatha (1987) by Ratnakar Matkari; Holi (1989) by Mahesh Elkunchwar; and Rudali (1992), her dramatized version of Mahashweta Devi’s story. Other distinguished works include Himmat Mai an adaptation of Brecht's Mother Courage and Swadesh Deepak’s Court Martial. She also penned Kashinama* (2003).
Beyond theatre, Ganguli contributed to cinema, working on the script of Raincoat (2004), Rituparno Ghosh’s adaptation of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. In 2005, Rangkarmee became the only Indian theatre group to perform at the Theatre Der Welt Festival in Stuttgart, Germany.
Ganguli’s distinctive style—marked by lyrical sight-and-sound dramas with a deep social conscience, choreographed movement, and musical fluidity—owes much to her classical Bharatanatyam training. For her contributions, she was honored with the first Dayawati Modi Stree Shakti Samman in 1998 followed by Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction and the Girish Samman by the West Bengal government in 2016.
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