Mir Syed Jafar Ali Khan Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah, commonly known as Siraj-ud-Daulah or Siraj ud-Daula, was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. The end of his reign marked the start of the rule of the East India Company over Bengal and later almost all of the Indian subcontinent.
Bengali theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Bengali language. Bengali theatre is produced mainly in West Bengal, and in Bangladesh. The term may also refer to some Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people.
Sombhu Mitra was an Indian film and stage actor, director, playwright, reciter and an Indian theatre personality, known especially for his involvement in Bengali theatre, where he is considered a pioneer. He remained associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) for a few years before founding the Bohurupee theatre group in Kolkata in 1948. He is most noted for films like Dharti Ke Lal (1946), Jagte Raho (1956), and his production of Rakta Karabi based on Rabindranath Tagore's play in 1954 and Chand Baniker Pala, his most noted play as a playwright.
Sabitri Chatterjee is an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali theatre and cinema. Her career spans more than 60 years. She is the recipient of BFJA Awards for two times. In 1999, she was conferred with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for acting in Bengali theatre. In 2013, she was awarded by the Government of West Bengal its highest civilian award; the Banga Bibhushan. In 2014, Government of India conferred upon her its fourth-highest civilian award the Padma Shri.
Rudraprasad Sengupta is a Bengali Indian actor, director and cultural critic.
Sreelekha Mitra is an Indian actress and director who is known for her work in Bengali cinema. Winner of a BFJA Award and an Anandalok Award, Mitra is best known for her roles in films such as Hothat Brishti (1998), Kantatar (2006), Aschorjo Prodip (2013), Swade Ahlade (2015), Choukath (2015) and Rainbow Jelly (2018).
Raj Chakraborty is an Indian film director, actor, producer and politician. He is one of the most commercially successful film-makers in Tollywood. Before directing his debut film, he was busy in Bengali TV. Raj Chakraborty was associated with Zee Bangla's laughter show Mirakkel, hosted by Mir, and the dance competition Dance Bangla Dance, judged by Mithun Chakraborty, during their initial days. He also directed Star Jalsha's laughter programme I Laugh You. He has been a Member of Legislative Assembly of West Bengal from Barrackpore since 2021.
Goutam Halder is an Indian theatre and film actor from Kolkata. He has appeared in more than 50 theatrical productions since 1981 across various troupes, and is the recipient of several accolades including a State Award of Best Production for Meghnad Badh Kabya in 1995, State Award as Best Director for Chile Kothar Sepai in 1997, Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Kiran Award by Government of Maharasthra in 2001 and Shyamal Sen Smriti Samman in 2013.
Ananya Chatterjee is an Indian actress who works in Bengali films. Known for her role in Abahoman which won her a National Award. She started her career as a TV actress. She acted in several TV serials and films, including three directed by Anjan Dutt. Her role as the muse of a married director in Abahoman, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, won her the National Film Award for Best Actress.
Manoj Mitra was an Indian theatre, film and television actor, director, and playwright.
Swapnasandhani is a Bengali theater group from Kolkata. The group was founded on 29 May 1992. Swapnasandhani has been marked by the acting and direction of Kaushik Sen.
Tripti Mitra was a popular Indian actress of Bengali theatre and films, and wife of Sombhu Mitra, noted theatre director, with whom she co-founded pioneering theatre group Bohurupee in 1948. She has acted in films like Jukti Takko Aar Gappo and Dharti Ke Lal.
The group theatre of Kolkata refers to a tradition in theatres in the Indian city Kolkata, which developed in the 1940s as an alternative to entertainment-oriented theatres. As opposed to commercial theatres, group theatre is "a theatre that is not professional or commercial", characterized by its tendency for experimentation in theme, content and production, and its aim of using the proscenium stage to highlight social messages, rather than having primarily making-money objectives.
Pijush Ganguly was a noted Bengali film, television and theater actor. In 2005 he received the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Mahulbanir Sereng.
Tanima Sen is a Bengali film and television actress.
Purba Paschim is a Bengali theatre group of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The group was founded in 2005 and has staged several plays like Babli, Ashalin etc. The famous productions of the group are "Patalbabu Filmstar" based on Satyajit Roy's story and " Antony Soudamini" Directed By Soumitra Mitra, Tagores Play Chaturanga Directed By Bratya Basu acted by Kushal Chakraborty, Chaity Ghoshal, Debdut Ghosh, Soumitra Mitra. Notable people like Biswajit Chakraborty, Gargi roychoudhry, Shaantilal Mukherjee, Chaity Ghosal, Debdut Ghosh, Kanchana Moitro, Subhrajeet Dutta, Kushal Chakraborty, Film Actor Rahul acted in this Group. In the Festivals of this Group We have seen, Amman Ali Khan, Ayaan Ali Khan, Sharmila Tagore, Soumitra Chatterjee, Mohan Aghase, Gulzar, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, Nandita Das and Many Others.
Debesh Chattopadhyay is an Indian Bengali film & theatre director and actor. He has also acted in a few Bengali films.
Chinmoy Guha is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calcutta, a Bengali essayist and translator, and a scholar of French language and literature. He has served as the Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University and Director of Publications, Embassy of France, New Delhi. Earlier he taught English at Vijaygarh Jyotish Ray College in Kolkata for more than two decades, and French at the Alliance Française and the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture for eleven and five years respectively.
Anirban Bhattacharya is an Indian actor, theatre actor, singer and director. His first successful theatre production was Debi Sarpamasta, written by Manoj Mitra, directed by Debesh Chattopadhyay. His other notable works are Anthony Soudamini, Nagamandala, Jara Agun Lagay, Bisorjan, FM Mahanagar, Karu Basana, Awdyo Shesh Rajani, Athoi etc. In 2017, he got the Mahindra Excellence Theatre Awards (META) as Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for Awdyo Shesh Rajani.
Koushik Kar is an Indian Bengali actor, theatre director. He started his professional acting in the year 2010 as a Minerva Repertory Theatre actor, in kolkata. His first performance was in the play Raja Lear (2010) in which the celebrated Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was in the lead. His work Ma Ak Nirbhik Sainik (2013) as a director and actor was officially selected in 17th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, 2015. His direction and acting in various plays over the years rendered him as a well known theatre personality in contemporary Bengali theatre community and audiences.
