How long can an artist starve before expressing themself? The journey of an artist is always filled with a lot of hurdles, some created by them and some by society. Being brought up in a society that though prides itself in its diverse creative endeavours yet discourages its members from actively participating in them makes the road not taken a little more difficult for artists to approach. And one such artist is Manoj Mitra.
The Beginning:
Born on 22 December 1938 in Dhulihar village of Satkhira, Khulna, Bangladesh, Mitra was a big fan of Jatras that used to be held in their courtyards during Durga Puja. For those who are unaware of these beautiful folk theatres that are predominantly found in most Bengali and Odia-speaking areas of India, it is a refreshing sight for sore eyes. Filled with colourful costumes and props and outstanding actors they manage to captivate the audience from dusk till dawn with their stellar performance. So, it’s no wonder they managed to bewitch Mitra.
But sadly his wish to be one with the plays and Jatras that captivated him came to a standstill as his family made it clear to him that they do disapprove of his idea to work with them or associate with them in any way. Hence, Mitra put his dream aside and went on to pursue his higher studies in Philosophy. But only if dreams could actually be put to hold for a long time.
The Journey
During his time at Scottish Church College where he graduated with honours in Philosophy in 1958, he was introduced to the life of theatre artists. He also used to write a lot of short stories and many of them have found a place in various magazines. Eager to let his restless artistic spirit out he took every opportunity available to do so, from writing to acting he was ever-ready to take on different roles.
After finishing his MA in Philosophy from the University of Calcutta he began his journey towards a doctorate. By then a group of his friends including Pratha Pratim Chowdhury who later gained fame as one of the famous Bengali Indian theatre and film directors and playwrights had begun a theatre group called Sundaram. Finally following his dreams he gave up his teaching position at Suri Vidyasagar College and joined the drama department at Rabindra Bharati University (RBU).
Dreams Do Come True
By the time he left RBU he had already garnered attention as a leading playwright of Bengal. Mrityur Chokhe Jal was his first play and it got him a lot of recognition by helping him win the first prize at the statewide competition. Over the years he has written several plays, such as Sajano Bagaan, Chokhe Angul Dada, Kaalbihongo, Parabas, Alokanandar Putra Kanya, Narak Guljar, Aswathama, Chakbhanga Madhu, Mesh O Rakhash, to name a few. Though most of his plays were produced by Sundaram, many were also produced by major theatre groups such as Theatre Workshop, Bohurupee etc.
Being an artist at the core, he just couldn’t stop with just writing, and dipped his toes into the world of acting and directing as well. He has acted in several films many of which were directed by highly acclaimed directors such as Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha, Basu Chatterjee, Goutam Ghose, etc.
Winning awards after awards for his incredible work such as the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award for Best Playwright in 1985, West Bengal State Government Award for Best Playwright in 1983 & 1989, Asiatic Society’s Gold Medal in 2005, etc. He continues to be an inspiration for many upcoming actors and directors in the Bengali film industry.
