At the Science City Auditorium in Kolkata, the star-studded 8th Edition of the Stagecraft Awards 2025 took place amid magnificence, splendor, and a lively celebration. The event honored the unseen but vital foundations of the entertainment industry with the august presence of well-known figures from the Bengali cinema, television, and music industries.

The Chairperson of the Stagecraft Foundation, Padmabhushan Ms. Usha Uthup, is committed to honoring the achievements of the Behind-the-Scene Stars—the live stage technicians, artists, and production specialists who are the foundation of every show. The Stagecraft Foundation is represented by superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee.

This year’s edition explored the long-standing uses of body duplicates, lookalikes, and performance impersonators with the colorful theme “Stagecraft Ke Sholay”. The theme emphasized changing issues of identity, illusion, and authenticity from historical theatrical mimics and royal decoys to contemporary impersonators and AI-generated doubles. The event explored how these dual identities enhance entertainment and magnify the power of narrative.

Power-packed performances kept the audience engaged throughout the evening. Electrifying dance and musical acts featured Usha Uthup with Amit Ganguly, Bullet, Ranjini Sengupta, Ananya Chakraborty, and Pranjal Biswas, followed by soulful performances from Rathijit & Team. Dance acts by Monami Ghosh and the duo of Idhika Paul & Biswanath Basu added glamour to the night.

The show was anchored by RJ Somak, Kanchan Mullick and Farooq Omar.

A unique look-alike entry segment and a highly anticipated exchange between Shehzad Sippy and Prosenjit Chatterjee added to the excitement. To the surprise of the audience, the crew of the highly anticipated upcoming film Mitin-Ekti Khunir Sandhaney, led by Koel Mallick, made an exuberant presence on stage.

Ms. Reshma Pathan, the nation’s first stunt woman, received the esteemed Hall of Fame Award, while Mr. Rajib Banerjee, the Hall Operation & Maintenance Staff of Science City, received the Foundation Recognition Award.

As the winners of each category took the stage to accept their awards, the audience and members of their fraternity gave them a passionate ovation.

Priyanka Dutta