Tapan Theatre in South Kolkata hosted the grand launch of Natya Bektitter-r Sera Natok, a comprehensive 550-page anthology celebrating the rich heritage of Bengali theatre. Published by Prottoy Prokashon under the leadership of Tapan Kumar Sinha, the volume is priced at Rs 750 and is dedicated to the legendary actor and theatre icon, the late Soumitra Chatterjee. Featuring an artistic cover designed by popular illustrator Swapan Debnath, the book is available in major retail bookstores as well as online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart.

Jointly edited by renowned theatre critic and journalist Indrajit Aich alongside playwright Sudhangshu Kumar Roy, the collection presents full-length plays by 15 prominent theatre figures. The list includes the late Soumitra Chatterjee, Bibhas Chakraborty, Chandan Sen, Paran Bandyopadhyay, Meghnad Bhattacharya, Seema Mukhopadhyay, Soumitra Basu, Tirthankar Chanda, Ujjwal Chattopadhyay, Mainak Sengupta, Parthapratim Deb, Baby Sengupta, Subhash Bandyopadhyay, Sudhangshu Kumar Roy, and others.

The formal inauguration was conducted by playwright Chandan Sen, Mainak Sengupta, Parthapratim Deb, and actor-director Chandan Sen.

Chandan Sen (Playwright) noted that compiling 15 full-length plays into a single edition is a rare accomplishment today that will greatly assist upcoming theatre enthusiasts.

Mainak Sengupta advocated for future editions focused on shorter plays to align with modern audience preferences.

Chandan Sen (Actor) urged publishers to highlight underrated playwrights from rural Bengal who often lack proper platforms.

Parthapratim Deb praised the editors for flawlessly managing such an intricate 550-page compilation.

Publisher Tapan Kumar Sinha reaffirmed his commitment to printing more theatre literature in the coming days. Co-editor Indrajit Aich emphasized that the anthology aims to inspire future generations and energize local theatre groups, while Sudhangshu Kumar Roy expressed profound gratification at fulfilling his long-standing dream of bringing this valuable repository to life.

A great book to add to your collection indeed.

Priyanka Dutta