“Dekh Rahe Hain Nayan” is a three-day festival honoring the life, work, and significant contributions of Habib Tanvir to Indian theatre, literature, and art. It is being held in conjunction with the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) on the 100th anniversary of Tanvir’s birth. Tanvir is one of the most influential playwrights and poets of post-independence India.

The festival is a component of Antiquity Natural Mineral Water’s “Free to Discover More” initiative, which encourages young Indians to learn about both new and famous voices within our rich cultural and artistic legacy. This celebration of India’s theatrical heritage and how it influences contemporary cultural expression is a magnificent journey.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ratna Pathak Shah said “Habib Tanvir was my mother’s friend and he was always Habib’s uncle to me. I did not travel much when I was young. I knew only about Gujarati theatre. When I first saw Charandas Chor, I was mesmerized. It was the world I know but why I was away from it was my basic question. I was greatly amazed by the fact that he looked at Indian traditional theatre with a modern vision. And that was amazing”.

“Dekh Rahe Hain Nayan,” which was curated by M.K. Raina and Tausif Rahman with research and advice from Anjum Katyal, is the first significant project to seriously consider Tanvir’s body of work. A wide range of events are planned as part of this campaign to highlight the work of Habib Tanvir and his significant influence on Indian theatre and art. These events include an exhibition, masterclasses, panel discussions, film screenings, dramatic storytelling, musical performances, book releases, and other cultural gatherings.

The “Dekh Rahe Hain Nayan” festival, which is slated to take place between August 30 and September 1, 2024, will feature masterclasses from distinguished theater professionals who are familiar with Tanvir’s work, providing budding actors and playwrights with exceptional learning opportunities. Renowned theater historians and specialists will lead panel discussions that will explore Tanvir’s theory, his relevance in the modern world, and his lasting influence.

The three-day festival will have eminent guests like Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sudhir Mishra, Raghubir Yadav, MK Raina, Atul Tiwari, Danish Husain, Brahma Prakash, Samik Bandyopadhyay, Anjum Katyal, Ashok Vajpeyi, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Bibhas Chakraborty, Chandradasan, Anuradha Kapur, among many others.

At the inaugural event, Naseeruddin Shah said “It was my bad luck that I could never work with Habib Tanvir. I heard about him when I was studying at Aligarh University. When I saw Habib Tanvir’s play, my mind opened. I saw actors in the play who did not look like they were acting. They looked as if they were the characters themselves. It was a great experience for me”.

There will be folk music performances by Poonam Tiwari and her troupe, Raghubir Yadav with Subhadeep Guha, Habibnama directed by Danish Husain, Dastaan-E-Ashok-O-Akbar by Ratna Pathak Shah, songs from Habib Tanvir’s theatre by Nageen Tanvir (Daughter of Habib Tanvir), a screening of Gaon Ke Naon Theatre Mor Naon Habib directed by Sudhanva Deshpande& Sanjay Maharishi, and book launches by Seagull Books and Orient Blackswan, exclusive masterclasses on acting and direction as well as five-panel discussions on the topics of Habib Tanvir and theatre.

Head to KCC to understand Habib Tanvir and his amazing works.

Priyanka Dutta