The world of theatre spans across geographies. And with me is one such director who has spanned multiple geographies through the medium of the performing arts. Welcome, Tathagata Chaudhary.
By MTG editorial
Divyani Ratnapal: This is your first performance in Bombay after a gap of nine years. You last performed in 2017. So how are you feeling? Let's begin with that.
Tathagata Chowdhury: It's always awesome to come back to Bombay to perform here, and this time it's going to be even more special because this is a team that we formed in Gurgaon. I was teaching in Gurgaon for four years, managed to make some excellent friends over there who were also interested in the same medium. And so we thought that since we have been performing to full house shows in Gurgaon, let us also see how we reach out to the audience in Bombay. And so that's what brings us here.
Divyani Ratnapal: Right. So you know, in spirituality they tell you that nine years is the end of a cycle. And I want to just start by asking you that, you know, in these nine years, what has the cycle led to and what has ended and what is beginning new?
Tathagata Chowdhury: It's quite incredible that you're asking me this because there's been quite a bit of a roller coaster ride, to put in nicely, and a lot had happened actually. There was a medical issue and very interesting professional career change that had happened in a sense. I never thought I'm going to become a full time teacher. And that's what happened. And I got a chance to connect with youngsters from a diverse background and different cultures. So I've been teaching in Gurgaon in an IB school, an international school. And now I'm teaching in an international school down south in Chennai, in the Alphabet International School. So it is quite interesting to see how youngsters respond to the medium of theatre and cinema. That's my subject. So that's what has been quite interesting over the last nine years. Different kind of plays that I got a chance to see, different kind of exposure and I think I, right now, I think differently from the way that I used to think nine years back, and I do not know whether that will show in my work or not.
Divyani Ratnapal: It definitely will. And, you know, speaking of your work, you're back with a fantastic edition of the play, THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 16, which is such an iconic in run play. So what new are you bringing into the table?
Tathagata Chowdhury: So we're calling it THE WOMAN ON TRIAL, and it is set in Bombay. This is our adaptation. It is something that I had done to full house shows in Bombay earlier. This time, what I'm doing is I'm just trying to understand perspectives even better. This time, the entire auditorium is going to decide whether the person who's being tried is guilty or not. Earlier, we used to select a few members in the audience who would decide. But this time, it's going to be up to voting from the members in the audience. So everyone will get a chance to voice their thoughts on whether Karen Andre is guilty or not guilty.
That apart, there are other theatrical elements that are there. There is a mime act that we have in our performance. There is a bit of classical dance that is there. So all these elements are there in the play. And let's see what it leads to.
Divyani Ratnapal: Fantastic. You know, this play is a play that spans across geographies. And you yourself have spanned across multiple geographies. So as a theatre director, do you want to talk us through your journey in the US and UK while making theatre? What challenges did you encounter and what opportunities do you see?
Tathagata Chowdhury: I've always felt that it is a medium which goes beyond boundaries. So in the UK, when I got a chance to represent the country, it was a learning opportunity for me to learn from them. In 2023, I was attending the Edinburgh Theatre Festival, where I got a chance to talk about the youth theatre movement in India. Then prior to that, I got a chance to be part of a team that was working on theatre science.
In the US, I represented India with a solo performance of mine called the MUMBAI ZOO, which was also performed at the Kala Ghoda Festival. And there I got a chance to understand how others perceive us, how do they think about Indian theatre, how much are they aware of the kind of theatre that we have been doing. And yeah, I mean, that is how we have been basically working it out.
So as I was mentioning, it gave me an opportunity to understand their style of theatre, their kind of theatre, and basically just how they bring culture in a very subtle manner in their storytelling style. And I got to see a lot of musicals over there. My style of theatre has always been minimalistic, which was definitely appreciated in the West. Here, I find it slightly difficult for the audience to appreciate the kind of style that I have. But it also seems that they are waking up to this style as well. And there is a lot of engagement that happens, a lot of communication with the audience during the performance, as you're going to see in THE WOMEN ON TRIAL. In fact, they will decide how the ending of the play is going to be. So the audience becomes the architect of my productions.
Divyani Ratnapal: Wow, that's fantastic.
Tathagata Chowdhury: So these are certain exchanges that I had during my visits abroad.
Divyani Ratnapal: One more international play that you're bringing to the table, that is another adaptation, another thriller. So do you want to take us through that?
Tathagata Chowdhury: We are aware of 12 ANGRY MEN. We are aware of 12 ANGRY JURORS. I'm not sure who in the country has performed 12 ANGRY WOMEN. I have with my students who are college students, sometime around 2017-2018, this was in Calcutta, this time with working professionals, with homemakers, with women who are serious about the craft and who have a certain opinion about the 21st century life itself. So it's interesting to have them perform 12 ANGRY WOMEN.
Divyani Ratnapal: That's fantastic. And today we have a lot of conversation about adolescent crime and adolescents being the top rated show on Netflix. So do you want to connect that to the narrative that's going on?
Tathagata Chowdhury: Very much. So there is one Juror, who because of her experience with her son, with her teenage son, she has a certain perception. She has come up with a certain belief. And interestingly, how she manages to stay rooted to her belief despite what others on the table are feeling and thinking, and that is what emerges, that's what surfaces in the play. So since you're mentioning this, I know there is a popular Netflix series that is going on, SCHOLAR ADOLESCENCE, I think. So yeah, there is something for everyone to connect with. I have a feeling that every post-teen or teen should watch 12 ANGRY WOMEN with their mothers, and there can be interesting debates, conversation, all that can happen.
Divyani Ratnapal: So you've had a diverse experience in theatre and for us at Mumbai Theatre Guide that means a lot because you're representing theatre not just in Mumbai but also abroad, in the US and the UK. So what learnings can Mumbai have in terms of theatre from these top theatre houses abroad?
Tathagata Chowdhury: With a lot of humility, you have to please allow me to say this and I have got no teachings to provide for Mumbai to learn anything. I have a lot to learn from every member in the audience wherever I perform. So I can't say what are the learnings from Mumbai Theatre as such, but yes, one thing I must tell you that I have noticed which was not earlier that I felt is that we are becoming more and more nuclear. In a sense, earlier I would get a lot of help and support from my friends in Bombay. This time it just seems that maybe I was away for a long time and that shows.
Also people who are interested in theatre, I think we are all keen on doing plays but I am not sure if we are also watching plays. If we are watching each other's plays. So for this particular production I hope that people who are also doing plays, not only members in the audience but also theatre practitioners, they come and watch us, criticize us of course. I have always been open to critical feedback because that is what helps an artist grow. But yes, I am not here to teach anything. I am here only to learn. And more than teach or learn, it is basically this entire exchange, bonding, some sort of a bonhomie. So I just hope that Bombay theatre practitioners also come to watch the plays.
Divyani Ratnapal: They definitely will and with that, do you want to give a call to action to all the members encouraging them to watch your plays?
Tathagata Chowdhury: See, it takes a lot of effort. I don't have enough words to tell you. I don't have sponsors here. I am a school teacher. There is a lot on the line as you can understand. There are two plays happening at St. Andrew's Auditorium from 5pm to 7.30pm and then again from 8 to 9.30pm. Both are classics. Both are courtroom dramas. There is an entire team coming all the way from Gurgaon coming here in Bombay to connect with all of you guys. So please do come to the auditorium. Please do support us. You may like the plays. You may not like the plays. Do share your feedback. But be a sport and do give us your support. Thank you.
