Theatre Festival – Inauguration

March 1^st, 2019. New Concept Hall. Shiladitya Roy, an avid theatre buff unveiled the third edition of the BESC Theatre Festival in which more than twenty colleges participated. Live actors, presenting their take on an event live or imaginary, before a live audience, that too in real time is no easy feat to accomplish, pointed out the anchor, especially with competitors and judges evaluating even the soft nuances of the acting, the voice modulation, the body language and the dialogue delivery of the actors.

Prof Dilip Shah, the Dean of Student Affairs of the Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC), the spirit behind the first ever theatre festival of its kind that was held in a city college campus (exactly two years back, this being the third successive avatar) and the reigning patron of college theatre movement took the stage next. He spoke at length on how the BESC has embraced what others derisively call the “theatre of the absurd” to create a festival which is not only unique in itself, but is fast emerging as one that is eagerly awaited by theatre enthusiasts and students across campuses alike. He spoke about the stark, on the face power of theatre as a tool of communication, as a means of spreading awareness, as an instrument forcing the blissfully unaware to take stock, as a potent device for empowerment. He also talked about how BESC has recognised the latent power of theatre and is using the festival to impart invaluable training is management to its students, using theatre to free the students from the shackles of the classroom so that they may imbibe life lessons hands-on, through interaction with one another and the audience.

That Prof Shah’s vision was reaching fruition could be gauged from the fact that as many as twenty city-based colleges were participating in the festival – students who were astounded by the vision of the man and the dynamism of the institution hosting them.

The judges and all the participants were then invited on stage as each was handed a sapling to be planted in a symbolic pot that represented the basic idea that everything is possible with common effort. “Theatre too, teaches us the necessity of working in teams, of depending on each other for success, of striving towards a common goal, often to the extent of sacrificing individual needs and comforts for the greater good” said Prof Shah, the participants could not have agreed more as the festival was officially opened.

Prof Shah also made it a point to put on record his sincere appreciation of theatre personality and alumnus of the BESC – Argho Banerjee who was not only a member of the core team that had started the theatre movement in the BESC and was instrumental behind the 1^st Theatre Festival but has also worked with unbridled enthusiasm for every festival since then, including the current one.

(This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera person Satyam Soham Pradhan of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

 

 

 

Ad-spoof (Vigyapan)

March 1^st, 2019. New Concept Hall. Five teams representing four colleges participated in the event which was judged by none other than noted actor Apratim Mukherjee who straddles both the small and the large screen with equal élan. It was a lucky coincidence that a movie in which the Judge played an important role hit the theatres on the very day.

The participating teams were given three minutes to perform their acts, most of which were of a very high standard. However, the team from THK Jain College was too good – in thought, content and execution. After winning the hearts of the audience they went on to win the top slot.

The BESC teams – I and II took the second and the third slots.

(This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera person Satyam Soham Pradhan of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

 

Boardroom Drama (Anjaan)

March 1^st, 2019. Multiple venues within the BESC campus. Boardroom drama seeks to break the conventional restricting formats of theatre by letting the performers utilise time and space to best suit their narrative. Because of its unique settings, the ability of the performers is pushed to the limits as are the expectation of the audience. Naturally, the result is often eclectic. This theatre festival event was no exception.

Judged by television and screen actor Apratim Mukherjee, the event witnessed the participation of six teams representing six different city-based colleges. With supporters pouring in to cheer the performance of their respective colleges, the mood was one of expectation and the campus was agog with excitement.

While all the teams performed creditably, it was the team from THK Jain College who out performed the others and emerged as the clear winners of the event. The second position was claimed by the team from the BESC while the third position went to Sri Shikshayatan College.

(This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera persons Siddhant Jha and Shouvik Das of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

Short Film Making (Chalachitra)

March 1^st, 2019. Society Hall. Five teams representing five different colleges participated in the event which was judged by Debasish Sen Sharma, a theatre director, film maker, critique and a visiting faculty in Calcutta and the Jadavpur Universities.

The rules were simple – short films of six to eight minutes each that were submitted by the different participating colleges were screened in succession with the audience and the judge as viewers. After the screening, the judge gave a quick rundown on the different films, their high and low points and explained in detail as to how exactly he has selected the winners. Argha Banerjee felicitated the judge on behalf on the college.

Most of the films were of surprisingly high quality – surprising as they were made by students – and won the appreciation of the judge for the different approaches they had taken to communicate the key points that they sought to highlight. The judge also commended the students for the finesse they had achieved in their work, the lack of proper equipment and professional support systems notwithstanding.

THK Jain College won the top honours for their submission “Out of Focuss”. Ilead took the silver with “Forlorn” while the Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC) took the third slot with “Khwaish”.

(This report has been filed by Medha Pandey with camera person Souvik Das of the Expressions Collective of the BESC.)

 

Street Play

March 1^st, 2019. Northern Park. The street play is perhaps the most difficult of all theatre forms as it does away with the barrier between the actors and the audience. It is also the most exciting as the protagonists get to look into the eyes of the audience often feel their breath even as they sway them with their performance.

Seven city colleges participated in the street play segment of the theatre festival which was a boon to those passing by in the Northern Park, treated as they were to a rare feast. The event was judged by Suprovo Tagore who is one of the most acknowledged up and coming practitioner of the genre. With over fifty productions to his credit, he is noted for his unique use of the format to usher in change in the lives of ordinary people by urging them to embrace education as a means of empowerment. His troupe “Shreik of Silence” is highly regarded for its creativity and steadfast dedication to the cause.

The plays that the different participating colleges put up, were, if the audience reaction was anything to go by, a huge success. As a matter of fact, the judge himself singled out Sri Shikhayatan for their execution while the topic chosen by the BESC team, treatment of prisoners, won his admiration.

The NSHM team toon the first position while BESC took the second and the third going to Asutosh College.

(This report has been filed by Medha Pandey with camera person Souvik Das of the Expressions Collective of the BESC.)

Improvised Acting (Achanak)

 

March 1^st, 2019. New Concept Hall. Did the five teams that participated come prepared for improvising their acting? A moot question, that, for they were not only very good as actors but were also blessed with relents that carried the audience and in the case of the winners, swayed the judge as well.

And the judge was no ordinary bystander either – having done his formal training from SRFTI, Aaron Targain is a film maker, actor and scriptwriter, who has been a known name in the theatre circuit for the last ten years.

Five colleges participated in the event which was perhaps the most closely contested one in the festival. In the end the Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC) team emerged victorious, even if by the skin of their acting teeth. Two teams from the THK Jain College took the second and the third positions.

(This report has been filed by Medha Pandey with camera person Souvik Das of the Expressions Collective of the BESC.)

Stage Play (Rang Manch)

March 2nd, 2019. New Concept Hall. Nivedita Bhattacharyya and Janardan Ghosh, the judges for the event were taken aback, as they admitted themselves, by the sheer love for the theatre among the participants and the audience, but more so by the efforts of the college to refurbish the cause of theatre, to provide the students with a platform to show case their talents.

And the participants did showcase their talents. Each act sought to outdo the other in terms of the thought, content, direction and execution – often reaching such standards that even the judges were seen to be visibly appreciative, impressed as they were. As a matter of fact, the judges went on record to appreciate the thoughtful selection of the different subjects and the ways they were sought to be represented, often, as they put it “in ways that were like breaths of pure, fresh air”.

The Heritage College took the top slot, followed by Loreto College and Scottish Church College.

(This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera persons Satyam Soham Pradhan, Souvik das, Siddhant Jha and Ribhu Chatterjee of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

Mono Acting (Akela)

 

March 2nd, 2019. New Concept Hall. Oonja Bhyan writer, director and actor was the judge of the event in which participants from eight colleges took part. Having acted in more than a hundred plays apart from being associated with an equal number of plays and films in various other capacities, the judge by the very presence seemed to nudge the participants to give that extra bit – to bridge the gap between good and great.

In the end the participants from the Sri Shikshayatan College triumphed with both the first and the second positions being claimed by the college. The Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC) took the third slot.

(This report has been filed by Medha Pandey with camera person Souvik Das of the Expressions Collective of the BESC.)

 

Jaati He Pucho Sadhu Ki

March 3rd, 2019. New Concept Hall. The play was staged by the Enact collective of the Bhawanipur Education Society College as a tribute to all the performers from the different colleges who had congregated to take part in the BESC Theatre Festival.

Extremely well scripted, well directed and well played, the presentation had the tell-tale marks of a BESC production and was very well appreciated by the audience.

Recounting the story of a village-born’s struggles to fulfil his academic dreams, the play had streaks of humour running through it and was successful in getting the message – of the need to stick to the path that leads to the fulfilment of our desires – across, without being didactic.

(This report has been filed by Medha Pandey with camera person Souvik Das of the Expressions Collective of the BESC.)

 

Film Promotion 22 yards

March 3rd, 2019. College Turf and New Concept Hall. Bollywood stars Barun Sobti, Prachi Bora, Amartya Roy, Ranjit Kaput, Chaiti Ghoshal, Rajesh Sharma and Geeta Tyagi – the entire caste of the film 22 Yards graced the BESC Theatre Festival with their presence. The film they were promoting too was something that was very close to most of the students – cricket as it spun the yarn of a fallen cricket agent and a young cricketer, the story of perseverance and ultimate triumph, a sweet tale of success against the odds.

The cast of the film played a friendly cricket match with the BESC team in the turf and not only were the Bollywood stars bowled over by the BESC cricketers, many were even hit for a six.

A trailer of the soon to be released move was shown to the audience and the guests were felicitated by Prof Minakshi Chaturvedi and Dr Divyesh Shah the coordinator of the morning commerce section of the college.

Prachin Pandey of BESC and Samantha Mishra of THK Jain College were handed over the trophies for Best Actors of the Theatre Festival by Barun Sobti. He also handed over the Overall Champion’s trophy to the joint winners of the 3^rd BESC Theatre Festival to THK Jain College and the BESC.

A small quiz was also conducted for the audience to participate in, where the winners were given a replica cricket bat signed by the cast of the movie 22 yards.

The high point of the programme was a song sung by Amartya Roy from one of the films acted in by him.  But it was Barun Siobti who got the crowd delirious when he said “before coming here I had heard about BESC – that it is the hippest and the most happening campus in town. But you guys are amazing and it is such a pleasure to see the seriousness and the dedication with which you all take your acting. I am so happy that we made this trip – look forward to coming back, to perhaps take part in a play with you budding geniuses”.

(This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera persons Satyam Soham Pradhan, Souvik Das, Siddhant Jha of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

 

Anubhav

March 3rd, 2019. New Concept Hall.  A mono act play brought to life by Nilanjana Bala and directed by Oonja Bhuyan.

Oonja Bhuyan is one of the most celebrated dramatis personae – teaching drama for close to a decade now – her forte being the direction of children’s plays. She is also an accomplished set designer, music director and lighting expert.

The play was stitched around the complex relationship between man and woman. The trials and tabulations that relationships are exposed to, the choices that are often difficult to make and the future that looks grim to put things mildly. Yet, the act was also about hope, about triumph, of the soul, of honest intentions that are capable o painting every cloud with a silver lighting. On another level, the drama was about the relationship of humans with Mother Earth, with nature; while on another it was about the mother’s concerns, about her anxieties and apprehensions about her children.

The narrative was stark in its simplicity, the direction, bereft of unnecessary accoutrements and the execution as near perfect as it gets. The crowd sat enthralled as the story unfolded, pitting the mirror in front of the audience as it were, forcing them to face questions that we are often too scared to confront.

(This report has been filed by Medha Pandey along with camera person Satyam Soham Pradhan of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

Digambarin

March 3rd, 2019. New Concept Hall. Janardan Ghosh is a living legend in theatre. An actor, director, he is currently the resident director of Padatik (a position conferred upon him by none other than Shyamanad Jalan) which needs no introduction to the cognoscenti.  He has attended seminars and workshops conducted by Badal Sarkar, John Retallack (Company of Angels, UK) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (UK) – which found release in his most creative experimental work till date, Ha Radhe … let me be as she was. Widely travelled and extensively awarded, he has collaborated with many non-proscenium theatre artists from around the world.

He writes extensively on education, performing arts and spirituality in major newspapers and conducts workshops for actors, students, teachers and executives. He is currently pursuing academic research on “Acting as a self-discipline” from the RKM Vivekanada University Belur.

The play Janardan Ghosh presented with his troupe dealt with the concept of duality – Shakti and Shiva. That the audience sat spellbound through a play of such heavy spiritual purport, requiring an intellectual involvement of the highest kind was a vindication of the heights attained by the protagonist in his chosen field of excellence.

As one participant in the Theatre Fest gushed “imagine coming here to participate in a college festival and be treated with such an event – to see one of the legends of theatre perform and interact with you … I am still shivering. I guess only BESC is capable of pulling off such things, with such clinical expertise and with such nonchalance”!

 (This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera person Souvik Das of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

Curtains

 

March 3rd, 2019. New Concept Hall. Like all good things, the curtains had to come down on the Theatre Festival as well and it did, but not before a final applause. Argha Banerjee, the BESC alumnus who has been the college’s gift to the thriving theatre movement of the country, greeted and felicitated the judges for their gracious presence and patient (not to mention pertinent) judgements of the basket of plays that were present before them.

Apratim Chatterjee, Suporovo Tagore and Janardan Ghosh – the holy troika was equally eloquent about the hospitality and the honour that was heaped upon them by the college and the participating students. They were also unanimous in hailing the BESC for its unstinted support to the cause of theatre and wished more educational institutions followed on the path taken by the BESC to help the performing arts find their rightful place in the sun, so that more students are encouraged to take them up, to stretch the frontiers of creativity, individually and as a people.

The judges the proceeded to honour the winners with certificates and trophies.

The overall winners trophy for the festival was shared jointly by the JHK Jain College and the BESC.

Best Actors – Prachin Pandey (BESC) and Sumonto Mishra (THK Jain College)

Best Actress – Rhina (Loreto College)

Best Direction – Hertiage College (Stage Play)

Special Mention – Sri Shikshayatan College

Award for Overall Design and Concept – Sri Shikshayatan College

Star of Theatre Festival – Debasish Halder (BESC)

(This report has been filed by Priti Jain along with camera person Souvik Das Pradhan of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)

Error 404 (Theatre group)

 

March 3rd, 2019. New Concept Hall. Error 404, a play directed by Ritwika Choudhuri for “Shreik of Silence” was staged as a part of the BESC Theatre Festival. The short play was a scathing comment on the absurdity and total lack of sence to which the current generation has wilfully reduced their existence to. The so-called, educated, urban professional, ensconced in his / her comfort zones of absurdity are seeking to find meaning by clutching on to objects that are ludicrous in their irrelevance. However, in trying to replace real feelings, real interpersonal interactions with toys that can be bought off the shelves, they are only sinking deeper into a quagmire of damnation, walking on the path that not only leads nowhere, but is also one that is of no return.

On one level it was non-sense, like childhood limericks that rhymed for the sake of it and spread cheer in a dumb sort of way. But on higher levels, once the wrappers of irrelevance were stripped off, the play was a terrible comment of life around us, bordering on the sinister in its purport.

Brilliant in its thoughts, execution and direction they play was of the class that forces one out of complacency to think deeply. It was not a comedy, one that brinks a smirk on the face, but a satire that jolts one out of the slumber of apathy and makes one wonder about the futility of it all.

Using humour to make a comment, to pass dark humour to make fun of the little domes of irreverence that we all build and are proud of; is no easy task. The ease with which the narrative flew and the fast pace of the play was indeed a salute of the severest kind to the ones staging it.

Double entendre? Certainly, but not of the type that sits easy on the eyes of the beholder though.

Kudos again.

(This report has been filed by Nikita Mittal along with camera person Satyam Soham Pradhan of the Expressions collective of the BESC.)