Centre denies repertory grant for 24 West Bengal theatre groups, veterans allege political bias

Bengali theatre troupes excluded from government grants, sparking controversy among Kolkata's theatre community.

Over 20 renowned Bengali theatre troupes being dropped from the list of eligible recipients of the Union government’s repertory grant scheme, Guru-Shishya Parampara, has caused quite a stir among Kolkata’s theatre veterans.

“Some people are asking us why we should receive monetary grants from the government if we criticise them in theatre,” Sima Mukherjee, who runs the troupe Rangroop, said on Monday. “I want to ask them, is the government paying us from their pocket or is it our, the taxpayers’ money, at the end of the day?”

The Union Ministry of Culture scheme, Financial Assistance for Promotion of Guru-Shishya Parampara (Repertory Grant), provides monetary grants to drama groups, theatre groups, music ensembles, children’s theatre and all genres of performing arts activities. Under this scheme, the guru or the director of the group receives ₹15,000 per month, while shishyas or members of the group receive between ₹2,000 and ₹10,000, depending on age.

Around 24 theatre troupes from West Bengal have reportedly been refused the grant for 2023-2024, including Debesh Chattopadhyay’s Laketown Sreebhumi Sanskriti, Abhi Chakraborty’s Ashokenagar Nattyamukh, Prakash Bhattacharya’s Nandipat, and other troupes, according to a circular issued on Thursday.

Sujan Mukhopadhyay, who helms the 52-year-old Bengali theatre troupe called Chetana, highlighted that theatre in West Bengal has always been a medium of public dissent and is not meant to favour any specific political regime. “What has happened with the grants this year is deplorable. It has traces of conspiracy and personal bias. So many veterans, well-known theatre practitioners and their troupes are being deprived,” he said. “Even if the intention is to elevate young practitioners, completely depriving the veterans is not fair,” he added.

Mr. Chattopadhyay claimed that an atmosphere of fear has been created in West Bengal’s theatre community by the Central government. “Dropping us from the grant will scare theatre practitioners into believing that unless they support the government, they will be cut off from its financial support schemes,” he alleged.

He added that the aggrieved theatre practitioners of the State will take up the issue with the State’s Culture Minister and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting local media to “not colour their decision politically”.