Bengal theatre fraternity hits road against Centre’s ‘cooling-off’ rule

KOLKATA: Theatre practitioners in Kolkata, on Thursday, hit the streets in large numbers to protest what they described as the Centre’s abrupt suspension and cancellation of a number of repertory grants to theatre groups. Alleging a pattern of neglect, they said this was not the first instance; earlier, too, funding to Bengal’s theatre groups had faced resistance and delays from the Central government.

The protesters accused the Centre of using policy changes and funding cuts as tools to curb dissenting voices. As per the Guru-Shishya Parampara (Repertory Grant) scheme for 2024–25 and 2025–26, groups that have received funding for five straight years must now take a two-year cooling-off period. This rule does not apply to those linked to Padma awardees or working to preserve folk and traditional art forms. Organised by the West Bengal Performing Artistes Community, the protest march from Tapan Theatre to the Academy of Fine Arts saw participation from both senior and young theatre personalities, including Soumitra Mitra, Seema Mukhopadhyay, Goutam Haldar and Dulal Lahiri. Veteran thespian Chandan Sen termed the move “politically motivated,” alleging that attempts to influence artistic expression were not new.

“Earlier, scripts praising the Centre were circulated for performance, which many in Bengal chose to ignore. Now, we are hearing terms like ‘cooling-off period’ for the first time. It feels like another way to control

us,” he said. Echoing similar concerns, veteran theatre practitioner Soumitra Mitra said theatre is inseparable from life and called the decision an attempt to silence voices.

Meanwhile, noted Bangla director and playwright Seema Mukhopadhyay was called to a meeting at the EZCC by representatives of the Union Ministry of Culture, where she was informed that the cooling-off clause would remain unchanged. She was also told that several students from theatre groups had raised complaints over unpaid salaries in Bengal.