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{{Refimprove|date=April 2020}}
{{short description|Indian theatre director, actress, and activist}}
{{short description|Indian actress}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Usha Ganguly
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth year|1945}}
| birth_place = [[Jodhpur]], [[Rajasthan]]
| death_date = 23 April 2020
| death_place = [[Kolkata]]
| nationality =
| other_names =
| known_for = Founder-director ''[[Rangakarmee]]'' theatre group (1976)
| education =
| alma_mater =
| years_active = 1970–2020
| occupation = theatre director, actor, activist
}}

''' Usha Ganguli''' (1945 – 23 April 2020) was an Indian theatre director-actor and activist, most known for her work in [[Hindi]] theatre in [[Kolkata]] in the 1970s and 1980s. She founded ''[[Rangakarmee]]'' theatre group in 1976, known for its productions like ''Mahabhoj'', ''Rudali'', ''Court Martial'', and ''Antaryatra''.<ref name=tri>{{cite news |title=Using theatre to voice her deepest concerns |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040920/cth2.htm#6 |newspaper=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |date=20 September 2004 }}</ref><ref name=cal>{{cite news |title=Calcutta, home to Hindi Theatre |url=http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/advertise.nsf/%28docid%29/70B426B140A9AA74652569420029534A |newspaper=The Hindu |date=29 October 1997 |access-date=16 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725211658/http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/advertise.nsf/%28docid%29/70B426B140A9AA74652569420029534A |archive-date=25 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Panelist: Usha Ganguly – South Asian Theater Festival, 2009 |url=http://www.satf2010.org/2009/panelist.html#ushagangugli |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727235144/http://www.satf2010.org/2009/panelist.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-27 |year=2009 |publisher=South Asian Theater Festival}}</ref> Apart from thespian [[Shyamanand Jalan]] of ''[[Padatik (Indian theatre group)|Padatik]]'' (established 1972), she was the only other theatre director to practise [[Hindi theatre]] in Kolkata, which is largely [[Bengali language|Bengali]] speaking.<ref>[[#Dh|Dharwadker, p. 440]]</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The language of expression|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article1499222.ece?textsize=large&test=1 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=1 March 2011 |location=Chennai, India |first=Prabalika M. |last=Borah}}</ref>

She was awarded the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for Direction, given by the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm|title=SNA: List of Akademi Awardees|publisher=[[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] Official website|access-date=17 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm|archive-date=17 February 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She was also honoured by the [[West Bengal Government]] as the best actress for the play ''Gudia Ghar''.<ref name=tri/>

==Early life and education==
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, into a family from the village of Nerva in [[Uttar Pradesh]], Usha Ganguly learnt [[Bharatanatyam]] dance and later moved to Kolkata, where she studied at [[Shri Shikshayatan College]], Kolkata and did her master's degree in [[Hindi literature]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Change-makers to beat bias |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060422/asp/calcutta/story_6131589.asp |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]] |date=22 April 2006 |location=Calcutta, India}}</ref>

==Career==
Ganguly began her career as a teacher at Bhowanipur Education Society College, Calcutta, an undergraduate college affiliated with the [[University of Calcutta]], in 1970. Also in the same year, she started acting with ''Sangit Kala Mandir'' and also started work for her first play ''Mitti Ki Gadi'' (based on ''[[Mrichchakatikam]]'' by [[Shudrak]]) (1970), where she played the role of Vasantsena.<ref name=tekol>{{cite news |title=Everyone is not going to sit silent...? |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050723/asp/calcutta/story_5025280.asp |newspaper=The Telegraph (Kolkata) |date=23 July 2005 |location=Calcutta, India}}</ref> She continued teaching as a Hindi Lecturer at Bhowanipur Education Society College, until her retirement in 2008 and practised theatre all the while.<ref name=mum>{{cite web |title=Usha Ganguly:Profile and Interview at Prithivi Theatre Festival 2006|url=http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/interviews/usha_ganguli.asp |date=November 2006 |publisher=mumbaitheatreguide.com|archive-url=http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/interviews/usha_ganguly.pdf|archive-date=November 2006}}</ref>

She formed a theatre group, ''Rangakarmee'', in January 1976.<ref name=tekol/> Initially, since she was trained as a dancer, the group invited outside directors, like M.K. Raina, who directed ''Mother'', Tripti Mitra directed ''Gudia Ghar'', an adaptation of [[Ibsen]]'s ''[[A Doll's House]]'', besides Rudra Prasad Sengupta and Bibhash Chakravorty, before she started directing herself, having trained under Tripti Mitra and Mrinal Sen.

Ganguly started directing in the 1980s and soon her energetic style and disciplined ensemble work with young, large casts brought a resurgence of Hindi theatre in the city. Her important productions included ''Mahabhoj'' (Great Feast) in 1984, based on [[Mannu Bhandari]] novel, [[Ratnakar Matkari]]'s ''Lokkatha'' (Folktale) in 1987, ''Holi'' by playwright [[Mahesh Elkunchwar]] in 1989, and ''Rudali'' (1992), her own dramatised version of a story by [[Mahashweta Devi]], ''Himmat Mai'', an adaptation of [[Brecht]]'s ''[[Mother Courage]]'' and notably ''Court Martial'' written by playwright [[Swadesh Deepak]].<ref name=mum/> She wrote a play ''Kashinama'' (2003), based on a story, ''Kaane Kaun Kumati Lagi'' from the [[Kashinath Singh]]'s classic work, ''Kashi Ka Assi'' and an original play ''Khoj''.

She also worked on the script of ''[[Raincoat (film)|Raincoat]]'' (2004) a Hindi film based on [[O Henry]]'s ''[[The Gift of the Magi]]'', directed by [[Rituparno Ghosh]].

In the coming years, she also translated and adapted plays into Hindi. Rangakarmee started its education wing in the 1990s, today it regularly takes its repertoire on tours across India and undertakes education extension activities in theatre with underprivileged people.<ref>{{cite news |title=Theatre adapts to changes |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloids/theatre-adapts-changes-780 |newspaper=Deccan Chronicle |date= 26 February 2011 }}</ref>

In 2005, Rangkarmee was the only Indian theatre group to perform at the Theatre der Welt Festival in [[Stuttgart, Germany]].<ref name=tekol/> It staged the play ''Rudali'' at "Punj Pani festival" at [[Lahore]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title=Samaaj, Rudali and Sassi Punnoo at Punj Pani festival |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\06\story_6-4-2006_pg13_4 |newspaper=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]] |date=6 April 2006 }}</ref> The group staged its first multilingual production, ''Bhor'' about the minds of inmates of a drug rehab centre in August 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Waiting for a new dawn|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Waiting-for-a-new-dawn/656489/ |newspaper=[[Indian Express]] |date=6 August 2010 }}</ref>

==Plays==
* ''Mahabhoj'' (The Great Feast) (1984)
* ''Lok Katha'' (Folk Tale) (1987)
* ''Holi'' (1989)
* ''Court Martial'' (1991)
* ''Rudali'' (The Mourner) (1992)
* ''Himmat Mai'' ([[Mother Courage]]) (1998)
* ''Mukti'' (1999)
* ''Shobhayatra'' (2000)
* ''Kashinama'' (2003)
* ''Chandalika''
* ''Sarhad Par Manto''
* ''Manasi'' (in Bengali) (2011)
*
<ref>{{cite news |title=Drama: March 12 |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110310/jsp/calcutta/story_13694069.jsp |newspaper=The Telegraph (Kolkata) |date=10 March 2011 |location=Calcutta, India}}</ref>

==Works==
* ''Rudali'' (play based on Mahashweta Devi's story), Radhakrishna Prakashan, 2004. {{ISBN|81-7119-767-1}}.
==Works==
* ''antarmahal'',

==Further reading==
* ''Rudali: from fiction to performance'', by Mahashweta Devi, Usha Ganguli, Anjum Katyal. Seagull Books, 1997. {{ISBN|81-7046-138-3}}.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite book |title=Theatres of independence: drama, theory, and urban performance in India since 1947 |author=Aparna Bhargava Dharwadker|year=2005 |publisher=University of Iowa Press|isbn=0-87745-961-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLQaz-12Eo8C&q=Shyamanand+Jalan&pg=PA401 |ref=Dh }}

==External links==
* [http://rangakarmee.110mb.com/group.htm Rangkarmee, website]
*{{IMDb name|2084881}}

{{Bengali theatre}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ganguly, Usha}}
[[Category:Indian theatre directors]]
[[Category:Indian stage actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Actresses from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Hindi theatre]]
[[Category:Shri Shikshayatan College alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta faculty]]
[[Category:Indian women theatre directors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:People from Jodhpur]]

Usha Ganguly - Revision history

>Easyme123: spelling