Saoli Leaves Stage, Curtains On Sombhu-tripti Legacy | Kolkata News – Times of India

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KOLKATA: Theatre activist Saoli Mitra passed away at her residence on Sunday afternoon. She was 73. Like her father Sombhu Mitra, the Padmasri winner and Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner had written her instructions on a stamp paper stating that the news of her death should be made public only after the cremation was over.
People close to her made sure that her last wish was fulfilled.

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Her first performance on stage in a leading role was for ‘Raja’. That was in 1987. As a playwright, she was known for ‘Nathabati Ananthabat’ and ‘Katha Amritasaman’. Her performances in both these plays along with that ‘Raja’ and ‘Galileo’ have inspired later generations. Her directorial ventures on stage for Pancham Vaidic include ‘Nathabati Ananthabat’, ‘Katha Amritasaman’, ‘Putul Khela’, ‘Ekti Rajnoitik Hatya’ and ‘Chandali’. Mitra also worked in Ritwik Ghatak’s film ‘Jukti Tokko Aar Goppo’ as Bangabala. Till her death, she was the president of Paschim Banga Bangla Academy and edited its magazine.
The last time Mitra acted on stage was in 2005. That was with Arpita Ghosh for ‘Chandali’. In 2019, she was last seen on stage when she did a solo play-reading of ‘Sita Katha’. In 2020, she left behind instructions on a stamp paper, in which she made it clear that she didn’t want hospitalization and wanted to be cremated at the earliest with no frills at all. She didn’t even fancy wreaths to be offered to her. After her demise at 3.40 pm on Sunday, Arpita Ghosh and Sayak Chakraborty ensured that her last wishes were fulfilled. Everyone was informed only at night once her cremation was over.
Mitra was ailing for quite some time now. On Sunday morning, she was extremely unwell. Ghosh had wanted to excuse herself from the rehearsal of a solo-act play that was scheduled for Sunday. “Around 9.30 in the morning, I asked her if I should cancel the rehearsal. Usually, she doesn’t like rehearsals being cancelled and always talks about how it will inconvenience a theatre group. But, I still called up Debasish Ray of Theatre Platform and excused myself. I told her about this and said the rehearsals can always happen a day or two later. Mammo, as I addressed her, looked at me and said: ‘I don’t have much time’,” Ghosh remembered.
When the end was nearing, she looked at Ghosh, smiled and said, ‘Ebar tahole choli? (So, let me leave now…)’. “I lost my biological mother in June last year. The person who made me Arpita Ghosh left me today. Mammo taught me how to accept everything in life head on and to learn from everything that life offers,” said Ghosh.
Theatre personality Debesh Chattopadhyay, who was also present at the funeral, described her demise as “end of an era”. “Her ‘Nathabati Anathabath’ had a landmark performance in Bengali theatre. It was a learning experience to watch how she transformed herself on stage to play so many characters in that solo-act play. The way she used her diction was exemplary. She gave a modern touch to the story telling format and the play was a great example of the blending of modern theatre with our cultural roots,” he explained.
She had also taken to the streets during the Singur agitation. “When I saw the sufferings of the farmers, I couldn’t sit back. If some situations demand my protest, I’ll again do so. If I take to the streets daily, I’ll be accused of being publicity hungry. I voice my views through my articles,” she had said. Despite all her intentions, Mitra was not spared from criticism. At 68, she had told TOI that she no longer cared if she was called “an escapist for not having an opinion on every television debate”. “I’ve grown up hearing that my lineage got me favours. But I never said anything. I’ve learnt to choose my battles,” she had said. On being asked how she dealt with malice, she said, “I remember Baba’s words — ‘Think of what Tagore had to face despite being a sensitive soul!’”
As the president of the Paschim Banga Bangla Academy, she had worked relentlessly. “I even check proofs. After lot of research, we’ve come up with 11 volumes of Rabindrarachanabali. It is not a reprint. We have come out with two volumes of Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay’s works,” she had said.
The magazine of Paschim Banga Bangla Academy, which she edited, dealt with important issues of literature, culture and cultural history. “Important articles were published by authors. She was very keen to publish several new types of books when she joined as the chairperson. One of the works is a collection of essays on Vidyasagar by eminent historians and literary critics. Our last meeting was in December, she attended it on the telephone and guided us on how to host the little magazine fair and also gave us instructions on the new issue of the magazine. She was currently editing complete writings of her father,” said Aveek Mazumdar, professor of comparative literature at Jadavpur University and executive council member of Bangla Academy.
In the recent times, she wrote several books on Bengali theatre and its history. “She also wrote some books on the cultural history of Bengal. This year’s diary of Bangla Academy has her name as the president. We will keep that diary forever,” Mazumdar added.

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