Born in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, Debesh has been working in the field of theatre for the last thirty three years. He is the founder and director of “Sansriti”. He has directed over 40 plays in Bengali. “Winkle Twinkle”, “Devi Sarpomasta”, “Phataru”, “Saudagorer Nouka” are milestone productions on the Bengali Stage directed by Debesh.
Not only proscenium, but he has also directed plays for intimate and site-specific theatre. He is a well acclaimed theatre academic and expert, and has completed a senior fellowship on “Cognitive Neuroscience and Theatre”. He has written several books on theatre. “The Week” magazine felicitated him as one of the ‘Fifty emerging stars of India’ in 2003. Debesh has been honoured by Paschimbanga Natya Academy (Govt. of W.B.) as “Best Director” twice. Recipient of many awards Debesh directed his first feature film “Natoker Moto: like a play” in 2015. It was included in International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa in the Indian Panorama and, International Competition Section. Film Critic Circle of India (FCCI) honoured him as best debut director of 2015 for the film. Currently he is working on “Natyashastra”. Highest state award in theatre (Girish Ghosh Samman) was given to Debesh by Govt. of W.B. (I&CA) in 2019.
Read More...RESUME OF THE DIRECTOR : DEBESH CHATTOPADHYAY
As a Theatre Director
HAYAVADANA : Playwright - Girish Karnad
AGNIBARSHI : Playwright - John Osborne
PRATINIDHI : Playwright - Debasish Mazumdar
WINKLE TWINKLE : Playwright - Bratya Basu
PHATARU : Based on Nabarun Bhattacharya’s story
CADAVEROUS : Workshop based short play
ANWAY : Workshop based Intimate play
EA : Based on story by Peter Bischel
SHYAMASUNDARI : Playwright - G B Shaw.
SURJO-PORA CHAI : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
TETRI KAHANI : Story by Mahasweta Devi
NEKRE O BHERA : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
FANDI GRAM : Workshop based short play
DREAM DREAM : Playwright - William Shakespeare
BREAK FAIL : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
EKA, EKA NOI : A Poetry Based Performance
CHENA DUKHHO CHENA SUKH : Playwright - Sumitro Bannerjee
BIKELE BHORER SORSHE-PHOOL : Playwright - Bratya Basu
DEVI SARPAMASTA : Playwright - Manoj Mitra
KANU KAHE RAI : Story - Swaradindu Bandopadhyay
BRAIN : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
CHIRO KUMAR SABHA : Playwright - Rabindranath Tagore
CHALOMAAN ASHARIRI : Playwright - Jyotishmaan Chattopadhyay
SHEY : Story - Rabindranath Tagore
BHALO MANUSH : Playwright - Bertolt Brecht
GRIHO PRABESH : Playwright - Rabindra Nath Tagore ( Site Specific Theatre )
SANKO : Story - Sunil Gangopadhyay
BIRESWAR : A Poetry based performance
NISHANGA SAMRAT : Novel - Sunil Gangopadhyay
ALTAF GOMES : Playwright - Bratya Basu
BILE : Playwright - Ujjwal Chatterjee
APATOTO EIBHABE DUJONER DEKHA HOE THAKE : Playwright - Bratya Basu
MAWON : Story - Sibram Chakrabarty
JATUGRIHO : PALAYWRIGHT- Bratya Basu
SAUDAGORER NOUKA : Playwright – Ajitesh Bandopadhyay
JABDO HOLEN RAJA MOSHAI : Playwright – Dipwanita Roy
TUGHLAQ : Playwright - Girish Karnad
SIDDHIDATA : Playwright – Mohit Chattopadhyay
SORBONASHER ASHAY : Songs & Drama - Rabindra Nath Tagore
HOLY-E-COW : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
KONA O TARANGO : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
AMODITO RODDUR : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay & Nirmal Verma
1984? : Playwright - Debesh Chattopadhyay
AS A PLAYWRIGHT
FALTU (2000)
THE GAP (2001)
SURJO-PORA CHHAI (2003)
NEKRE O BHERA (2005)
TETRI KAHANI (2006)
FANDIGRAM (2008)
BRAIN (2009)
SHEY(2012)
SANKO (2012)
NISSHANGA SAMRAT(2013)
EK DIN MONDIRE JAOAR PATHE (2014)
HOLY-E-COW (2016)
BHARATBARSHO (2016)
BHAT (2016)
KONA O TARANGO (2017)
1984? (2018)
AS A DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER
Documentary film on ‘Satu Sen’ which is financed by the National School of Drama, Delhi.
Documentary film ‘Dreams Unlimited’ on ‘Natyamela 2008’ produced by Paschim Banga Natya Academy.
Documentary film on ‘Rangakarmi -A Journey’ based on the activities and contribution of the theatre group ‘RANGAKARMI’ (Director- Usha Ganguly).
Documentary film on ‘Habib Tanvir’ produced by Paschim Banga Natya Academy.
AS A THEATRE WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
Physically and mentally challenged children of SANCHAR, BIKRAMSHILA (NGO).
Theatre workers of different theatre groups of West Bengal.
School children (St. Augustine’s, South Point, Kolkata).
Minerva Natyasanskriti Charchakendra for repertoire.
Paschim Banga Natya Academy, Theatrical Workshop (Residential), at Kaliagung, Uttar Dinajpur,Bishnupore, Shantiniketan.
Paschimbanga Sishu Kishore Academy
North Atlantic Bengali Association, Houston , Texas, USA.
As a Theatre Seminar Speaker
Seminars organised by IISC (Bangalore), N S D, Paschimbanga Natya Academy, Nandipat, Rangakala, Sayak,Rangroop, Abhinayan, Rupantar, Ajitesh Natya Academy, Natya Srijoni, Natyasodh, Kathakriti, Prachya etc.
AS A DIRECTOR IN BHARAT RANG MAHOTSAV (NSD)
WINKLE TWINKLE(2003)
SURJO PORA CHAI (2011)
DEBI SARPOMASTA (2012)
NISSONGO SAMRAT (2013)
AS A DIRECTOR IN 8th THEATRE OLYMPIC (NSD)
TUGHLAQ (2018)
As a Visiting Lecturer
Indian Institute Of Science, Bangalore on ‘Neuroscience & Theatre’ in 2009.
Wigan & Leigh College India on ‘Acting’ for Design Faculty in 2008.
Govt. College, Bashirhat on ‘Absurd Drama’ for Arts Faculty in 2007.
Gour Banga University on ‘Communication’in 2013.
Kalyani University on ‘ Communication’ in 2014.
Calcutta University on ‘Communication’ in 2015.
Roopkala Kendro Fill Institute "Dealing with Actors" in 2018.
As a Research Fellow
Senior Fellowship on ‘Neuroscience & Theatre’ financed by Ministry Of Culture, Govt. Of India.
Honours
50 Emerging Stars of India by ‘The Week’ (Independence Day special Issue 2003).
Best Playwright of the Year in 2002, by West Bengal Youth Council.
Best Play of the Year in 2007, by Information & culture Dept., Govt. of West Bengal for the play Surjo-Pora Chhai”.
Best Playwright of the Year in 2008, Satyen Mitra Award by Theatre Wokshop for play “Surjo-Pora Chhai”.
Best Director of the Year in 2008, Shyamal Sen Smriti Puraskar by Theatre Group SwapnaSandhani for the play “Surjo-Pora Chhai”.
Best Director of the Year in 2009, by Information & Culture Dept., Govt. of West Bengal for the play “Dream Dream”.
Best Play of the Year in 2010, by Sudrak for the play “Dream Dream”.
Dinabandhu Mitra Smriti Sammanana in 2011, by Bongaon Natyacharcha Kendra.
Best Director of the Year in 2012, Rajat Jayanti Swarak Samman from Anya Theatre, for “DEVI SARPAMASTA”.
NAVENDU SMRITI SAMMAN 2012 , to the director Debesh Chattopadhyay, for “BIKELE BHORER SHORSHE PHOOL” by Ashoknagar Natyamukh.
ZEE GAURAV AWARD, 2012 to the director Debesh Chattopadhyay, for “ BIKELE BHORER SHORSHE PHOOL”.
ZEE GAURAV AWARD, 2012 for best production,“ BIKELE BHORER SHORSHE PHOOL”.
ZEE GAURAV JURI AWARD, 2012 to the Playwright Debesh Chattopadhyay for “BRAIN”.
“Aloksilpi Chitto Sarkar Smriti Theatre Samman 2012”. From: Munas Theatre Group
“Debnarayan Gupto Samman, 15th Feb, 2012”. From: Natakwala, Kolkata.
“SILPAYAN SAMMAN” 2013, by Gobordanga Silpayan.
“BISHNU BASU SMARAK SAMMAN” 2013, by Kalindi Bratyajon
Total achievement in theatre, 18th Feb, 2013, From: The Times Of India Group.
ZEE GAURAV JURI AWARD, 2014 for best set design “APATATO EIBHABE DUJONER DAKHA HOE THAKE”.
ZEE GAURAV JURI AWARD, 2014 for best direction “APATATO EIBHABE DUJONER DAKHA HOE THAKE”.
Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival : Best Film, Best Debutant Director. (2016)
AS a scenographer
KARUBASANA (2015)
ANDOKAR LEKHAGUCCHO (2017)
MACHHI (2017)
CHAND MANASAR KISSA (2018)
JAGANIYA MRITOJON (2018)
AS FILM ACTOR
‘HERBERT’ by Suman Mukhopadhyay (2007)
‘HASIKHUSI CLUB’ by Shankho Banerjee (2008)
‘CHALO PALTAI’ by Haranath chakrabarty (2010)
‘CHAPLIN’ by Anindo Banerjee (2011)
‘BAPI BARI JA’ by Sudeshna Roy (2012)
AS AN EDITOR
KEYA CHAKRABORTY ISSUE(1993)
SATU SEN ISSUE(1998)
THEATRE CRITICISM IN THE MIRROR OF BENGALI THEATRE, PART-1.(2000)
THEATRE CRITICISM IN THE MIRROR OF BENGALI THEATRE, PART-2. (2001)
WINKLE TWINKLE SPECIAL ISSUE. (2010)
AS BOOK WRITER
PALTUDA BALEN JA (2011)
KEYA (2015)
BHARATER NATYASHASTRA : EKTI SAHAJPATH (2016)
NATYASHILPO (2018)
AS FILM DIRECTOR
NATOKER MOTO (LIKE A PLAY) (2015) (FEATURE FILM)
Selected in IFFI, Goa (Indian panorama & in international competition section); IFFK, Kerala ; PIFF, Pune;
IFFK, Nilambur ; PFF, Patna, Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival.
THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER VACATION (2016) (SHORT FILM)
Produced by Sishu Kishore Academy, I&CA, Govt. Of Westbengal.
IYE (THE OTHERS) (2017)
NFDC Film Bazar 2017, Goa (Industrial screening section); 68th Berlin International Film Festival 2018.