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. 

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DIRECTORS PROFILE

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.