Ravan Reloaded

KCC Arts Laboratory 7.0 presents Ravan Reloaded - an experimental, contemporary theatrical piece written, designed, and directed by Debasish and played to perfection by a bunch of ten energetic performers. The play will be staged at the KCC Amphitheatre on Wednesday 30th August 2023, 7:00 pm onwards. 
Debasish trained each of the performers at an intensive ten-day workshop held at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity and through a rigorous training process and exchange, came up with the script for the play. The text of the play is written impromptu by the director and all the dialogues of this performance are improvised by the actors.

About the play

Ravan Reloaded is a new perspective on the story of Ravan. It shows Ravan to be a social construct and not someone solely evil from the beginning. Debasish, the director, says: "This is neither a retelling nor a reconstruction of the story of Ramayana. We are not focusing on the character of Ram and his struggle against Ravan at all. We are here to discuss Ravan. How he came to be one of the most powerful entities on Earth and how his power is nothing but the result of a flawed social structure."
The protagonist in the plot is an aspiring hero who travels all the way to Mumbai, from a rural village in Ayodhya, to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. As a son of a Ramleela performer, he disdains the old and traditional Indian acting methods and wants to imbibe the new Bollywood style. 
Unfortunately, Mumbai welcomes him harshly and forced him to change his career path. This play observes and analyses the protagonist's journey to achieve respectability and credibility in Society.
While the text was written impromptu by the director himself, the design is awe-inspiring according to the people who observed the process of making the play. 
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About the Director

Debasish is a theatre director, scenographer, and designer of contemporary Bengali Theatre. His design creates some new landmarks in the Bengali theatre. Debasish started working in theatre both in acting and backstage works right from his childhood with his father. He joined the mainstream flow of theatre with the direction and set designing of ‘Bairer Darja’ by Mohit Chattapadhyay in a theatre workshop organised by Paschimbanga Natya Academy. Currently, he is an artistic director of theatre group called Theatre Platform.

Productions from his own group, Theatre Platform

Debasish’s play ‘Tumi Ki Korecho’ created a stir in the world of open-air theatre for its uniqueness in Bengal. A few theatre productions of Theatre Platform by Debasish are 'Seturaam', 'Azaadi', 'Tumi', 'Parashuraam', 'Aajke Aamaar Chhuti', 'Angshumaan', 'Elebele', 'Muktodhaaraa', 'Dhrubaa', 'Khanjonaa Aami Aar Aasbo Naa', 'Samayjaan', 'Hattomaalaar Opaare', 'Ilaa Gurhaishaa', 'Hridipaash', 'Ekti shahoj Khuner Galpo', 'Gartokanyaa', 'Qua Ranta in love'.

Direction other than Theatre Platform

Debasish is now one of the most popular directors of Bengali theatre. He has directed many plays for several troupes of Bengal in recent years. Jean Paul Sartre’s play ‘Condemned of Altona’ to ‘Knaakraa’ in 2014, for Minerva Reparatory Theatre under Information and Cultural Affairs Department, Government of West Bengal; “Char Adhyay” for Sandarvo, “Mulya” for Swapnasuchana, “Jashomati” and “Valobashar Ishkul” for Learners Education Society of Tripura, “Koleboshe” for Chakdaha Natyajon, “Revenge Factory”, “Dhulomakha Ruti”, “Lockdowner Natok”, “Valobasha kare Koy”, “Prothom Rajnoitik Hotya” by Anya Theatre, “Uronto Tarader Chhaya” for Sangstab.

Exploration and responsibilities other than direction

Debasish has experience of stage designing, choreography, costume designing with various eminent directors of Bengal like Bibhas Chakraborty, Chandan Sen, Arpita Ghosh, Kuntal Mukhopadhyay, Anirban Bhattacharya, Kousik Chattopadhyay, Shyamal Chakraborty, Debasish Biswas, Biplab Bandopadhyay, Abanti Chaktaborty and many others. He is an ex-member in the committee of ‘Paschimbanga Natya Academy’ and ex – member of ‘Minerva Natya Sanskriti Charchakendra’ of ‘Information & Culture Department’, Government of West Bengal.

Awards

Debasish was awarded ‘Shamindranath Thakur Medhabritti Award’ by ‘Rajya Nritya Natok Sangeet o Drishyakala Academy’ for his theatre works throughout the year in 1996-97 and Mohit Chattopadhyay Smarok Puroskar by Popular Theatre Magazine named Natyapanjikaa for best direction in 2012. Debasish also received ‘SHAMBHU MITRA PUROSKAR’ for Exceptional Contribution & Persistent Dedication towards Bengali Theatre on 26th of May 2017 from West Bengal State Government.