Kolkata's upcoming cultural exchange!

They have a saying, people hailing from metropolis' feel that the world starts and ends in their city! Generalising commoners is a pretty objectionable thing to do nonetheless, but it's a daily affair, everywhere we go and engage in a conversation with a strange, proud Delhite or a Mumbaikar, we experience their love and bigotry (sometimes, not always) for the city they possess! And you can't really blame them, afterall, we Calcuttans fall no short of such a possessiveness! From our myriad romantic walks through the boulevards of Central Kolkata, to the "friendly" political debates along with multiple cups of tea and cigarettes in Nandan, to our celebration of Christmas in Park Street, our love for this city remains intact and passionate! In a "conversation" with a Delhite or a Mumbaikar, we never fall short of finding out our ways to glorify Kolkata's rich heritage and culture! And trust me no matter how much we criticise the unorganised and under-developed portions of this beautiful city, deep in our hearts, we Calcuttans possess an unquenchable love for the city of Joy!


You must be wondering why I've digressed from the topic I'm catering to, trust me the sole purpose was to provide you with that feeling of nostalgia and the festive atmosphere associated with that jocundity, which some of us are experiencing right at this moment ! In an interactive session with the M.A.D president, Soumendra Bhattacharya, we found out an exciting background about the cultural exchange which is hitting our city just a couple of weeks later!

Soumya Mukherji in "With Love Calcutta"

"While at Mumbai, for the performance of "With Love Calcutta" at the Prithvi Theatre, we were lucky enough to have the members of one of the best groups in Mumbai's thespian circuit, AmyGo productions as our audience. Our Prithvi venture was very successful, and AmyGo's members came up to congratulate us on our performance! Pertaining to a similar age group and having the same kind of passion for the improvement of the contemporary theatre scene in the country, during this conversation with them, we came up with a brilliant plan to host something that Kolkata has not seen in its recent years, a cultural exchange, where Mumbai meets Kolkata and Kolkata meets Mumbai (it was staged back in April 1st and the 2nd). Is it just a theatre festival? No Sir, its not, you're getting to witness something much more innately superior and a wonderful blending in of the rich cultural possessions of these two cities. This is the first time, and we promise you, it won't be the last"!

The National Theatre Exchange is an event scheduled for the 27th and the 28th of April! It is something which the city has barely witnessed in its recent years! Somewhere in between the two teams' Magnum Opus, and being the first festival of its kind in the city, T.N.E is a lot more than just three plays, it is a revival of the cultural exchange in the thespian circuit of Kolkata with all its immeasurable joy, and thrill! Here you get to witness raw talent through the hands of The Third Mask,(their play "Au Revoir" will be presented on the 27th from 5pm) a group comprising of school-goers, who are sharing the stage with troupes which have got through "The Thespo", here you get to experience the nostalgia and passion we share for Calcutta through the much acclaimed "With Love Calcutta" scheduled on the 27th of April from 6pm, and it is here that you get to experience Mumbai's flourishing and rich thespian circuit through AmyGo productions' multiple award winning play "The E.Q" which is scheduled on the 28th of April from 6:30 in the evening! And above all, you get to be a part of the change that is coming up in the youth cultural scenario of the city, an aspect which needs every bit of your support and participation!

So be there at the University Institute Hall, right in the heart of the city, beside Presidency University, at the place which has contributed much to our cultural efficiency through the ages, on the 27th and the 28th of April! Feel the magic, and the thrill which has attracted the bengalis through the ages and had established Kolkata as the "Cultural capital of the country" once, participate and promote the event which is doing a commendable job in restoring our affections towards theatre!

You can contact :-

• 9851716039, Anubhav Chakraborty.
• 9433108536, Jaismita Alexander.
• 9883958690, Ankit Agarwal.

Or contact, any other ExPRESS MAGAZINE member that you know of, to collect your tickets, a meagre 250 for three plays, something done to make the event inclusive to both the avid theatre goers and the first timers! Never been to a play before? Well you can have my word, it's the best time to start!



Hope to see you there!



ARTICLE BY :- ANUBHAV CHAKRABORTY