I don’t see myself as a master, but as a lifelong student: Chandan Sen

For decades, Chandan Sen has been both torchbearer and trailblazer in Bengali theatre – an actor, director, and the driving force behind Ashokenagar Natyanan. From alternative stages to international collaborations, his work urges audiences to think and question. A lifelong student and, as he puts it, more a friend to his students than a mentor, he sees theatre not as comfort but as a mirror, a challenge, and a space of resistance. As the theatre group marks 35 years and Calcutta Times – 25, we speak to him about a journey shaped by art, inquiry, and influence.

How has Ashokenagar Natyanan’s philosophy evolved over 35 years?
We aim to tell stories of time. Theatre is a record of its era: it reveals how people think, love, and perceive death across periods. That is what we seek to capture.
We practise what we call spordhito theatre. Many say the word for it isn’t “proper,” but it reflects ordinary people questioning imposed systems. When rulers assume they won’t be questioned, theatre must look them in the eye and ask. That’s what we’ve pursued for 35 years.

How do you pass this philosophy to new generations?

Newcomers don’t always agree at first. Each bring their own social, philosophical, and political ideas. Over time, most come to understand that our theatre is not a political tool, but a reflection of the demands and voices of its time. However, if someone objects to our ideology and chooses not to participate, we let them. We’ve never faced backlash for this, but we do ask them to explain their reasons logically.

How socio-politically aware is the current generation?
They’re more interested in social media than in books. We don’t force it, but we encourage reading and discussion. We also foster debate within the group to nurture not just free thinking, but critical thinking. The biggest challenge today is the lack of critical inquiry. People must question why things are the way they are. This space for questioning is essential, long suppressed, and something we aim to nurture in new generations.

Are audiences still open to experimentation?
Abroad, I’ve seen wide-ranging experimentation. Here, much is rooted in Tagore’s legacy. In our region, even during Girish Ghosh’s time, theatre moved audiences across spaces and explored angik in creative ways. Yet modern Bengali theatre has rarely pushed it to its limits. We emphasise content over experimentation, unlike visual arts or literature, where experimentation is widespread.

Forever a student
Rejecting the idea of being a traditional “master,” Sen insists he remains, above all, a student. “I can share experience, not wisdom,” he says, urging his students not to accept his words blindly but to “read, check, discuss, and then decide what to accept.” For him, exposure is essential – “watch plays, attend seminars, experience cinema” – because without it, learning inevitably remains limited.

Greatest influences

• Utpal Dutt
• Ramaprasad Banik
• Indrashis Lahiri
• Mohit Chattopadhyay
• Badal Sircar

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