100 years of Habib Tanvir: Kolkata hosts three-day fest

Habib Tanvir, regarded as a stalwart in the history of Indian theatre, would have turned 100 this year. To celebrate his life and legacy, Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav and Ratna Pathak Shah were in the city to inaugurate a three-day festival at Kolkata Centre for Creativity ,titled Dekh Rahe Hain Nayan. The ongoing fest will not only see masterclasses and panel discussions by the veterans, but also a daastango, film screenings, a book launch and musical performances as a tribute to Tanvir and his vision.

Ratna Pathak Shah who believes Tanvir himself personified the potential of Indian theatre, says, “When I watched Charandas Chor, I questioned the world I was living in and what I was doing,” she said.

Ebrahim Alkazi’s plays were like the clouds in the sky but Habib sahab’s works had the smell of the earth. Actors in his plays looked like people next door, relatable.The greatest gift from Habib sahab to all those who love theatre was the simplicity in his approach. It may have looked very ordinary on the surface but had a deeper philosophy– Naseeruddin Shah

The vision that Habib sahab had, and his works are more relevant now, giventhe situation that is shaping up in the city and also India – MK Raina

Remembering the Padma Bhushan awardee, Naseeruddin said, “One day, he called me up asking how much he should charge, as a big producer in Mumbai wanted to cast him in his movie. He was shocked when I suggested an amount of `10 lakh, and ended up agreeing for `3 lakh. This gives us a glimpse of his approach towards life and work.” Curated by thespian MK Raina and Tausif Rahman, with research and consultation by Anjum Katyal, the initiative is the first-of-its-kind to take a note of Tanvir’s oeuvre.

I owe my career to Habib sahab. There are two or three people who helped me have a clear vision and he was one of them. He had a global perspective with local roots. I have learnt so much about western history from him
– Sudhir Mishra


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