Remembering Badal da

I spent the afternoon at the India International Centre (IIC) library. In the evening I went to Meghdoot, Rabindra Bhavan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi to attend the memorial meeting of Badal Sircar.

Badal Sircar died on May 13, 2011, in Kolkata and I had just arrived from my trip abroad and could not go to pay my last respects. It was a selective gathering at the Meghdoot Hall. Those who are from the world of art and theatre know about Meghdoot Hall and its history.

There were a speeches by Smt Shanta Serbjeet Singh, Vice Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, Dr Anuradha Kapur, Director, National School of Drama, Delhi, and Kirti Jain. I met some of the theatre personalities from Delhi.

There is much to learn from the works and life of Badal da but what I like the most is the kind of respect he had for his work. Last year, the Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan. But Badal da did not accept the award saying that he had already got a fellowship from Sangeet Natak Akademi and there was nothing more than that in theatre to achieve. This showed the kind of dedication he had for the work he engaged in.

Indian theatre would never be complete without his name. His works will always be there to inspire others and his contributions will be appreciated by generations to come.

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