Padatik (Indian theatre group)


Padatik Kolkata is one of the premier institutions in the field of the performing arts in India, especially in Theatre and Dance. It was founded in 1972 by the eminent Theatre Personality, Late Shyamanand Jalan. He was a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction in 1972. He was also the vice chairman of SNA from 1999-2004.
Padatik’s productions, both in theatre and dance have toured extensively all over the globe. Padatik had also organized the ‘International Seminar on Indian Dance Traditions and Modern Theatre’ in collaboration with International Theatre Institute in 1983, and the ‘International Festival & Seminar on Theatre, Dance and Martial Arts’ in 1987.

History

Padatik theatre group was formed by Shyamanand Jalan in 1972. Shyamanand Jalan’s productions over the last 40 years include Evam Indrajit, Sakharam Binder, Hazar Chaurasi Ki Maa, Shakuntala, Panchhi Aise Aate Hain, Uddhwastha Dharamshala, Janata Ka Shatru, Bibiyon ka Madarsa, Adhey Adhurey, Raja Lear, Lahron Ke Rajhans & Madhavi to name just a few.

Directors

Padatik Theatre group’s current resident directors are:
Vinay Sharma, whose major productions include Ek Anarchist ki Ittefquia Maut, Godot Ka Intezaar Karte Hue, Mr Biederman aur Aag Laganewale, Antim Din, John Gabriel Borkman, Weekend, ho sakta hai do aadmi do kursiyan and the recently directed Atmakatha to name a few.
Kunal Padhy, whose notable productions include Gali Chahat Wali, Yeh Zindagi Aakhir Kiski, Wada Chirebandi, Thaneer Thaneer and Late Lateef
Janardan Ghosh who has recently directed Hayavadana, Ek Je Chilo Brikkho, Beyond Freud and Khela
Eminent Guest theatre directors invited over the years have included Satyadev Dubey, Rajinder Nath, Fritz Bennewitz, Ranjit Kapoor, Anmol Vellani, Vincenzo Cozzi, Rodney Marriott and very recently Wlodzimierz Staniewski.

Shyamanand Jalan National Youth Theatre Award

In 2011, Padatik theatre group announced the commemorative Shyamanand Jalan National Youth Theatre Award for original scripts from Indian playwrights between 18 and 25 years of age.

Productions

The late Shyamanand Jalan was one of the first established Indian Theatre Directors to move away from the proscenium theatre and explore studio theatre performances at Padatik. The 1st having opened in 1982, today Padatik houses 3 different intimate performance spaces, fully equipped and functional; which not just the Padatik group but other theatre groups from within and outside the city avail of. It also has its own small sound recording studio.