Usha Ganguly
| Usha Ganguly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 (age 71–72) Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| Occupation | theatre director, actor, activist |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Known for | Founder-director Rangakarmee theatre group (1976) |
Usha Ganguly (born 1945) is an Indian theatre director-actor and activist, most known for her work in Hindi theatre in Kolkata in the 1970s and 1980s. She founded Rangakarmee theatre group in 1976, known for its productions like Mahabhoj, Rudali, Court Martial, and Antaryatra. Apart from thespian Shyamanand Jalan of Padatik (estb. 1972), he is only other theatre director to practice Hindi theatre in Kolkata, which is largely Bengali speaking.
She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama in 1998. She has also been honoured by the West Bengal Government as the best actress for the play Gudia Ghar.
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in a family from village Nerva in Uttar Pradesh, Usha Ganguly learnt Bharatanatyam dance and later moved to Kolkata, where she studied at Shri Shikshayatan College, Kolkata and did her master's degree in Hindi literature.
She started her career as a teacher at Bhowanipur Education Society College, Calcutta, an undergraduate college affiliated with University of Calcutta, in 1970. Also in the same year, she started acting with Sangit Kala Mandir and also started work for her first play Mitti Ki Gadi (based on Mrichchakatikam by Shudrak) (1970), where she played the role of Vasantsena. She continued teaching as a Hindi Lecturer at Bhowanipur Education Society College, till her retirement in 2008 and practised theatre alongside.
She formed a theatre group, Rangakarmee, in January 1976. Initially since was trained as a dancer, the group invited outside directors, like M.K. Anvase, who directed Mother, Tripti Mitra directed Gudi Ghar, an adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House, besides Rudra Prasad Sengupta and Vibhash Chakravorty, before she started directing herself, having trained under Tripti Mitra and Mrinal Sen.
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