Shiboprosad returns to stage after 27 years to celebrate Badal Sircar’s birth centenary

Answering the call of his long-time friend actor Sujan Mukhopadhyay, filmmaker and actor Shiboprosad Mukherjee is set to return to the theatre stage after nearly two and a half decades. The occasion marks the birth centenary of legendary playwright Badal Sircar, which will be celebrated at the Chetana Theatre Festival this year.Sujan decided to pay tribute to Badal Sircar by staging his iconic play Bhul Rasta. To make the production truly special, he reached out to his university friend “Shibu” — Shiboprosad Mukherjee — to join him. Delighted at the opportunity, Shiboprosad readily agreed, despite his busy film schedule.Both Sujan and Shiboprosad are alumni of Jadavpur University, where they performed together in several stage productions during their student years. Over time, their professional journeys took different directions — Shiboprosad went to become a filmmaker while Sujan continued to make his mark in contemporary Bengali theatre. Now, after decades, the two friends will reunite on stage in Bhul Rasta and theatre lovers are eagerly waiting for the collaboration.

Reflecting on his return to theatre, he shared, “I first read Badal Sircar’s Bhul Rasta in 1988 in Desh magazine. Later, at Jadavpur University, my friend Neel (Sujan Mukhopadhyay) directed the play for our Drama Club — that’s how our journey with it began. We performed it on the streets, at Nandan, at the Academy, and even in Balurghat under the Chetana banner. I last performed in this play around 27 years ago. Bhul Rasta will return to the Academy stage on Chetana’s 53rd birthday. It’s worth mentioning that I personally took the initiative to obtain the play’s copyright from Badal Sircar himself. When Neel asked me to return to the stage, I was initially nervous — would I still be able to do it? But staging Bhul Rasta on the occasion of Badal Sircar’s birth centenary felt like the perfect reason to come back.” With Bhul Rasta, Shiboprosad's long-awaited return to theatre promises to be a nostalgic and powerful celebration — of friendship, legacy and the enduring spirit of Bengali theatre.