Books on actresses working in the public theatres in India are a rarity and in that sense Sarvani Gooptu’s The Actress in the Public Theatres of Calcutta is a bit of a novelty. It begins with a premise of tracing the journey of women and their engagement with early theatrical practices in Calcutta. Gooptu attempts to provide readers with anecdotes of the actresses’ professional and personal lives through an examination of a variety of themes, the theatres, its plays, audiences and also their complex relationship with their mentors. The book sets the stage for the performance culture of Calcutta, mapping the journey of women and their first appearance on the stage.
October 2015, volume 39, No 10