Though in Hindi, Ushadi practised Bengal’s theatre: Bratya Basu

Usha Ganguly’s death has left Bratya Basu shocked. In 2019, Bratya received Dinabandhu Mitra Puroshkar — a prestigious

theatre

award by

West Bengal Government

— from

Usha Ganguly

. “That was the last time I met her,” recalled Bratya. “She and I have known each other for years. I interviewed her once and there she talked about her coming to Kolkata, getting involved in theatre and so on. It was a very intimate interview. I saw her love and respect for Keya Chakraborty. I think, after

Keya Chakraborty

, Ushadi was the only theatre exponent who was also a college lecturer,” he said.


Talking about her theatre, Bratya said, “While her language was Hindi, Ushadi practised Bengal’s theatre. Her plays are not just for Hindi-speaking audience but also for Bengalis.”