West Bengal: Theatre Artist Koushik Kar Dropped From Play After He Joined BJP

Bengali theatre artist Koushik Kar has been dropped from performing in Saurav Palodhi's adaptation of Utpal Dutt's play titled "Ghum Nei" after Kar's decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reports Times of India.

While Kar had been invited by Palodhi's theatre group called Ichheymoto in 2019 to play a part in Ghum Nei, now Palodhi has asserted that Kar's political affiliation is reason enough to drop him.

Palodhi has said, "While adapting Dutt's play, Koushik and I had created his character and named him Akhlaq. The name had a reference to the 2015 Dadri case where a mob had attacked the home of Md Akhlaq, killing him on suspicion of eating beef. Allowing someone to play Akhlaq after joining BJP will be attacking the soul of the play."

However, Kar has shot back on Palodhi and refused to take any credit for writing the character for Akhlaq.

"Saurav is hiding his folly by making such statements. Few Leftists who move between Dharmatala and Brigade and hyperventilate on Facebook are trying to control theatre, They have no grassroots connect. Dropping me or barring me from staging a play is only exposing the insecurity of elites who don't even understand the essence of communism," Kar was quoted as saying.

Kar also asserted that this entire episode exposed the "myopia of theatre professionals" and "Left-wing Fascism".

While many have come out to defend Palodhi's decision, many others have said that the move smacks of intolerance.