Manoj Mitra

Some Lesser Known Facts About Manoj Mitra

• Initially, Manoj Mitra started his schooling at home as his father had a transferrable job.

• In childhood, he used to love watching street plays and jatras (organised during Durga Puja), but his parents did not allow him to participate in such plays.

• While he was pursuing his graduation, he participated in various theatre plays and from there, he started developing an interest in acting and writing plays.

• Manoj, along with his friends, then started a theatre group named Sundaram. He once shared that he learnt about theatre from his theatre guru Manmath Roy.

• After completing his graduation, he started writing short stories which were published in a few magazines.

• After post-graduation, he wanted to pursue a doctorate, but as he had started his theatre group, he decided to focus on his theatre group.

• A few months later, he started working as a philosophy teacher at Suri Vidyasagar College, West Bengal. However, he worked there for a day only and then joined the drama department at Rabindra Bharati University, West Bengal. Later, he became head of the department there.

• Along with his job there, he worked as a playwright and became a renowned Bengali playwright.

• Manoj had penned down many popular Bengali plays like Sajano Bagaan, Chokhe Angul Dada, Kaalbihongo, Parabas, Ranger Haat, and Ja Nei Bharate. He had also performed in various theatre plays written by him.

  

• He also wrote scripts for a few Bengali films like ‘Bancharamer Bagan’ (1980) and ‘Mohanar Dike’ (1984).

• In 1984, he became a member of the Contemporary Artists Group. In his paintings, he mainly focused on the beauty of nature and a woman. His paintings are displayed at various institutions like Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, and Glenbarra Art Museum, Japan.

  

• He acted in many Bengali films like ‘Bancharamer Bagan’ (1980), ‘Baidurya Rahasya’ (1985), ‘Judge Saheb’ (1989), ‘Pati Param Guru’ (1991), and ‘Tritiyo Purush’ (2022).

  

• He authored various books like ‘The Theatre of Conscience,’ ‘Benchharam’s Orchard and an Encounter with Royalty,’ and ‘Saiyan Beiman.’

  

• In 2018, his theatre group Sundaram’s assets were thrown out on the roads claiming that even after several court notices, he did not evict the property where the Sundaram theatre group was operating. However, Manoj said that he did not receive any summons from the court to evict the property. Whereas the son of the co-owner (Sanjay Kumar Basu) of the theatre group said that Manoj was manipulating the truth.

  

• In August 2019, he resigned from the post of President of the Paschim Banga Natya Akademi after his health started deteriorating.

• In his leisure time, he enjoyed reading books and making paintings.

  

• On 23 September 2024, he started having breathing issues. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors diagnosed him with sodium-potassium imbalance and other age-related health issues. Earlier, in February 2024, after he had some chest pain, he was admitted to the cardiology department of IPGMER SSKM Hospital Kolkata after which he underwent surgery and a pacemaker was installed.

• He breathed his last on 12 November 2024 after his health started worsening at around 8.50 am.