Well-known theatre actor and director Alok Chatterjee in a scene from a play ‘Koi Samjha Nahi’ at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal |
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Eminent film, TV and theatre actor Govind Namdev has said that in the passing away of Alok Chatterjee, they have lost an excellent teacher and a brilliant theatre actor. “He has gone away too early,” Namdev says.
Noted theatre actor and former director of Madhya Pradesh School of Drama Alok Chatterjee passed away on Monday night at the Bansal Hospital in Bhopal.
Alok’s passion for theatre was unmatched. And that was why, after working in the film industry in Mumbai for a few years, he left for Bhopal to pursue theatre. Theatre was in his DNA, he says.
Noted theatre actor and director Alok Chatterjee in a scene from ‘Natsamrat’ in Bhopal |
“When Alok joined the NSD, I had already completed the course and was working for the repertory of the institution. We met and soon became great friends, partly because both of us came from the same state and that too from neighbouring districts. He was from Damoh and I was from Sagar. We remained in constant touch since then.” he says.
His brilliance as an actor was evident from his days in the NSD. “He worked hard on his projects and I could not help admiring him whenever I watched his productions,” he says. From NSD, he moved to Bhopal to join Rangmandal, where he learned a lot from greats like B.V. Karanth and Habib Tanvir. Then, Alok began teaching at MPSD and later headed it. After the end of his term at MPSD, he again began doing theatre with the same passion.
For Alok , theatre was not merely about entertainment. He saw it as a channel for social messaging. He always talked about the impact of theatre on society. Improving theatre education was also one of his prime concerns. He always used to say that theatre won’t survive if the new generation does not receive proper training.
Unfortunately, he did not pay attention to his health. “On numerous occasions, I told him to change his lifestyle and try to be healthier and fitter. He always said yes. But I don’t think he ever changed his ways. We all need to draw a lesson from his life. We need to take care of our health. Good health is our biggest asset. And this is especially true of artists. Till you are fit and healthy, you get work. Once you fall ill, you are forgotten,” Namdev says.
Even when Alok was in poor health, he continued to work hard. “With great excitement, he shared with me the projects he was pursuing and his future plans. But he never talked about his illness, the pain he was going through. I came to know about his illness from some friends,” Namdev says.
“One of my friends Neeraj Vyas phoned me Wednesday morning to tell me that Alok is no more. It was a shock to me. I can’t express my grief in words. My heart goes out to his wife Shobha and his children. Goodbye Alok. Be happy wherever you are,” Namdev says in a choked voice.
