Theatre Man Kedarnath Dasgupta bridged India & UK through Oriental productions

He was a man who was equally revered by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. Even the New York Times announced his death on December 7, 1942. So much was Kedarnath Dasgupta’s (1878-1942) influence on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a ‘godly dreamer’ of peace who believed that art and literature could unify all humans. Little is known of Das Gupta’s early life. Born in Chittagong in undivided Bengal on October 11, 1878, his father was a provincial judge. During his youth, Dasgupta was an activist and was deeply involved in the various nationalistic movements.

To promote Swaraj (self-rule) and Swadeshi (indigenous goods made in the country), he opened a swadeshi store in Calcutta named Lakshmir Bhandar. The store encouraged selling goods made by impoverished Bengali widows. He had connections with the Tagore family of Jorasnako and Rabindranath was very fond of him and encouraged his different ventures. Dasgupta was elected to be the Secretary of Industrial Exhibits in Calcutta, where each year he showcased goods made in India. He was also the publisher of the Bengali nationalist newspaper, ‘Bharati’. The progressive women from the Tagore family contributed to the magazine regularly.

In October 1920, Das Gupta left for the US with Rabindranath Tagore. In New York he found like-minded people – artists and reformers – who hoped in the aftermath of the World War to create a better world. Two of his plays, ‘Savitri’ and ‘Post Office’ were performed in the manor grounds of Mary Woodmull Martin in New York.

In 1908 he sailed for London on a shoestring budget to study law at the famed Lincoln’s Inn. Before long, he got involved in London’s theatrical world. These were turbulent times for Indians in the UK. British authorities were cracking down heavily on Indian nationalist activism. But paradoxically, in the cultural sphere, Britain’s perception of India was improving. In early 1909, a band of eminent English writers and artists from diverse fields established the India Society, led by English artist William Rothenstein (a friend and admirer of Tagore) and his friend and copyist Lady Christiana Herringham. Its aim was to correct the negative Western projection and perception of India. This was just the right time for Dasgupta to take the plunge and fulfill his passion for theatre as well as foster understanding of Indian culture in Britain through ancient stories, dance forms and plays. The organization presented multicultural productions of ancient Sanskrit plays and contemporary works by Rabindranath Tagore.

On February 22, 1912, a play adapted from Edwin Arnold’s ‘The Light of Asia’ (1879) was staged at London’s Royal Court Theatre. Simply called ‘Buddha’, it was produced by Dasgupta and William Poel, the noted Shakespearean actor and stage manager. The play’s cast included established actors like Clarence Derwent and Ruby Miller, with SC Bose, the scriptwriter, essaying a minor role. The audiences and reviews were full of praise for the production. ‘The Guardian’ called it a “beautiful dramatization” – and the play’s run had to be extended from three to seven performances.

Dasgupta’s next production was Kumarsambhava, based on Kalidasa’s epic poem. A few weeks later, he founded the India Arts and Dramatics Society.  In 1914, he renamed the company as the Union of East and West hoping that that the Union would advocate a message of cooperation and fellowship. Das Gupta made his productions collaborative: his plays had a diverse cast, featuring some of the leading actors of the time such as Thorndike and William Stack. His patrons included well-established figures from the world of art and literature, such as Thomas Walker Arnold, the scholar of Islamic history who had taught at Aligarh, Henry Holiday, the pre-Raphaelite painter, and E.B Havell of the Bengal School of Art.

As World War I broke out, Dasgupta staged plays for the benefit of wounded soldiers. He joined the stretcher bearers of Indian Ambulance Corps that had been set up by Mahatma Gandhi during his short stay in England in 1913. Dasgupta’s productions, staged at prestigious venues like the Royal Albert and the Cosmopolis Hall, were highly praised. In England, he produced more than 12 plays, including works based on ancient Indian texts like ‘Mrucchakatika’, ‘Vikramovarshi’ and ‘Ratnavali’; plays based on the Puranas, such as ‘The Ordeal of King Harishchandra’; and those based on Tagore’s works such as ‘Post Office’ and ‘The Maharani of Arakan’. His most impressive production, however, was ‘Shakuntala’, based on the version written by poet Laurence Binyon, with Sybil Thorndike in the title role. Das Gupta was the top promoter of Indian drama in the UK from 1912 to 1920. His English adaptations of classical Sanskrit plays opened Britain’s eyes to India’s ancient dramatic treasures and the profundity of its culture. 

The producer of Shakuntala was British actor and theatre director Lewis (later Sir Lewis) Casson. The title role was played by Casson’s talented wife, Sybil (later Dame Sybil) Thorndike. The male protagonist, Raja Dushyanta, was played by Arthur (later Sir Arthur) Wontner, who would later immortalize himself as the quintessential Sherlock Holmes in English films of the 1930s. The production demonstrated Das Gupta’s uncanny ability to build multicultural collaboration. 

In October 1920, Das Gupta left for the US with Rabindranath Tagore. In New York he found like-minded people – artists and reformers – who hoped in the aftermath of the World War to create a better world. Two of his plays, ‘Savitri’ and ‘Post Office’ were performed in the manor grounds of Mary Woodmull Martin in New York. He staged three more plays at the Bramhall Playhouse in April 1921 --‘The Farewell Curse’, ‘The Maharani of Arakan’, and ‘Savitri’ or ‘Love Conquers Death’. His productions were colourful extravaganzas, complete with Oriental music and dance.

Kedarnath Dasgupta was elected to be the Secretary of Industrial Exhibits in Calcutta, where each year he showcased goods made in India. He was also the publisher of the Bengali nationalist newspaper, ‘Bharati’. The progressive women from the Tagore family contributed to the magazine regularly.

In 1924 Dasgupta met American social worker Charles Frederick Weller of New Jersey’s League of Neighborhood, a society in Chicago that promoted interaction among people across classes. His Union of East and West joined hands with Weller’s organization to create Fellowship of Faiths, a consortium that would seek common ground among religions. In 1926, the three groups – the Union of East and West, League of Neighbourhood and Fellowship of Faiths – came to be called the Three-Fold movement. Three years later, in May 1929, a week-long international peace week conference was held with a special day to mark goodwill among nations.

Das Gupta was deeply committed to his cause and worked relentlessly. He networked, reached out to a diverse range of people, and travelled almost annually to London from the mid-1920s to the 30s, until World War II broke out. Das Gupta died in New York in December 1942 after a debilitating stroke. He ardently believed in world peace and equality, and he held on to his dream till the very end.