GUWAHATI: Renowned theatre director-producer, Sankalpajit Hazarika of Hengool Theatre is a recipient of the Best Director award at the 2nd Udyaman Bhraymaman Mobile Theatre Awards for Boliya Droupadi.
Hailing from Jorhat, Assam, Sankalpajit has produced groundbreaking plays in his career spanning over a decade. After the success of his first play Astapath, he went on to produce Soku, Jhankar and Boliya Krishna, among others.
Sankalpajit, after completing his schooling from Don Bosco School Jorhat, moved to Guwahati to pursue higher secondary education from Swadeshi Academy, Gauhati University. He then went on to graduate in computer application from Bangalore University. Later, while studying post graduation in computer application (MCA), he was simultaneously working at a software firm based in Bangalore which he had to quit soon enough.
Born to renowned theatre personalities, Late Prasanta Hazarika and Late Ila Kakoty, the Assamese entertainment industry has always been close to Sankalpajit’s heart. Married to Anindita Hazarika, Sankalpajit is a father of two.
He got actively involved in theatre when his mother (then co-producer of Hengool Theatre) was in an advanced stage of cancer post the untimely demise of his father. “Hengool theatre, for my family, has never been a business. Rather, it is a part of the family and I couldn’t think of anything apart from taking up its responsibility,” Sankalpajit expressed.
Belonging to a family of eminent theatre and film personalities, Sankalpajit constantly feels pressurised to meet the audience’s expectations and carry forward the legacy but he says that this pressure is what keeps him going, pushing him to perform better and bring further glory.
The young and dynamic Sankalpajit has always tried to keep the essence of natural acting in his plays, as intended by his father. He also continues to produce premium plays featuring the best of artists and constantly introducing new innovations. Further, he has introduced writers, actors and musicians from the film industry to the mobile theatre industry.
Among all the plays that Sankalpajit has been associated with, ‘Boliya Krishna’, being his directorial debut holds a special place in his heart. He says, “All my production works are special to me but what makes Boliya Krishna special is that it was my first directorial attempt and it turned out to be a major hit.”
Speaking to G Plus about the current scenario of the Assamese mobile theatre industry, Sankalpajit said, “Mobile theatre is one of the most unique industries of Assam. But currently, there is an excess of theatres in Assam. This is leading to failure of many theatres and production of poor quality plays which are disappointing the audience.”
He further added that the double stage concept is exclusive to the Assamese mobile theatre and while mobile theatres are running in other Indian states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam’s is the largest.
Commenting on the lobby system in the mobile theatre industry, Sankalpajit told G Plus that every theatre has its own dynamics, problems and achievements, which have to be taken care of by its producer. “Lobby or not, I take my own decisions to run my theatre, not anybody else’s,” he says.
Talking to G Plus about the problems that filmmakers from the region face, Sankalpajit said, “The main problem that our film industry is facing is that of financial crisis and the lack of proper training institutes in the region. In order to encourage and enhance the budding talents and ensure better production, more training institutes are the need of the hour.”
He says that the soul of any play is its script. While a director puts life into the script and artists give character to it, the script should be the main thrust of a play. All other aspects like music and lights come thereafter.
Sankalpajeet is currently working on three plays for the season of 2018-19 – Mahaveer by Abhijeet Bhattacharjee, Bandookor Kobita by Rajdweep and Meerabai by Himangshu Prasad Das.