User:Devajitbandyopadhyay/sandbox

Devajit Bandyopadhyay
Dr. Devajit Bandyopadhyay is an Indian Musicologist who is considered an authority in Bengali theatre songs (mancha gaan). He is also an accomplished and acclaimed music composer, music director, music researcher and a performer (vocal) as well as an archivist of collectables related to music, jatra, theatre, film and many other allied forms of arts.

Early Life and Guru
Devajit was born on 27th September 1954 in Howrah to Ajit Coomar Bandyopadhyay and Indira Devi. His father was a Chartered Accountant and his mother a home maker. Raised in a culturally vibrant environment, Devajit considers his watching of Utpal Dutt’s play Angar at the age of five to be a kind of a milestone that shaped his desire to be part of the cultural and performing arts space. The political play left an indelible impression in his young mind and perhaps was instrumental in pushing him into the performing arts domain. His mother was an ardent listener of ‘Sangeet Shikhsar Asar’ on Akashvani which used to be conducted in those days by the great Pankaj Mallick. Devajit believes that the show contributed to instilling his passion for music in a huge way. However, his first involvement with art was not through music but painting. Devajit took to painting at an early age and was tutored by Nikhilesh Das – a young and budding painter at the time. He also had the opportunity to train under the famous painter Atul Bose for a short span. It was the sudden and the untimely demise of Bose and a personal incident that drifted him away from painting and got him immersed into music. His initial music tutelage was under Kalipada Dutta - a neighbor and cousin of Pankaj Mallick who apparently possessed a unique voice and singing style similar to that of his famous cousin. On hearing him sing, Devajit was invited to perform with the Santiniketan Ashramik Sangha (Kolkata) – an association of the old students of Santiniketan by Kshemendra Mohan Sen. He later went on to specialise under stalwarts of Rabindra Sangeet like Ashoktaru Bandyopadhyay and Subinoy Roy. However, it was not until his meeting with the Sarengi-maestro Ustad Sagruddin Khan that he decided to dedicate his career to music. Devajit considers Ustad Sagruddin Khan to be his guru.

Education and Training
Devajit’s decision to pursue a career in Music was met with unwillingness by his father who wanted him to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. Devajit enrolled for a Masters’ degree in Drama from Rabindra Bharati University in 1988 and was awarded the Ph.D (in Arts) by the Jadavpur University in 1996.

With a keen interest in Theater, he specialised in set designing under the legendary Khaled Chowdhury. He trained in dramaturgy under the renowned thespian Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay and learnt puppetry under Suresh Dutta the founder of Calcutta Puppet Theatre. Playwright and Professor of Jadavpur University Dr. Chittaranjan Ghosh also played an instrumental role in Devajit’s academic and professional life.

Career
Devajit commenced solo vocal performances on stage at the early age of 20. However, a chanced opportunity of performing as a guest artiste in the BBC Show - Guest of Week in London turned him towards Bengali Theater Songs. Christening the domain initially as Bangla Nataker Gaan and then rechristening it as Bangla Mancha Gaan - he took up to solo vocal performances specialising in Bengali theatre-songs from the year 1985.

He has been invited to attend various festivals across the globe, prominent among which include the 18th International Amateur Theatre Festival, Utrecht - The Netherlands, the 7th North American Bengali Conference, California - U.S.A., the Theatre Utsav in Dhaka - Bangladesh, the International Theatre Festival 2001, Dhaka – Bangladesh, the National Theatre Festival, Kasargode - Kerala, the Rabindrasangeet Sammelan, Chandpur - Bangladesh, the Nikhil Banga Sahitya Sammelan - Lucknow, the Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan, Jamshedpur - Jharkhand, the International Bengali Drama Festival, Toranto - Canada, the Banga Sanskriti Utsav – Mumbai, the NSD International Theatre Festival - Delhi, London Sharad Utsav - London, NSD Festival on Swami Vivekananda – Delhi, 37th North American Bengali Conference – California in 2017 and the 17th Nazrul Convention, Washington DC, U.S.A.

Devajit has also delivered numerous lectures and demonstrations as guest lecturers in Burdwan University, Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, Rabindra Bharati University, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira - Belur Math, North Bengal University, Paschim Banga Bangla Akademi, Kolkata Paschim Banga Rajya Sangeet Akademi, Kolkata Paschim Banga Natya Akademi, Kolkata Sahitya Akademi, Kolkata Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata Nehru Centre, Mumbai India International Centre, New Delhi National School of Drama - New Delhi, International Theatre Institute - Dhaka, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy - Dhaka, Bangladesh and Stadschowburg Theatre, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Devajit has been a part of many Television shows across the globe and has also been an independent producer in Indian Television. Some of the shows produced by him include the telefilm in Hindi, Byapika Biday commissioned by Doordarshan for National Network. He also scripted, created music, directed and produced a five-part TV serial in Bengali and a telefilm in English Manchageeti Panchajan, commissioned by Doordarshan for Regional and National Network. The script, music, direction and production of the six-part TV docu-feature in Hindi, Rajendra Prasad Aur Swaraj Ke Baad, commissioned by the Doordarshan was also one of his projects. The five-part TV serial in Hindi, Kahaniyan Bihar Ki, commissioned by Doordarshan, was scripted, composed and directed by him. The televison serial Shodhbodh was produced by him for a private channel. Besides he created multiple children’s musical plays for Doordarshan and AIR in Kolkata.

Music Albums
Devajit has produced several musical albums to his credit, prominent among which include:
 * Bangla Nataker Gaan: Theater Bangladesh
 * Bangla Theaterer Gaan: Hindustan Records
 * Rabindranather Mancha Gaan: Bhavna Records
 * Rangaraser Mancha Gaan: Bhavna Records
 * Banglar Mancha Gaan: Bengal Group, Bangladesh
 * Cinemar Mancha Gaan: Perennial Records
 * Banga Ranga Mancher Loksangeet: FTCC, Govt. of West Bengal
 * Manchageeti Chitrageeti: Concord Records
 * Theaterer Gaan: Perennial Records
 * Panchakabir Mancha Gaan: Musical Records and Cozmik Harmony

He has researched, compiled and directed the following albums
 * Folk Music of Bengal: Music Today
 * A journey that never ends: RPG, Sa Re Ga Ma
 * Rabir Mancha Gaan: Perennial Records
 * Binodini Gaatha: Perennial Records

He also researched, compiled, directed and performed for the following album:
 * Bangla Natya Sangeet: All India Radio, Kolkata (Archival Recordings)

Publications
Devajit has researched, compiled and authored several publications
 * Banglar Manchageeti (1795-1872) published by Subarnarekha, Kolkata
 * Bangla Theatre-er Gaan published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi
 * Rangalayey Amarendranath published by Dey’s Publishing, Kolkata
 * Jyotirindranath Nataksamagra published by Sahitya Sangsad, Kolkata
 * Bangarangamanchey Lokasangeet published by Folk&Tribal Culture Centre, Govt. of West Bengal, Kolkata
 * Beshya-Sangeet Baiji-Sangeet published by Subarnarekha, Kolkata
 * Rabindranath: among the arts: multiple perspectives published by Academy Theatre Publications, Kolkata
 * Nirbachita Bangla Jatra (4 volumes) published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi and Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre
 * Binodini Rachanasamagra published by Patra Bharati, Kolkata
 * Bai Barangana Gatha published by Ananda Publishers, Kolkata
 * Jyotirindranather Jivansmriti published by Dey’s Publishing, Kolkata
 * Banshiwala published by Patra Bharati, Kolkata
 * Banglar Manchagaan published by Patra Bharati, Kolkata
 * Natir Puja: Rabi Parikrama published by Ananda Publishers, Kolkata
 * Vande Mataram: Rup Rupantar - to be published soon

His contributions to several renowned publications include
 * The Article in the Selective Publications (Edited by Others)
 * The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre (Ed. Ananda Lal) published by Oxford University Press, UK & India
 * Theatres of India (Ed. Ananda Lal) published by Oxford University Press, UK & India
 * Theatre in Colonial India: Play-House of Power (Ed. Lata Singh) published by Oxford University Press, UK & India
 * Chalachchitra Ajiban : Tapan Sinha (Ed. Samik Bandyopadhyay) published by Dey’s Publishing, Kolkata
 * A Comprehensive History of Modern Bengal [1700-1950] (Ed. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya) published by Asiatic Society, Kolkata and Primus Books, New Delhi.

Awards and recognition
Devajit been a recipient of the Junior Fellowship awarded to outstanding artistes by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India during 1992 – 1994 as well as recipient of Senior Fellowship awarded to outstanding artistes by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India during 1996 – 1998. Devajit has also been a recipient of the Merit Certificate for the telefilm in English, Manchageeti Panchajan, awarded by the Mumbai International Film Festival Committee, 1998. A recipient of the Tagore National Researcher Award by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, 2011 – 2012, Devajit received the Munier Choudhury Award by the theatre troupe Theatre at Dhaka in 2018

Exclusive Research and Collection
Devajit is the curator of Academy Theater Archive consisting of Indira Gallery and Ajit Alay dedicated to the preservation, presentation and publication of Bengali theatre music based on original documents dating from 1795 (the year of origin of Bengali Theatre). The archive conducts comprehensive chronological study on stage music of India, Bangladesh and Western Countries along with its sociological and political history. The archive also boasts of exclusive collection of songs, scripts, notations, musical compositions, manuscripts, books, magazines, recordings and promotional materials spanning more than 200 years along with an archival collection of musical instruments and allied equipment that include vintage camera, radio, film projector, antic gramophone record players, other than posters, booklets, notes and coins, postage stamps dedicated to artists and performers, memorabilia, catalogues and films.

Personal life
Devajit stays in Kolkata, India to oversee his archival collection of over 30,000 books and an equal number of musical records. He is married to well-known Bengali singer Riddhi Bandhyopadhyay. They have a son Riddhadev.