Actor-director Koushik Sen speaks about his new play, Marx in Kolkata
Inspired by Howard Zinn’s Marx in Soho and its Hindi translation by Atul Tiwari, actor-director Koushik Sen’s upcoming theatre production, Marx in Kolkata, will feature Jayant Kripalani as Marx and filmmaker Srijit Mukherji as Mephistopheles. The play will be staged as Koushik’s group Swapnasandhani turns 33. Koushik talks about choosing the play, casting the actors, and outlining the group’s future.
Why did you choose to reimagine Marx in Soho as Marx in Kolkata?
Howard Zinn’s Marx in Soho was about the American recession of 2008. After that, people started going back to Marx, making Das Kapital the best seller. Howard’s play is a monologue and is written for smaller spaces, not for a proscenium. But what intrigued me is the greatness of that play, that it talks about Marx’s ideas, thoughts and philosophies — including much of the criticism that was subtly woven into the text. So I wanted to explore that. Given it’s 2025, I wanted to change the format and make it a full-fledged play. Through this play, I wanted to say something important.
As you were talking about interpretation and reimagining, I must mention that my introduction to Marx in Soho was done by Atul Tiwari. I got a Hindi translation of the original text, set in Delhi. Initially, I thought that I would make it in Hindi, but when I asked Jayant, he said that he is not very comfortable with the language.
Then I started reading the English play, and wrote the reimagined script that is set in Kolkata. Also, as mentioned, the original play is a monologue, but mine has other characters, with Mephistopheles being an important one. If you ask why, Marx in Das Kapital talks about Faust. Goethe was a finance minister at one point in his life in Weimar, Germany, and he understood early that money is the most powerful thing, which got reflected when Dr Faust’s soul was bought by Mephistopheles.
Why did you choose Jayant Kripalani and Srijit Mukherji?
I have been following Jayant’s works since his early days because of his fantastic acting skills. After I watched him in I Want to Talk, I knew I had to work with him. I like the way he approaches a character. Also, after I spoke with him, I realised he has an inclination towards that school of thought, which gave me a lot of relief.
For Mephistopheles, I was looking for someone who is not a regular actor. Because all the regular actors, including myself, are professionals, and we know how to portray a character. But sometimes, we get swayed by our powers because we know what we can do. I needed someone who would not bother about these things, whether he is uncomfortable or not. Since I have done three films with him, I know how he is acquainted with the art of acting, and the way he gives his actors quite a good understanding about the character, the situation, while directing. And on top of that, he had a good theatre background in Bengaluru. Casting him was my son Riddhi’s suggestion, and he was so right. Srijit is acting unpredictably, and that’s the interesting part of it.
Both of these actors are also ace directors. Did they give inputs to you?
Yes. Since it’s mainly a monologue, Jayant contributed a lot. And you know, at the end of the day, why do I love theatre? Because theatre is a composite art. You can take any thing and everything and include it in a theatre production. Just like all other directors, I used to be very touchy about my thoughts, but experience taught me that it is not the role of a director. The role is more like that of an orchestra conductor, who coordinates. He should be open to all kinds of suggestions, but obviously, the final decision is his because he knows his production the best.
Is the costume Kolkata-centric?
It is not Kolkata-centric. It’s more like Marx’s, from the 1890s. Mephistopheles appears almost like a business tycoon. But not the kind of rich people we are used to seeing in cinemas, in suits and ties. He rather has a chic casual vibe, something like that of Elon Musk.
What is your driving force in theatres?
Frankly, I do theatre for two people, Reshmi, my wife, and Riddhi, my son. Even if there are just two people in the auditorium and that’s them, it’s enough for me. They help me sustain myself, because as you know, survival with theatre is not an easy job in our country, especially in Bengal.
Not only have they had immense contributions to my theatre, but they are my most important critics.
What’s the roadmap for your group?
Along with Marx in Kolkata, our plays Hamlet and Taray Taray will be staged on May 30 and 31. Now, our main goal is to do theatre more professionally, so that it gives us sustenance. Group theatre depends a lot on grants, and we used to receive a grant from the Central government till 2014. Since then, we have been trying to survive on our own, with the help of private entrepreneurs. If we can make it a profitable practice, we as actors and as a group, can earn something. We have realised that we cannot survive with idealism. Ultimately, we have to fend for ourselves.
Marx in Kolkata will be staged on May 29 at GD Birla Sabhaghar.