Festival of Indian Performing Arts

Cast of Crazy or What? by Spotlight Columbus, OH, script and direction by Arijit Sur

The India Initiative at the Brandeis School of Business and Economics proudly hosted the Festival of Indian Performing Arts, September 6-7, 2025. Over 100 attendees came out on a rainy weekend to enjoy Bengali cultural programming, which included a screening of the film ‘Parama’ by Director Suman Ghosh, and three regional plays presented at Brandeis’ Spingold Theater.

Parama is a cinematic portrait of one of India’s greatest film directors, Aparna Sen, capturing her different avatars - actress, director, magazine editor, and most importantly, her political voice, which has often been controversial. The director, Suman Ghosh, is a National Award-winning Indian filmmaker. He has made 10 feature films and two documentary films. Following the film screening, the audience was treated to an in-person conversation between Suman Ghosh and Professor Harleen Singh, Interim Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Culture at Brandeis University.

Each of the three plays presented offered an opportunity for audience conversation and engagement with the directors and casts. Conducted in Bengali, the plays had English subtitles:

Tritiyo Nayan by Chicago Natyogosthi, directed by Dev Hazra

What is justice? Is it simply a verdict by the court constrained by the boundaries of the law? Or is it the ruthless pursuit of truth, aided by the deep probing “third eye”? This is the conundrum that manifests itself in its gory details of this play through the ebb and flow of logic, emotion, vindictiveness, and veiled nuances. What unfolds in the drama culminates in an unexpected crescendo, underscoring the third eye’s truth-seeking dominance over the limitations of the man-made legal system.

Crazy or What? by Spotlight Columbus, OH, script and direction by Arijit Sur

Inspired by the French play “Toc Toc” by Laurent Baffie, six strangers, each battling a unique psychological disorder, find themselves in a psychiatrist’s waiting room, anxiously seeking relief. As the doctor’s delay stretches on, what begins as an awkward gathering slowly turns into an unexpected journey of laughter, vulnerability, and discovery. Through shared stories and tense confrontations, the group begins to confront not only their fears but also the shame and stigma that hold them back. Amid the chaos and comedy, the play celebrates the power of empathy, the strength found in community, and the surprising ways in which support from others can spark self-confidence and healing.

Naamkoron by ENAD Boston, script and direction by Shanto Ghosh

This is a play about hidden - and not so hidden - prejudices that we all carry within ourselves. The action unfolds over an evening dinner gathering, where an innocuous joke triggers a cascade of events that ultimately reflects the characters' prejudices. Naamkoron is based on the French play Le Prenom and can serve as a trigger for introspection of our inner selves.

Professor Harleen Singh and Parama director, Professor Suman Ghosh