3 weeks ago
Kolkata theatre owners seek CM's help against alleged TMC-backed grab
The Rangana Theatre is a very old theatre in Calcutta, a big city in India.
It opened in the early 1970s and many people loved watching plays there.
Later, in 2003, the theatre closed down.
The family that owns the building started a small cosmetics factory inside it to make a living.
In 2023, the family says some people locked up their factory and took over the whole building.
The family complained to the police and tried getting help from lawyers, but they could not get the building back.
They even wrote a letter to the old chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, asking her to help, but nobody replied.
So they went to the new chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, and asked him to help.
He promised to look into their problem, and the theatre people are hopeful again.
Owners of Rangana Theatre near Hatibagan met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday, seeking his intervention to save the cultural landmark.
The Mukherjee family alleges the theatre was grabbed by Trinamool Congress-backed promoters in 2023, and appeals to former CM Mamata Banerjee went unanswered.
The theatre, which opened in the early 1970s and drew large audiences, shut down in 2003 amid a downturn in commercial theatre.
The family had opened a small cosmetics factory in part of the closed theatre and says the premises were locked and taken over in 2023 despite a police complaint.
Vidyasagar descendant Amitabha Banerjee also met Adhikari, demanding the reformer's birth anniversary be declared Bangla Shiksha Dibas.
- Who
- Hirak Mukherjee (81) and his wife Mukti, shareholders of Rangana Theatre, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari
- What
- A plea to free Rangana Theatre from alleged Trinamool Congress-backed promoters who took control in 2023
- Where
- Janatar Darbar at the BJP's Salt Lake office, Calcutta; the theatre is near Hatibagan
- When
- Monday (specific date not given in the article)
- Why
- To recover the cultural heritage site after police and legal efforts and appeals to the former chief minister failed
Key facts
- Theatre
- Rangana Theatre, near Hatibagan, Calcutta
- Complainants
- Hirak Mukherjee (81) and wife Mukti, property shareholders
- Established
- Early 1970s
- Closed
- 2003
- Alleged takeover
- 2023
- Alleged grabbers
- Trinamool Congress-backed promoters (per owners)
- Meeting venue
- Janatar Darbar, BJP's Salt Lake office, Calcutta
- Related demand
- Vidyasagar birth anniversary as Bangla Shiksha Dibas (Amitabha Banerjee)
Quotes
Amitabha Banerjee
Descendant of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
“He (Suvendu) assured us that he would take up the issue and look into our demand”
telegraphindia.com
“The chief minister assured me that he would look into my appeals”
telegraphindia.com





