Ganakrishti theatre group stages Satero July, a play examining how politics manipulates religion. Picture by Aranya Sen

A molestation trial is on in a Gujarat court, with a roomful of fanatics baying for the blood of the man in the dock. Allegations follow counter-allegations, with several attempts to quash a fair move. Just as one is pulled into the vortex of the chaos, a gut-wrenching tension builds up within. Which only proves that Bratya Basu has done just the right thing, sticking to his gut feeling.

With the Godhra riots as the backdrop, backed by a terse script and a gripping plot, Satero July kicked off Ganakrishti Natya Utsav on July 17 at the Academy of Fine Arts.

“We had started rehearsing for Satero July long before the elections. People had told me that the play had lost its topicality with the change of power at the Centre. But I didn’t think so,” says Basu, director of Ganakristhi theatre group.

“The play is set in post-Godhra Gujarat and takes a deep look at how politics manipulates religion,” adds Basu, who had scripted Satero July after a lot of research. The strong cast of 40, also featuring actor Pijush Ganguly, has gone through intense workshops with a choreographer to get the body movements right.

Social issues with a political slant have always found favour with this self-taught stage director, who stepped into amateur theatre during his Presidency College days. Ever since he joined Ganakrishti in 1990, he has come up with a series of productions, including Ashalin, Aranyadeb, Winkle Twinkle and Virus-M.

“I plan to take up a family drama as my next project,” says Basu, who straddles the worlds of theatre and film with considerable ease. After debuting as a film director with Raasta last year, he is sketching out his second film, slated to hit the floors in September. If Raasta delved deep into the city’s underworld, relationships will form the core of the forthcoming project. But as of now, Basu is focussed on wrapping up the festival.

“Ganakrishti Natya Utsav tries to showcase troupes from across Bengal and outside the state every year,” explains Basu. So, the six-day fare this season features those from Calcutta, Balurghat, Kalyani, Bhopal, Nagpur and Delhi. The highlights are Aur Ek Dronacharya from Nagpur and Singareva and the Palace, a solo act by Lakshmi Chandrasekhar.

Into its fifth year, the Ganakrishti festival felicitated theatre veteran Rajinder Nath, musician V. Balsara, film-maker Mrinal Sen, artist Bijan Chowdhury and author Dibyendu Palit on the first day. An exhibition on the big three of the Bengal stage — Shambhu Mitra, Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay and Utpal Dutt — is also on at Gaganendra Pradarshashala.