ShowCase Events Comes On Board For A Special Production--The Bose Legacy

EE News Desk Jan 23, 2023

ShowCase Events and Indianuance are going to showcase an English play ‘The Bose Legacy’ to pay tribute to the prominent figure of the Indian Freedom Movement Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 126th Birth anniversary. The play will be showcased at the prestigious Kala Ghoda Arts Festival on February 6th at 8.30 pm. Previously successful performances were held at Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jamshedpur.

Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist, known for his role in India's independence movement, a participant of the non-cooperation movement, and a leader of the Indian National Congress.

Netaji always championed women’s equal participation as men in the social, economic and political fields. He spoke with great admiration and deep reverence about the brave women, like Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana D, and many others who participated in revolutionary struggles against the British rulers. Soon after the Indian National Army was formed he instituted the Jhansi Rani Regiment for women volunteers, who, if necessary, would take part in active combat. Gandhiji called him a “Prince among the Patriots”.

Nanni Singh, Chief Executive of ShowCase Events said, “Bose has piqued the imagination of numerous filmmakers throughout the country, resulting in a slew of films about his role in the freedom movement. Apart from his valour, the mystery surrounding Bose's death became an integral aspect of many Indian filmmakers' storylines. Numerous filmmakers have attempted to honor to Bose's beliefs and techniques by bringing him to life on screen. Movies like Samadhi (1950), Raag Desh (2017), Bose: Dead/Alive (2017), Bengal’s Forgotten Hero and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004),” and many books written on him too.

Madhuri Bose, the grand-niece of Subhas Chandra Bose wrote a book titled “The Bose Brothers & Indian Independence -An Insider Account ”. This book became the inspiration for the play The Bose Legacy which is an adaptation of the book. The play emotes the letters in the book and is a true account of history. This has helped us to bring forward this rich legacy of one of our great leaders in a play format, said organisers.

Speaking about the play, Aishwarya Natrajan, Founder of Indianuance said, "The Bose Legacy is an English play centered around a series of conversations between the great freedom fighters of India - Subhas Chandra Bose and Sarat Chandra Bose with Sarat's son Amiya Nath Bose, through letters written from prison cells."

This initiative by Nanni Singh and Aishwarya Natrajan not only gives an insight into the minds of 2 great men at the cusp of the freedom struggle but also a fascinating perspective into the events that shaped Indian history.

Amiya Nath Bose was born in 1915 in a family of stalwarts. Vociferous protestors against British oppression, Amiya’s father Sarat Chandra Bose, and uncle Subhas Chandra Bose often found themselves imprisoned or detained under some pretext or another. But, the separation did not stop them from being connected to young Amiya. They wrote to him often. From prison cells and faraway lands, in good times and bad. Many words were censored and lost but some stayed, long after they were all gone, leaving behind a legacy that we read today.

Produced by Brinda Shankar of PlayPen Performing Arts Trust, under the creative direction of Mahesh Dattani, The Bose Legacy, scripted by Nikhil Katara and Himali Kothari and Directed by Nikhil Katara, has come to ShowCase Events to be able to share with our Indian audiences across India and the globe and be able to take forward the rich legacy left behind by our greats.