Veteran theatre artiste Maya Ghosh passes away

Veteran theatre worker Maya Ghosh breathed her last on Saturday. She was 89. She was suffering from age-related problems. On Saturday, her health condition deteriorated. She suffered from cardiac arrest and passed away at around 7.45 pm at a private hospital in Serampore. 

Maya Ghosh’s acting career started with her neighbourhood productions. She was deeply associated with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA). Later, she joined Utpal Dutt’s People’s Little Theatre and debuted on stage. However, it was Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay, who trained her in theatre. After Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay established Nandikar, Maya Ghosh became an important member of the theatre group.   

Maya Ghosh performed in several popular plays, including Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay’s production, Saotali Bidroho, Natyokarer Sandhane Choti Choritro – a play based on Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, Chakbanga Modhu, and Mohit Chattopadhyay’s Rajrokto. In 1987, her work in Bela Obelar Golpo fetched her Paschim Banga Natya Akademi award. Even after quitting Nandikar, Maya Ghosh worked in multiple theatre workshops. 

The theatre fraternity, including Sohag Sen, Papia Adhikary, and several others, expressed their condolences. Theatre personality Sohag Sen took to her social media and wrote that at a time when Bengali theatre had very few women artistes, Maya Ghosh and Mamata Chatterjee worked valiantly and paved the way for the next generation. Maya Ghosh was cremated on Sunday after her body was kept at the Academy of Fine Arts, where people paid their last respect.