On Cinema

Utpal Dutt (1929–93), playwright, director and actor, an inspiration and role model for the activist theatre person. Whether through the proscenium theatre, street performance, the traditional strolling theatre-in-the-round, or cinema, Dutt tried to take revolutionary theatre to the widest mass of people, with political messages for every turning point in a highly sensitive and rapidly changing political scenario, redefining his relationship with the political leadership again and again, getting into violent confrontations with various forces, being driven underground, and getting jailed in the process. His legacy of plays and other writing remain a valuable chapter in Indian theatre history.

This collection of Dutt’s cinema writings, including his unpublished telefilmscript, 'In Search of Theatre', reveals a keen critical eye, an impressive knowledge of cinema all over the world and a deep understanding of the price any artist must pay for his commitment to his politics. Written with a sensibility steeped equally in the classics and Marxism, these pieces help us appreciate not only some of the world’s greatest filmmakers but also Dutt himself—the vast range of influences that coloured his creativity and his aesthetics.