CALCUTTA BROADWAY LAUNCH: For the Cause of Performing Arts
When you watch those who entertain you, bring a smile to your mundane life, have you ever wondered how they are in their real lives? Behind that mask of makeup, behind the veil of their performances? BDG knows the harsh reality that upcoming talented performing artistes face and thus was born Calcutta Broadway to support them
Despite being a hard-core tech guy, BDG has always loved theatre, music and any form of performing arts. Introduced to literature, stories and poetry by his father Sukamal Dasgupta who was also a prolific writer, BDG from his school and college life felt a tug towards the glory of stage. While working in Vizag, he regularly acted and helped in writing scripts of shows and plays staged by the Bengali community of the area. He has always felt close to the world of performing arts.
But BDG knows the harsh reality, how most upcoming artistes specially the young hardly have money to run their families, let alone look after their medical expenses. He knows what struggles these artistes go through, even the technicians and light men who are all talented in their fields but hardly earn enough to sustain. So in 2019 to provide a platform to the young talented artistes in performing arts sector of theatre, music and dance, Bikram Dasgupta launched Calcutta Broadway. The launch at Oberoi Ball Room saw celebs like Debojyoti Mishra, Tanushree Shankar, Sohini Sengupta, Sohag Sen, Barun Chanda, Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee and many more grace the occasion and heap praise on BDG for this excellent initiative. Since its launch, Calcutta Broadway has done many programmes to directly fund productions, directly take artistes to a world-wide audience and even help financially needy technicians during COVID pandemic. Broadway shows like Maa Ashbei, music shows like Baishe Srabon were huge success and now Calcutta Broadway has tied up with well-known theatricians to help them stage their productions from Swapnashandhani to Chetana.
CALCUTTA BROADWAY HEALTH CARD: First Free Health Card for Performing Artistes
Free Health card for Performing artistes and their families, a sector that is unfortunately least paid in the industry in India, especially the young and upcoming artistes. BDG Foundation looks after their families’ health
Performing artistes in India, specially the young and struggling ones trying to set a foothold in the industry are the most neglected ones. They neither have a permanent job or income source or insurance of any kind. BDG thus brough another ‘first’ to his several firsts list by bringing the First Free Health Insurance Card of India and named it Calcutta Broadway Health Card.
This free card benefits needy technicians and young performing artistes along with their families even for minor ailments along with hospitalization. It not just looks after the medical needs of the artiste, but his or her entire family. Many such cards have been distributed in different phases to members of various theatre groups and dance troupes.
HELPING THE BAULS: Folk artistes get support from BDG Foundation
Building homes for the Amphan cyclone-hit Bauls was a work very close to BDG’s heart as these folk artistes of Birbhum with their music and nomadic life have a very important place in BDG’s heart
BDG Foundation has extended support to 144 Baul families of Santiniketan. These folk artistes have been living in penury, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lockdown and lack of programmes where they could perform and earn a livelihood. Global IT leader and visionary, Bikram Dasgupta, has been supporting artistes since long through his philanthropic venture Calcutta Broadway and Kalyani Foundation. This time his helping hand has been extended for Baul families to tide over these trying times.
In BDG’s own words: ‘I felt very strongly about the Bauls when I got to know about their condition from musician Debojyoti Mishra who has spearheaded a campaign to raise money for these folk artistes. They meet my emotional donation criteria. They sing original music, they are nomads, informal, and live on music and they are starving today. I want more people to participate in this unique exercise for the informal sector which is under tremendous survival issue today. Artists, Technicians, Backstage workers, Passionate young musicians, they all need us.’