Tanika Gupta's 'Rousing Work' Based on Letters From

SPIRITUAL MISSION: Pujya Muniji addresses the conference Three-pronged effort to save the Himalayas A THREE-DAY conference focusing on the Mahabodhi International Meditation he said. “I am certain that together we saving the Himalayas through science Centre, headed the organisation of the can do our part to abate the challenges and spirituality took place last week. conference in Ladakh. He said he was and hardships this region faces. The Organised by the Save the Himalayas grateful to spiritual leader HH Pujya challenges ... not only impact the natives Foundation (SHF), the programme was Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (Pujya but also truly impact the world because opened by SHF executive board member Muniji), “who has been a lover and sup- the Himalayas are the carbon sink and Dr John Mobley. porter of all things environment, educa- water towers of the world.” He shared SHF’s three-pronged mis- tion and world peace”. During the conference, there was a sion – to promote water conservation, “The presence of so many eminent call to make Himalaya Day an Interna- renewable energy and solar power and leaders here illustrate that the Himalayas tional day by the UN and commitments sustainable and responsible tourism. is important for everyone, from spiritual by several local organisations to carry Ven Bhikkhu Sanghasena, founder of leaders, scholars, scientists, to everyone,” out efforts to support the mission. Empire play wins award TANIKA GUPTA’S ‘ROUSING WORK’ BASED ON LETTERS FROM IMPRISONED UNCLE by AMIT ROY THRILL: Meera Syal LONDON-BASED Tanika Gupta has been named winner of the £10,000 James Tait Black Prize for Drama for her play, Lions Meera: In praise and Tigers, based on letters written by her great-uncle from prison. Dinesh Gupta was hanged in 1931 in Cal- of family values cutta for his part in the assassination of a senior officer of the Raj, but wrote several GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME political letters from his prison cell in the star Meera Syal has revealed weeks preceding his execution. that her parents have moved in These came down through the family and with her. ended up with Tanika, who used them as Neil Hanna © Surendra and Surrinder, source material for her prize-winning play. who are in their 80s, live at the There were three other plays on the home she shares with actor shortlist, and it was announced that she had husband Sanjeev Bhaskar. won the prestigious prize in Edinburgh last The actress, 57, said: “It’s Monday (20). The chairman of the judging built into our DNA, really. When panel, Greg Walker, Regius professor of you’re looking for a house you rhetoric and English literature at Edinburgh say to yourself, ‘which room University said: “Tanika Gupta’s epic drama are the parents going to live in?’ pushes the boundaries of verbatim theatre, “That’s the way we were telling an important story in a fresh and brought up and increasingly I’m authentic way never seen on stage before. It finding many English friends is a rousing piece of work that was a worthy are living that way too. I’m not winner for this year’s James Tait Black Prize saying it’s easy, but there are for Drama.” wonderful advantages.” At the prize-giving ceremony at Edin- “For my kids to have contin- burgh’s Traverse Theatre, Fiona Sturgeon ual access to their grandpar- Shea, one of the other judges and creative ents is lovely. And it gives you director of the Playwrights’ Studio, Scot- freedom,” Syal added. land, said: “Tanika Gupta’s play, Lions and “We’ve not had to worry Tigers, brings vividly to life a fascinating about babysitting. You can say, historical period with a warmth and power ‘I fancy seeing a film tonight’ that is extraordinarily moving.” and you can. It’s amazing.” The judging panel featured students and academics from Edinburgh University, rep- resentatives from the Traverse Theatre, Play wrights’ Studio, Scotland, the Royal Con- Great cause servatoire of Scotland, Schaubuhne Thea- DRAMA IN REAL LIFE: (From left) Edinburgh tre, Berlin, and a freelance theatre director. University principal Prof Peter Mathieson, Tanika The drama award was launched in 2012, Gupta, and TV and radio host Shereen Nanjiani; for North Run when Britain’s oldest literary awards – the and (below) a scene from Lions and Tigers A STUDENT is taking on the James Tait Black Prizes dating back to 1919 Great North Run next week- for fiction and for biography – were extend- end to raise funds for can- ed to include a category to celebrate inno- High on the hit list, said Tanika, was a man cer research in memory of vative playwriting. called “Tegart, who was the chief commis- his grandmother. Tanika was born steeped in the arts. Her sioner of police”. Ashok Choudhary, who is mother, Gairika Gupta, and her late hus- On December 8, 1930, Dinesh, accompa- studying media communi- band, Tapan Gupta, set up the Tagoreans, a nied by two associates, Benoy Basu and cations in global develop- society aimed at spreading the best of Ben- Badal Gupta, slipped into the Writers’ ment at the University of gali culture after the couple arrived in Lon- Building dressed in European clothes. But East London, will be run- don from Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1961. the man they shot was Colonel Simpson. ning the half marathon next Born in Chiswick, west London, in 1963, “It was the wrong man – he was a re- Sunday (9) to raise money Tanika read modern history at Oxford and former,” said Tanika. “It was a botched job.” for the Institute of Cancer eventually became a playwright. She found Cornered by police, the three were deter- Research (ICR) in London. rich material in her great-uncle’s life as a mined not to be taken alive. Choudhary said: “When freedom fighter. Badal swallowed potassium cyanide, visiting my cousin at work, Dinesh Chandra Gupta, the youngest while Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves a radio-oncologist in India, brother of Tanika’s paternal grandfather, Dr with their own revolvers. Benoy was taken I saw the pain cancer causes. Pritish Gupta, was only 19 when he went to to the hospital and died five days later. We have felt it in our family the gallows at Alipore Central Jail on July 7, Dinesh, however, survived, was put on too, with my grandmother. 1931, for the assassination of Colonel NS trial and sentenced to death for anti-gov- “I wanted to raise money Simpson, the inspector-general of prisons, ernment activities and murder. Following for cancer research as my inside the Writers’ Building in Calcutta. independence, Dalhousie Square in Cal- contribution to improving He was born on December 6, 1911, in the cutta was eventually renamed BBD Bagh lives for cancer patients. village of Josholong in Munshiganj district, after the Benoy-Badal-Dinesh trio. “It is hard for anyone to now in Bangladesh. While he was studying While awaiting execution, Dinesh wrote see their loved ones suffering. in Dhaka College, Dinesh joined the Bengal “beautifully eloquent letters to his family” The money I raise will help Volunteers, a group set up by Subhas Chan- from his prison cell on the heroism of the the ICR to do more research dra Bose in 1928 at the Calcutta session of revolutionaries and his belief in the great- for a cure and find better the Indian National Congress. ness of self-sacrifice. treatments for patients.” Soon the Bengal Volunteers transformed Her play premiered in August 2017 at the n Visit www.justgiving. itself to a more active revolutionary associa- Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, as part of Sha com/fundraising/ashok tion and planned to kill British officers kespeare’s Globe’s Festival of Independence. choudhary to donate. known to have tortured Indian prisoners. “My family is proud of him,” said Tanika.