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Imtiaz Ali and Divya Dutta light up 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav at an evening celebrating theatre, arts, and Delhi
At the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav in Delhi, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali returned to NSD and revisited his theatre roots while actor Divya Dutta recited poetry.
At the Mahotsav, Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali returned to NSD, revisiting his Delhi years, theatre roots and the journey of becoming himself.
Once in love with Delhi, always in love with Delhi! Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s formative years in the Capital, while being a student at Delhi University, were deeply dedicated to theatre. Visiting the National School of Drama (NSD), Mandi House for his session in conversation with musician Pankaj Jeena, he reflected on how surreal it felt to return to this mecca of theatre.
“Today, when I entered NSD, the thought in my head was how have I become a part of this club. Have all of these people really come to listen to me speak. I was sitting in the director’s office and recalling that back in the day it wasn’t even possible for me to get entry into this office. It’s always a surreal feeling to be here,” said the 54-year-old.
Nostalgia hit hard as Imtiaz said, “One thing I remember the most is being a junior or a flunky. I used to roam around here, sit near this neem tree and every time biggies like acting coach Barry John used to pass by, I used to think that I should fall on their feet so that maybe they take me in their group. But, never found the courage! I used to see actors perform and get paid in actor-director Ranjit Kapoor’s plays, and would wonder, ‘Wow, actors ko paisa bhi milta hai!’”
Recalling his early days at Mandi House, Imtiaz spoke of trying to fit into what he saw as its “intellectual” theatre ecosystem. “I always tried to fit in… I used to practise how to become an intellectual,” he said, adding that he soon realised “it is better for me to be myself (laughs).”
He also fondly remembered his contemporaries at NSD. “Manoj Bajpayee, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Piyush Mishra, Gajraj Rao, Shoojit Sircar… we used to rehearse together, and I’m missing them right now,” he said.
As the session concluded, Imtiaz told HT City that the “energy of young people creating artistic expression when the way ahead is unclear” continues to move him. “I was one of them. I am one of them. And will always be,” he says. Reflecting on present-day Delhi, he adds, “People express themselves freely here. Delhi thrives on dispute. Opposing points of view are tolerated, even encouraged.”
Actor Divya Dutta on the magic of theatre, emotional storytelling and finding connection through performance
Divya Dutta: Future of storytelling is in passionate hands
Actor Divya Dutta, took the stage for her session with journalist Shrivardhan Trivedi and spoke endearingly about the magic of performing arts, storytelling and theatre. “Being here reminds me why I fell in love with performing. Theatre strips everything down to raw emotion, creating a shared experience where the audience becomes part of the story. That connection is what makes this art form timeless,” said Divya, adding, “As artists, we reflect society but also encourage it to feel, question, and grow. Watching today’s young performers fills me with hope — the future of storytelling is in passionate, fearless hands.”
The 48-year-old then went on to recite her poem Aaj Phir Akhbaar Aaya, reading out the lines, “Aaj phir akhbaar aaya hai, roz ki tarah jhat se uthaaya, dekha aur phenk diya. koi teri khabar ho to padhun, koi teri tasveer ho to dekhun, varna akhbaar ke in aksharon mein mere liye kya rakha hai? Mere liye duniya ki khabar tumhi se hai. Tum ho is duniya mein to duniya hai. Meri umeedon ke sunahre sapne har panne par chhap jaayenge, teri khabar lekar, teri hi tasveer sajaayenge. Woh kal ab aur door nahin, woh kal kabhi to aayega. Kal phir akhbaar aayega, kal phir akhbaar aayega.” The poem incited huge cheers and applause from the crowd.
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