The show goes on

Year after year, the talented few take their first step towards Act One, on the wooden stage of the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University.

At the Department of Indian Theatre, the stage is always set for creative acts

Year after year, the talented few take their first step towards Act One, on the wooden stage of the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University. Here, dreams are nurtured, creativity chiselled and love for theatre given movement and motivation. Here, there is scope for drama and ingenuity. It is a place where there is no method to the madness. Just passion, pure passion for theatre is the rule and exception.

It began with one man8217;s dream to nurture talent in this part of the country and give those with a fire in their bellies and a vision in their eyes to become complete theatre-persons, an opportunity at par with the best in the country.

8220;We owe it all to the vision of Balwant Gargi,8221; chairperson of the department and Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner Prof Dr Mahendra Kumar looks back with pride and fondness.

Kumar has seen the department since the first session in 1972 and has numerous dramatic stories to narrate.

8220;I have been here since 1969, before the department came into being. It all began when Balwant Gargi came here to stage a play and proposed a department of theatre to the then vice-chancellor, Suraj Bhan, who immediately invited him to be a part and initiator of it,8221; says Kumar, who was then a student at the Government College of Arts.

After returning from the US, it was Gargi8217;s first job, and he chose to stay on the campus and began scouting for talent from various departments of the university to stage a play, Gagan Main Thal. The search for an art director, a field which was given top priority by Gargi in his plays, led him to the Arts College and then to Kumar, who had keen interest in literature and was a fabulous painter with a splendid sense of design. And so started an association which was to go a long way and result in establishment of a department, which is now a name to reckon with, having produced actors like Anupam and Kirron Kher, Mangal Dhillon, Meeta Vashisht, Navneet Nishaan, Anita Kanwar and also Harry Baweja, Amrik Gill, Rani Balbir Kaur, Channi, Umesh Kant to name a few.

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Gargi infused life and art into an empty, deserted, but aesthetic building, which already had an open-air theatre and it was Kumar who designed each nook and corner, chairs, tables, green rooms and studio theatre of the department. 8220;The vision and imagination was all Gargi8217;s,8221; Kumar puts it modestly.

The small studio theatre, which had a wooden floor and was designed in such a way that audiences could sit on three sides, was the place for the first rehearsal, performance, research and many a heart-to-heart. And artistes like Karanth, Bansi Kaul, Elkazi, Raina came to the department on the invitation of Gargi to teach and share their experience and talent.

8220;Theatre came to Chandigarh with this department, with top theatre directors of the country choosing to stage their best productions here. After establishing and actively being part of the department, Gargi retired in 1977 and here we are, keeping his dreams alive and giving many the opportunity to understand and live this complete art 8212; theatre,8221; Kumar looks ahead.

Yes, the show must go on8230;

Parul

Parul is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express in Chandigarh. She is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience specializing in public health, higher education, and the architectural heritage of Northern India. Professional Profile Education: Graduate in Humanities with a specialized focus on Journalism and Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Career Path: She began her career covering local city beats and human interest stories before joining The Indian Express in 2009. Over the last decade and a half, she has risen to the rank of Principal Correspondent, becoming the publication’s primary voice on Chandigarh’s premier medical and academic institutions. Expertise: Her reporting is deeply rooted in the institutional dynamics of PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) and Panjab University. She is highly regarded for her ability to navigate complex administrative bureaucracies to deliver student-centric and patient-centric news. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 - 2025) Her recent work highlights critical reporting on healthcare infrastructure, academic governance, and urban culture: 1. Public Health & PGIMER "PGIMER expands digital registry: Centralized patient records to reduce wait times by 40%" (Nov 20, 2025): A detailed look at the digital transformation of one of India's busiest medical institutes to tackle patient influx. "Robotic Surgery at PGI: Why the new urology wing is a game-changer for North India" (Oct 12, 2025): Reporting on the acquisition of state-of-the-art medical technology and its impact on affordable healthcare. "Shortage of life-saving drugs: Inside the supply chain crisis at government pharmacies" (Dec 5, 2025): An investigative piece on the logistical hurdles affecting chronic patients in the tri-city area. 2. Education & Institutional Governance "Panjab University Senate Election: The battle for institutional autonomy" (Dec 18, 2025): In-depth coverage of the high-stakes internal elections and the friction between traditional governance and central reforms. "Research funding dip: How PU’s science departments are navigating the 2025 budget cuts" (Nov 5, 2025): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing researchers and the impact on India's global academic ranking. 3. Art, Culture & Heritage "Le Corbusier’s legacy in peril: The struggle to preserve Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex" (Dec 22, 2025): A feature on the conservation efforts and the tension between urban modernization and UNESCO heritage status. "Chandigarh Art District: How street murals are reclaiming the city’s grey walls" (Oct 30, 2025): A cultural profile of the local artists transforming the aesthetic of the "City Beautiful." Signature Style Parul is known for her empathetic lens, often centering her stories on the individuals affected by policy—whether it is a student navigating university red tape or a patient seeking care. She possesses a unique ability to translate dense administrative notifications into actionable information for the public. Her long-standing beat experience makes her a trusted source for "inside-track" developments within Chandigarh’s most guarded institutions. X (Twitter): @parul_express ... Read More