While Shyambazar is a well-known place in the northern part of
Kolkata, the phrase Anyadesh in Bangla means, quite literally, A
Different Country. Effectively, this phrase serves as a metaphor
since this group keeps searching for a different space for the
visually impaired people and also, in a wider sense, for the
marginalized and underprivileged ones in society it’s been working
with since its inception.
A distinguished center for theatre practice and theatre pedagogy,
Shyambazar Anyadesh has currently 30 visually impaired actor-members
who, interestingly enough, manage the organization too. It would be
hard to find such a dynamic blind theatre group, solely managed by
the blind performers themselves. Apart from the theatre-related
activities this group remains committed to taking care, to the best
of its capacities, of the physical and psychological well-being of
its members.
