Paschimbanga Natya Akademi
Paschimbanga Natya Akademi (PBNA) is a learning society for drama and theatre in West Bengal, India. It was established on 26 September 1987 and is part of the West Bengal Government’s Department of Information and Cultural Affairs. Its headquarters is Natya Bhaban in Kolkata, and its work serves West Bengal and Tripura.
PBNA aims to develop skills, document the history of Bengali theatre, share information, explore theories, and promote creativity in theatre. It runs annual theatre festivals, seminars, public lectures, training workshops, and it publishes research on Bengali drama. It also presents two major awards, Dinabandhu Puraskar and Girish Puraskar, for achievements in playwriting, acting, directing, stagecraft and design, and music.
The Akademi oversees many theatre venues, including Academy of Fine Arts (Lady Ranu Mukherjee Mancha), Bijon Theatre, Girish Mancha, Jogesh Mime Akademi, Madhusudan Mancha, Mahajati Sadan, Muktangan Rangalaya, Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Sujata Sadan, Tapan Theatre, and University Institute Hall.
It publishes Natya Akademi Patrika, an annual journal with essays, lectures, obituaries, play scripts, and reports. The Akademi has produced notable works such as William Shakespeare’s Chaitali Rater Swapno (directed by Utpal Dutt), Balidan by Girish Chandra Ghosh (directed by Ashoke Mukhopadhyay), and Rabindranath Tagore’s Chirakumar Sabha (directed by Bibhash Chakrabarty).
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:53 (CET).