My Village is Theatre, My Name is Habib

Overview

'My Village is Theatre, My Name is Habib' is a 2005 documentary film by Sanjay Maharishi and Sudhanva Deshpande. Habib Tanvir (1923-2009) was among India's theatre legends. Along with his wife Moneeka, daughter Nageen, and a group of supremely talented rural actors and singers, he led the Naya Theatre for half a century, from 1959 to his death. This film captures the life of Naya Theatre on the road between 2002 and 2004. We see Habib Tanvir and Naya Theatre performing their classic Charandas Chor; we discover Habib Tanvir's working methods; we travel with the actors to their villages and learn their stories; we see them as they are attacked by the Hindu Right for performing an old folk classic; we see Habib Tanvir's amazing response to the attack; we see Habib Tanvir working on a new production, on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. This is a rare and precious behind the scenes record of the life of Naya Theatre on the road.