Theatre group 'Uncurtain' has been performing their street play in different parts of the city.
The stigma against COVID-19 has caused patients and health workers untold trauma in Bengal and beyond. Now, a theatre group has taken to the streets - literally - to fight against it and make sense of the myths, misconceptions and fake news about the virus.
One of the worst episodes took place on July 26 outside a state-run hospital in Bongaon, 70 km north of Kolkata. A Covid patient tried to climb an ambulance but was too weak to board it. He died trying even as the ambulance driver, fully covered in a PPE suit, stood and watched.
Some people filmed the tragedy but did not step forward even though the man's wife begged and pleaded with passersby for help. She was too frail to lift him into the ambulance. No one from the hospital emergency ward came out to help either.
Reports of such horrific incidents have brought theatre artists out on the streets of Kolkata to try and bust myths and dispel stigma about Covid so the above mentioned tragedy never repeats itself.
One of the theatre groups - 'Uncurtain' - has been performing their street play in different parts of the city.
Nandita Chanda, an actor in the play said, "Corona is scary, it is a pandemic, we are living in a pandemic. So Our message is, yes, be afraid, take precautions but don't lose your humanity."
"Theatre's job is to go into society and raise questions. We are compelled to do that," said Saikat Ghosh, the director of the play.
The battle against Covid stigma is being fought in villages too with jatra - a traditional Bengali theatre. The whole campaign is steered by Covid Care Network, an NGO of survivors, their families and doctors.
Dr Diptendra Sarkar of Covid Care Network, who stopped by to see the street play at Jadavpur 8B bus stand, said, "More people have died because of the stigma than the disease. The community is a key to overcome the pandemic. Such plays have a major role in involving people."
"We cannot just sit in one corner of the room and think only doctors will fight the pandemic. No, the society has to handle it. The society has to get empowered and aware," said Satyarup Siddhanta, a mountaineer who is associated with CCN.
Small crowds gather at every performance which is about 20 minutes long. Prerna Mukherjee, a passerby and a theatre artist herself who was watching the performance, said, "It is very brave of these young actors to come out on the street and perform. Something so informative. It is really great."
"Given the size of the problem, it's a small effort, " said Mainak Ganguly, another actor in the play. "Let's hope people who saw this get the message."
The play ended with the well known anthem - We Shall Overcome.
If this play makes even one person wear a mask or help a Covid patient, it will earn the applause it gets at the end of every show.