Tribute to G.S. Channi, who introduced street theatre in Chandigarh

Remembering Gurcharan Singh Channi, whose work in community theatre reached out tothe furthest margins

Renowned for his contribution to community theatre in Punjab, thespian Gurcharan Singh Channi (1951-2021) passed away last week. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s national award for community theatre, he was an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), and served as chairman of Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi. Deep-diving into inquiry, questioning existing socio-cultural frameworks, and raising uncomfortable questions were important aspects of his theatre-making. A few years ago, during a brief interview after a Punjabi theatre festival, he said, “You have to leave behind what you think you know to create something original.” He believed that self-awareness was the means to explore theatre that would resonate with the deepest concerns of our times. “We live in a jail inside our head. We all carry the baggage of norms, customs. We are constantly making judgements about life and how it should be led. But to make honest choices, we need to let go of this baggage and embrace various perspectives.”