At the heart of Shibaji Dutta’s journey stands his newest creation, CHAINED – A Father’s Voice. After years behind the camera, he is returning to the stage as both director and performer with a work that confronts one of the most urgent issues of our times—rape, women’s safety, and empowerment. CHAINED is not just a play, but a fusion of literature, politics, and modern identity, seen through the raw, aching voice of a father. It marks Shibaji’s fearless return to theatre, reminding audiences of the power of live performance to provoke, challenge, and heal.
Alongside this, he is deep into two Hindi Projects currently in development. These projects promise to carry forward his signature style—unflinching realism, lyrical visuals, and characters that burn long after the screen goes dark. For Shibaji, cinema and theatre remain two halves of the same soul, both demanding truth above all else.
From Mumbai’s Lights to Kolkata’s Roots
Though born in Kolkata, Shibaji’s formative years unfolded in Punjab and Chandigarh, where the pulse of theatre and culture shaped his earliest instincts. Later, Mumbai became his creative crucible—a space where he honed his craft in the thick of India’s cinematic heartbeat. Yet, it was returning to Kolkata, his birthplace, that ignited a deeper fire.
Here, he directed acclaimed regional films such as Khelaghor Badhte Esechi and Nossir Kouta, reaffirming his bond with Bengali identity and storytelling. For Shibaji, Kolkata is not just home—it is where the river of culture meets the ocean of cinema.
A Theatre Legacy of Experiment and Boldness
Theatre has always been Shibaji’s testing ground. Between 2014 and 2019, he directed productions across Punjab University, M.C.M. D.A.V. College, Government College of Art, Dev Samaj College, and others, pushing young performers to discover their voices.
Among his boldest experiments was reinventing Rabindranath Tagore’s Chokher Bali as the first Punjabi & Hindi recitation performance of its kind in Indian theatre. More than an adaptation, it was a poetic rebellion that fused rhythm, language, and emotion into a living performance. This fearless willingness to experiment remains central to his creative philosophy.
Cinema as Emotional Battleground
Shibaji’s cinematic vision has always thrived on intensity. His directorial works—Damath, Love In, Lies, and collaborations with Hash Tag Studios—demonstrate his refusal to compromise truth for comfort. As a screenwriter for Zee Prime & Pro Real Cinemas , he has woven stories where literature meets film craft, shaping narratives that linger far beyond their final frame.
The Themes That Define Him
Whether on stage or screen, Shibaji Dutta gravitates toward the same seismic themes: politics, language, culture, tradition, and modernization. His work is neither escapism nor ornament—it is confrontation. He dares to chase dreams others avoid, asks questions society resists, and exposes contradictions often hidden in plain sight.
His upcoming works—CHAINED and the two Hindi projects—continue this pursuit, each holding a mirror to the fractured but resilient human spirit.
A Polyglot, A Visionary
Fluent in 12 languages, both Indian and foreign, Shibaji approaches storytelling with rare cultural fluidity. His multilingual ability allows him to move between worlds—Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, English, and beyond—without losing authenticity. For him, language is not a barrier but a bridge, a way to connect deeply with diverse audiences.
The Story Still Unfolds
From Chandigarh’s stages to Mumbai’s film sets, from Kolkata’s cultural heart to the upcoming CHAINED production, Shibaji Dutta’s path is one of relentless truth-seeking. He is not chasing applause or comfort. He is chasing raw truth—the kind that unsettles, heals, and transforms.
And as his next works take shape, one thing is clear: his story is far from over. In fact, the next act is just beginning.
