Set in 1970s Kolkata, Canvasser draws from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s story “Canvasser Krishnalal,” portraying the life of Krishnalal, a humble medicine canvasser. Amidst the socio-economic struggles of the post-independence Bengali middle class, Krishnalal strives for stability through small jobs — first canvassing household medicines, then working as an auctioneer. Dishonour and dismissal, however, push him into despair. Yet, when cinema begins to mirror the lives of common people through filmmakers like Mrinal Sen, Krishnalal rediscovers his dignity, work, and hope.
The play intertwines Bibhutibhushan’s narrative simplicity with the stark realism of Mrinal Sen’s cinematic vision. It reflects the universal truth that in a competitive world, we are all canvassers — selling dreams, ideas, or survival. Through the struggle, pain, and quiet joys of the middle class, Canvasser captures the human spirit’s endurance under capitalism’s shadow and the eternal quest for respect and meaning.

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Venue: Academy of Fine Arts

Academy of Fine Arts

2, Cathedral Road Kolkata

Organizer:Abhaash, Dakshin Kolkata
Director:Sekhar Samaddar
Writer:Sekhar Samaddar
Artists:Swapan Roychowdhury, Malay Ghosh, Utpal Aguan, Atanu Roy, Saurav Mandal, Hiranmay Nath, Safiul Molla, Subhankar De, Shreya Mitra, Shampa Das, Soumita Biswas & Sekhar Samaddar.