2 weeks Ago By R Venkatesh
Alumni and theatre practitioners in Karnataka and other southern states are calling for the National School of Drama’s Bangalore Centre (NSD BC) to be an autonomous institution dedicated to the promotion of theatre. “NSD BC was meant to be a step towards inclusivity in south Indian theatre, where actors from the region could train in an environment that understood their linguistic and cultural realities. But after 10 years, it is still run as an extension of Delhi, with no independent vision,” said Niranjan, an alumnus.
The National School of Drama (NSD) established its Bengaluru Centre in 2014 to address the growing need for drama education beyond Delhi. Situated on three acres of land within the Bengaluru University campus granted by Karnataka’s Department of Kannada and Culture, the centre was intended to serve students from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and Lakshadweep. Its mission was to integrate Dravidian languages, cultures, theatre, art, and lifestyle with modern theatrical developments and experiments.
Several alumni have criticised NSD BC for falling short of the high standards that NSD Delhi is known for. For instance, even after 11 years of being set up, NSD BC only offers a one-year certificate course in acting, which, alumni say, barely holds any value. “The certificate we receive is no better than a summer camp certificate.
After a full year of training, we expect a qualification that holds value when we apply for a job, but it does nothing for our careers,” said Ravikiran Rajendran, a student in the first batch of 2014 at NSD BC. He is an actor, filmmaker and theatremaker. The one-year programme covers various aspects of theatre, including acting, techniques, design, and history, aiming to give students a well-rounded education in the field.
In comparison, the academic structure at NSD Delhi is more intensive. The three-year diploma programme is designed to train students to become professionals in areas such as acting, design, direction, and other theatre-related disciplines. The course in Delhi includes subjects like Modern Indian Drama, Classical Indian Drama and Aesthetics, World Drama, and Voice and Speech.
It also offers broad-based training in both classical Indian and Western dramatic traditions. Graduates of this programme receive a diploma that is widely recognised in the industry. NSD Delhi has produced many well-known actors who have made a significant impact on Indian theatre and cinema.
Some of its notable alumni include Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Irrfan Khan, Ratna Pathak, Neena Gupta, Dolly Ahluwalia, and Anupam Kher. Manjunath*, another NSD BC alumnus, told TNM that students had raised concerns about the status of the certificate when they joined. “When we took admission in 2022, we spoke to the centre’s director, Veena Sharma Bhusnoormath, about concerns over the course not being a diploma that will be recognised like the one in NSD Delhi.
She assured us that we would be given a similar diploma,” he said. However, when they visited the NSD Delhi during the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the annual national theatre festival organized by NSD since 1999, the registrar informed them that no diploma had been approved and that granting one would require a lengthy process. "When we returned to Bengaluru, the director publicly humiliated us for even raising the issue with the registrar.
After that, we were harassed by the NSD BC administration," Manjunath alleged. Manjunath later applied for a theatre teaching position under Karnataka’s Department of School Education, but was disqualified because the NSD BC certificate was not recognised as a diploma. Theatre director C Basavalingaiah, who served as director of NSD BC from 2014 to 2021, told TNM that when the Bengaluru campus was set up, it was meant for students from southern states.
He said that this mandate has not been maintained. Basavalingaiah said that during his tenure, he had proposed a two-year diploma course, a suggestion that was rejected by NSD Delhi. “I was told that NSD has a 50-year legacy and changing this structure was not possible,” he said.
He had also proposed a reworked academic structure, syllabus, and campus development, none of which were allegedly considered. “We formed syllabus committees with theatre makers from across south India and collaborated with universities and theatre groups. But those plans were not taken forward,” he said.
Basavalingaiah said that the academic programme earlier required at least two classical theatre productions and two major productions every year. “The government gave Rs 30 lakh for productions, and we generated another Rs 30-40 lakh from ticket sales,” he said. He also mentioned that they would conduct at least 20 minor plays a year.
According to students, while NSD BC still produces two plays a year, the productions are no longer on the same scale as they once were. They allege that the plays have become smaller in scope, with limited resources and lower audience turnout, which has affected the overall quality and experience of the performances. The alumni are also accusing the school of failing to meet its mandate — the promotion of south Indian theatre forms for students from the region.
Basavalingaiah noted that the centre has not fulfilled its original purpose. “When I was a student at NSD Delhi, South Indian students struggled because of the language barrier. It was difficult to get important roles, and we were often pushed to the sidelines.
NSD Bengaluru Centre was supposed to change that, but the same issue continues. Students here are still struggling with the dominance of Hindi, and the centre has not integrated Southern theatre traditions into its curriculum,” he said. Currently, the only concession to this challenge seems to be that, although the curriculum is taught mostly in English, students are allowed to write their exams in their own regional languages.
However, students and alumni feel that this is not enough to truly address the gap. Alumni believe that many of these issues could be resolved if NSD Bengaluru Centre were granted autonomy. Ravikiran pointed out that all the Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Management function independently, and a similar model could help NSD BC better respond to regional needs and cultural diversity.
Past pupils of NSD Bengaluru Centre insist that it should have its own board of directors, syllabus, and decision-making authority, rather than functioning as an extension of NSD Delhi. Financial disparity is also a concern for students and the institution. NSD Bengaluru Centre students receive a stipend of Rs 6,000 per month, while their counterparts at NSD Delhi are paid Rs 9,000.
After deductions for food and accommodation, Bengaluru students say they are left with just Rs 800 to 1,000 a month. “For most of us who don’t come from well-off backgrounds, it becomes really hard to manage,” said Niranjan. “Some students have families depending on them, and with such a small amount left, we can barely cover basic personal expenses.
If both centres are under NSD, why are Bengaluru students given lower stipends? We do the same training, put in the same hours, yet we are treated differently,” he added. The Department of Kannada and Culture, which provided land for NSD BC in Kalagrama, has also come under scrutiny. “The government needs to intervene because NSD BC is underutilised.
They were given prime land in Bengaluru to build an institution that would support South Indian theatre, but instead, it remains dependent on NSD Delhi, with no accountability,” said Basavalingaiah. Alumni also say NSD BC does not engage with its former students. Unlike NSD Delhi, which involves alumni in productions and events, NSD BC has no structured alumni association.
“We don’t get updates about productions, festivals, or opportunities from NSD BC,” said Ravikiran. “In Delhi, the alumni network is strong, and they continue to support students after graduation. Here, once you leave, you are forgotten,” he said.
Alumni are now demanding that NSD BC establish a formal alumni association on the lines of NSD Delhi, with clear systems of engagement and post-course support. Leading theatre practitioners have reinforced alumni concerns, calling for autonomy for NSD Bengaluru Centre, an end to linguistic imposition, and a renewed commitment to the institution’s original purpose. Prasanna Heggodu, a senior theatre practitioner, criticised the dominance of Hindi in national theatre education, calling it a fundamental flaw in the system.
“Hindi cannot be the only language in a national theatre. Expecting students from across the country to adapt to it and perform in it goes against the very idea of inclusivity,” he said. He emphasised that NSD BC was not just meant for South India but was part of a broader effort to decentralise theatre education, including in the Northeast.
Prasanna recalled the theatre satyagraha of 2006-07, where theatre makers, including himself, staged a hunger strike demanding autonomous national theatre institutions across India. “NSD promised us they would establish national theatre institutions in different parts of the country. Not in all 28 states, but at least in four to begin with.
HD Kumaraswamy offered me juice to break my fast and promised that Karnataka would support this vision,” he said. However, he said that NSD BC, as well as the other branches in Gangtok, Agartala, and Varanasi, remained mere branches of NSD Delhi, with no independent authority. “What we fought for were autonomous national theatre institutions.
Instead, we got sub-centres of NSD Delhi, without any real power of their own.This is not a fight against the system — it is a fight for survival. Autonomy is non-negotiable,” Prasanna said.
Chennai-based theatre scholar and practitioner A Mangai also pointed to NSD BC’s failure to connect with Kannada theatre. “Bangalore is a go-to place for theatre practitioners — it’s a city open to experimentation and new ideas. Yet NSD BC remains disconnected.
It has no engagement with the theatre ecosystem around it,” she said. She stressed that it is critical for NSD BC to have the functional autonomy to design its own syllabus and teaching approach. “Finances may still remain attached to NSD Delhi, but academic and artistic control must belong to NSD BC.
Without that, this institution will never stand on its own,” she said. Mangai also supported the demand for a structured alumni network, which NSD BC currently lacks. “Theatre is built on networks.
Institutions must care for their students beyond the classroom. Without a strong alumni structure, you are cutting artists off from long-term opportunities,” she said. Both Prasanna and Mangai agreed that NSD BC has not fulfilled the purpose for which it was set up.
“We have seen enough delays. The media should highlight the need for reform, and we would support it if the alumni were to submit a memorandum in this regard,” Mangai said. The directors of both NSD Delhi and the Bengaluru Centre were contacted for a response to the concerns raised by students.
Neither institution has provided a response. This story will be updated if and when we receive a response..
