Gen Z Space Theatre Presents a Powerful Voice of Contemporary Yout

Prasanta Chakraborty

August 6, 2026   

A few days ago, I was reading Simon Reynolds' concept of Retromania, developed in Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past (2011). I found certain parallels between his observations and the present Gen Z movement. In earlier times, when we failed to secure a job, gain admission to an educational institution, or achieve any cherished goal, or when we found ourselves overpowered on the home front, we accepted it as our fate or our own inadequacy. We seldom dared to question authority or challenge the established order. The recent movements in neighbouring countries may ultimately create chaos, but they have also demonstrated the power to shake the entrenched dominance of corrupt leaders whose priority has often been the accumulation of public wealth for personal gain.

Similarly, the youth of India have spontaneously come together under the banner of the Cockroach Janata Party. The term "Cockroach Janata Party" was reportedly first used by the Honourable Chief Justice of India to denigrate the unemployed youth of the country, although he later denied the allegation, stating that he had been misquoted. Gen Z has since adopted the name and the symbol of the cockroach as a satirical emblem to raise its voice against the long-standing corruption in public life.

The evening of 2nd August 2026 witnessed the movement being dramatised at the auditorium of Students' Health Home, Agartala. It was probably the first attempt in Tripura, and perhaps even in the country, to bring the movement onto the proscenium stage. Although it was a 20-minute production and its maiden performance, with no props and no special lighting effects, the play successfully enabled the actors to communicate its message to the audience. The audience, in turn, felt a close connection with the message of the performers on stage.

The actors and actresses were all representatives of India's Gen Z generation. As the play highlighted, this generation has chosen social media as a major medium of protest. Many among the older generation, particularly those who supported the government, believed that the movement would remain confined to social media. However, neither the government nor its supporters anticipated that this otherwise non-political movement would gather such momentum. The protesters have now raised their voices against corruption, soaring prices, widespread unemployment, and several other issues that have profoundly affected public life.

The performers on stage echoed the aspirations and concerns of Gen Z. They articulated several major demands. The first was that a retired Chief Justice of India should neither be re-employed nor appointed to any lucrative post-retirement position, nor be allowed to join politics. Their second demand called for reserving 50 per cent of seats for women in every sphere of public life, without linking such reservation to an increase in the number of seats in Parliament. Their third demand sought the cancellation of licences of media houses controlled by business tycoons that, according to them, blindly endorse every action of the government. Another demand was that if an Election Commissioner is found guilty of deliberately deleting the names of genuine citizens from the electoral roll, such an act should invite prosecution under the UAPA, since depriving a genuine citizen of voting rights, they argued, is no less serious than an act of terrorism.

The scriptwriter and director incorporated the revolutionary songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Sukanta Bhattacharya, which were sung along with dances by the actresses to express the outrage and determination of the Gen Z movement. While one group of actors represented Gen Z, two others portrayed members of the older generation who initially dismissed the movement and ridiculed its prospects. However, as the movement gathered strength, swelling like waves during a high tide, they began advocating that it be crushed through severe measures, including imprisoning some of its leaders or finding faults with the movement and its participants. Nevertheless, Gen Z did not retreat. Instead, more people continued to join, and with every passing moment, the movement grew stronger and larger.

The actors portraying Gen Z wore black costumes with red pieces of cloth draped around their necks. The black costumes worn by the actors symbolised more than a theatrical choice. They embodied protest, collective solidarity, and moral outrage against corruption and social injustice. Stripped of ornamentation, the costumes reflected the simplicity and determination of a generation united in its demand for accountability and change. The use of red in the production served as a striking visual metaphor for revolution, sacrifice, and the passionate resolve of a generation unwilling to remain silent. It underscored the intensity of the movement's emotions while evoking the enduring tradition of protest and social awakening celebrated in Bengali literature and song. In the performance, two members of the group, who were without the red cloth around their necks, assumed the roles of elderly critics who questioned and challenged every demand raised by Gen Z. The performances were remarkably natural, particularly considering that it was the troupe's first staging of the play. Such was the sincerity of their acting that the audience hardly felt they were watching a theatrical performance.

Gen Z Space Theatre produced the play GenZ. The play was written by Bibhu Bhattacharjee and directed by Sagarima Dey, while the background music was composed by Prabal Majumder and Prabhat Rudra Pal. The cast comprised Maukh Chakraborty, Sagarika Chakraborty, Souramita Sen, Rahul Ray, Somayanika Banik, and Sagarima Dey, all of whom delivered compelling stage performances.

Even before the curtain rose, the audience was psychologically prepared through a selection of revolutionary songs by Salil Choudhury, Rabindranath Tagore, and Kazi Nazrul Islam. This was followed by performances by three dancers, which were warmly appreciated by the spectators. At the beginning of the programme, the anchor, Udaysankar Bhattacharjee, introduced the audience to the concept and objectives of the Gen Z movement, thereby providing an appropriate context for the play that followed.

 

   (Tripurainfo)

more articles...