Sanjna Kapoor and Sameera Iyengar’s independent theatre initiative, Junoon, announced that it is closing down on 31 March, 2020. Kapoor who was earlier the force behind Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai, had launched Junoon in 2012 after her departure from Prithvi. Junoon was an arts based organisation and as per the co-founders Sanjna and Sameera, was about creating access to theatre and the arts, bringing the arts into the spaces of our daily lives and bridging the gap between arts, artists and audiences.
According to a statement sent out by Sanjna and Sameera on Tuesday, it seems that running Junoon had become financially unviable. “These past few months have been decisive for Junoon. As we celebrated our 8th birthday on the 29th February we knew we were at a turning point that demanded tough decisions towards financially stabilising Junoon. We were moving towards this end. However, the current global scenario has shaken us,” says the note. The decision to close Junoon was taken so as to not undergo “any more insurmountable losses”.
Born to actors Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal, Sanjna Kapoor’s name has been synonymous with theatre in Mumbai. She was the guiding light behind Prithvi Theatre from 1993 to 2012.
You can read Sanjna and Sameera’s final note on the closure of Junoon here:
“Over the last 8 years, we have worked to share the arts in various ways with people in Mumbai and across India. It’s been an amazing journey, and we’ve loved working with artists and cultural practitioners across the spectrum to bring the ras of the arts to people. We’ve equally loved seeing audiences receive this ras with utter joy and amazement. Underlying this work that we love so much, has been the constant struggle to keep Junoon going – a struggle we knew we would have in a country where there is little support and infrastructure for the arts, despite the diversity and richness of arts and artists that we enjoy.
These past few months have been decisive for Junoon. As we celebrated our 8th birthday on the 29th February we knew we were at a turning point that demanded tough decisions towards financially stabilising Junoon. We were moving towards this end. However, the current global scenario has shaken us. As you can imagine, the fragile existence of an arts organisation such as Junoon, has left us with very little options but to graciously call it a day. And it is with sadness that we have decided to close Junoon to ensure we do not undergo any more insurmountable losses.
The next few months will see Junoon working towards closure. This has been a huge learning for us and we trust it will strengthen our resolve and work into the future.
Right now, we would like to say a big thank you for coming on the Junoon journey with us. As we have repeatedly said, Junoon has been possible because of the people who have worked with us, collaborated with us, supported us, and just been there for us in whatever way they could. Everything we have done has come to life because of the generosity and openness of our artists community, who have stepped forward each time to try new ideas and give of their time, creativity and passion. In fact, we could only conceive Junoon because we knew that this was the wealth of the artist community that we had. We also want to thank the many individuals who have worked with us over the years, making it their business to consistently deliver Junoon experiences, so that more and more of us could be enriched by the touch of the arts.
So as we sign off, we would like you to join us in a big salute to the artists across India, who create soul-food for us all. We would also like to salute you for seeing the value of the arts, and taking this journey with us. May the junoon live on within you!”
Sameera and Sanjna
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