The theatre will also have an archive, which will be named after legendary theatre personality Utpal Dutt.

Making the announcement at the inauguration, Bhattacharjee said: “It is a great honour to open the doors of the theatre today, the birth anniversary of Girish Chandra Ghosh.”

“Utpal Dutt was intricately related with the theatre for ages. This is the best way of expressing our regards to him,” he added. Dutt had also taken the theatre on a lease in the 1960s. From Girish Chandra Ghosh to Utpal Dutt, all luminaries associated with Bengali theatre have given some of their best performances in Minerva.

The theatre, which has been associated with all major political upheavals in Bengal and had been the seat of culture for a long time, had to be closed down due to financial crisis.

Some of the most famous plays — Kallol, Angar and Ferari Fauj — that had galvanised the younger generation of the 1950s and 1960s were staged in this theatre.

The state government also plans to introduce a “centre of excellence” in Minerva. “I have proposed to the Natya Akademi to use Minerva as a place to conduct research in theatre,” Bhattacharjee said.

The heritage building located at 6/1, Beadon Street, will also be used as a platform to promote contemporary theatre in Bengal.

It was Bhattacharjee who took the initiative to renovate the theatre in 2004. A sum of Rs 1.25 crore was spent in remodelling the dilapidated building. The renovation was carried out by the state government and the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).