Professionally, Usha Ganguli is a lecturer in Hindi language and literature at Bhawanipur Education Society College. She was not very happy with the state of Hindi theatre in Kolkata. In spite of playing the female lead in several plays like Mrichchhakatikam, Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Kisi Ek Phool Ka Nam Lo, Ek Aur Dronacharya and Jasma Odan which brought her the first of her major awards, her disappointment grew to the extent to urge her to form Rangakarmee.

She was the lead actress and dedicated organiser--translating and adapting scripts for the earliest productions of Rangakarmee--Parichoy from Arnold Wesker's Roots and Guria Ghar from Henrik lbsen's A Doll's House. Bibhas Chakraborty, Rustam Bharucha and Anuradha Kapoor directed her in experimental works, including several one-character performances. As a critic and commentator on theatre, she has contributed to several periodicals. She is the director, playwright and the protagonist of Mukti, her first play in Bangla.

At the age of seven she came to Kolkata with her family and started her Bharat-Natyam training. Very soon she excelled in this art and performed in many noted All India Dance and Music conferences.

Although Hindi speaking, she had an insatiable thirst for world literature. Her interest in Bangla literature developed from reading Jibanananda Das and later it became permanent reading Rabindranath Tagore.

She joined the Drama Troupe Sangeet Kala Mandir in 1970. Her leading roles were in Mrihcchha by Sudrak, Ashadh Ka Ek Din by Mohan Rakesh, Kisi Ek Phool Ka Nam Lo by Madhu Rai, Ek Aur Dronacharya by Shankar Shesh and Jasma Odan by Shanta Gandhi Katikam.

Rangakarmee has been a regular visitor to Bangladesh with plays like Lok-Katha, Court Martial, Rudali, Himmat Mai, Mukti, Antaryatra and Kashinama. Intensive workshops on lighting, body language, vocal exercises, developing play scripts and music have been conducted. Most recent in this practice has been a workshop-oriented production Ema by H. Kanhailal and H. Sabitri. In its tradition to create new generation theatre activists, Rangakarmee's documentation wing, Study Group has played an active part. Projects like Sambhavana are its platform.

Twenty members of her group get Rs. 3000 each from the West Bengal Government. They perform at more than 140 call shows each year and then the earning is divided equally among the 78 regular members. She thinks equality should be maintained in every sector of life.

She does not encourage people who use theatre as a stair of progress to the other branches of media like package programmes and cinemas. She advises the new comers to be clear in what they really intend to do. If they want to become only names in electronic media s/he needs not come into theatre. Although commitment and devotion are integral factors, body language, mind and soul are no less important for a good theatre artist.

Usha is hopeful about the theatre practice in Bangladesh. The young and dedicated workers will do better in the coming days, she thinks, because they carry their cultural heritage. She does not think we need to bridge the East and the West because ours is a rich culture in itself.

For her contribution to theatre, she has received the Dayawati Modi Street Shakti Samman, Safdar Hashmi Puraskar from Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy in 1998, Sangeet Natak Academy Award from New Delhi for Theatre in 1998 and Prabha Khaitaan Puraskar in 2003.