Theatre Fest On Women Issues
Binodini, Narigon staged
The fifth day of the ongoing theatre festival on women issues featured two historical plays; one was based on the pioneering theatre character Binodini Dasi, while the other is on the historical Plassey event at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Friday.
Noted theatre troupe Dhaka Theatre staged its popular production Binodini, a monodrama, at the National Theatre Hall, and a new troupe Palakar staged its latest production Narigon at the Experimental Theatre Hall of BSA.
The first ever theatre festival highlighting the women issues titled Nari Jagoroner Natya Ayojon has been organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Dhaka Theatre’s Binodini is based on an autobiographical sketch of the pioneering Bengali female theatre actress Binodini Dasi (1862–1941). Binodini Dasi’s autobiography has been dramatised by Saymon Zakaria under the supervision of Selim Al Deen.
Directed by Nasir Uddin Yusuff, the monodrama depicts Binodini Dasi’s struggle to establish herself in the commercial theatre arena in the 19th century India.
Popular actress Shimul Yousuf was the sole performer in the monodrama. Her powerful and spontaneous acting captivated the large number of audience at the hall.
‘The play is a tribute to the first female theatre activist of the then undivided Bengal. It was Binodini Dasi who got the females on stage’, stated the director in a note.
‘I did not know about Binodini Dasi earlier. I feel privileged and happy to be here this evening’, said Shantonu Chowdhury, a government employee, who came with his family to enjoy the play.
Since it was a weekend, Palakar’s Narigon also witnessed a full-house audience at the Experimental Theatre Hall. Written and directed by Syed Shamsul Haq and Ataur Rahman respectively, Narigon is based on the historic events involving the last independent Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah.
The play encompasses a single day’s happening, the 3rd July of 1757, the day when Siraj-ud-Daulah was killed. However the play does not focus on the Nawab, rather it focuses on the untold history and fates of the women of the Nawab’s family.
The central characters are: Nawab Alivardi Khan’s wife (Siraj-ud-Daulah’s grandmother), Amina Begum (Siraj-ud-Daulah’s mother), Begum Lutfunnissa (Siraj-ud-Daulah’s wife) and Ghaseti Begum (the Nawab’s aunt who conspired against him).
‘It is an exceptional play as it centres on the neglected and silenced segment of history- the women whose sacrifice was no less than that of men’, said Ataur Rahman.
‘Narigon by Syed Haq is a treasure of our theatre arena. Ataur Rahman, as a director, is in his best in the production’, observed Ramendu Majumdar, worldwide president of International Theatre Institute, who was present as the chief guest at the hall.
‘It is an excellent production. I enjoyed it; the set design is very innovative. I have never seen such a set that is fully shrouded like a woman in burka’, said a delighted Humayun Reza.
-With New Age input
