STUDIO THEATRE FESTIVAL
Chitrangada staged
Rabindranath Tagore’s classic Chitrangada was staged on Monday at the Studio Theatre Hall of Shilpakala Academy as part of the studio theatre festival organised by Northern University
based troupe Northern Theatre.
Swapnodal staged the lyrical drama version of Chitrangada written by Tagore in 1892, which highlights inner beauty of soul over the physical beauty through the affair of the legend Arjun and Manipuri princess named Chitrangada as mentioned in the epic Mahabharat.
The audience is more familiar to the dance drama version of Tagore’s Chitrangada, which the poet composed almost 44 years after writing the lyrical drama as he became fascinated with the classical Manipuri dance.
The lyrical drama version of Chitrangada, directed by Zahid Repon, was presented in a narrative form by the troupe and the adroit portrayal of an unsightly Manipuri princess Chitrangada’s fascination for lord Arjun made it highly entertaining. Arjun, however, does not show any interest in her. When Chitrangada earns beauty by the blessings of God Madon and Bashonto, Arjun gets magnetically drawn towards her. Subsequently, Chitrangada realizes that it’s her physical beauty that attracts Arjun, but not herself.
Sonali Rahman Julie and Farzana Rahman Mita alternately played the roles of Chitrangada as the unattractive one and as the desirable one while Mostafizur Rahman enacted the role of Arjun.
A large number of audience enjoyed the play on the fourth day of the eight-day festival.
-With New Age input
