The Bangla word durghotona (accident) becomes a good pun with the phrase ‘dur ghotona’ (distant incident). This pun has come to signify the truth of people in our self-centered society who treat an accident as a distant incident and insignificant in their lives as long as they do not get directly affected. This phenomenon has been highlighted in the play
Dur Ghotona, written by Bakar Bakul. The play is simple, and the message bases itself on the pun. The fact is as humans we no longer deeply attach ourselves to tragedies in our surroundings, to what is happening right before our eyes.
Directed also by Bakul, the play shows an accident where an individual named Nabadas is run over by a vehicle. The accident wounds him severely. Still conscious, Nabadas expects someone will help him get to a hospital. The expectation comes to nullity when nobody comes forward and another vehicle reruns over his body.
Now dead, Nabadas’ soul leaves his body and sits nearby expecting again that somehow his body will at least be taken to his home. But he waits in vain. Passers-by rather pilfer his wallet and mobile phone. Stripped of his papers and identity card, Nabadas waits helplessly.
However, law enforcers come with Purandas, a corpse caretaker who happens to be Nabadas’s father, but the father fails to recognise the son as his disfigured face is beyond recognition. The pleas of Nabadas’ soul become futile and meet no consequence.
The play ends with Nabadas’s corpse left at a dumping station where his soul sees many of his likes.
The play also addresses some other hideous, contemporary issues like doctors discussing of stealthily extracting Nabadas’s kidneys for their personal gains.
A full-hall audience enjoyed the play. ‘The meaning of the play is terribly true in our society,’ observed Sabbir Reza after watching the show.
Members of BUET Drama Society staged the play. Javed’s performance in the role of the central character Nabadas was quite convincing and Rahul added more strength to the play through his realistic portrayal of the corpse caretaker Purandas.
The play staged its second show at the Studio Theatre Hall on Thursday on the seventh day of the ongoing Northern Prasad Studio Theatre Festival 2013.
-With New Age input
