The six-day vibrant Mymensingh Geetika Theatre Festival ended on Tuesday with staging of Natyateertha’s Komola Sundori at National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The festival brought six plays based on six ballads from Memensingh Geetika, by six theatre troupes. Loko Natyadal (Banani) organised the festival to celebrate the troupe’s 150th show Sonai Madhab. National Theatre Hall wore a festive look with colourul festoons and banners during the festival. Folk singers like Syed Wakeel Ahad, Ganjan Chowdhury, Supti Sarkar, Munir Chowdhury, Badal Shahid and others entertained the audience with songs every evening on the open premise of the theatre hall.
The festival also saw a considerable turnout of audience which suggests, as Kamrun Nur Chowdhury, secretary of Loko Natydal said, the ‘interest of theatre lovers in folktale-based plays’.
Kamrun Nur Chowdhury’s claim seems to be well-founded as audience seem to love the productions.
Bivas Chakraborthy, a Kolkata-based thespian who inaugurated the festival on September 25, also was of the opinion that every theatre troupe should produce at least one play based on folktales. He said, ‘Plays on folktales are often more powerful and appealing, and people enjoy these always’.
Mymensingh Geetika, Bivas said, is a treasure to us; it gives, besides many other things, the privilege to peep into the old and medieval society of our country, of the people, their activities, relations, social structures and so on.
It is quite pertinent to remember here that almost all the ballads in Mymensingh Geetika are women-centric. Most ballads, in fact, are named after the heroines; the heroines appear brighter and livelier compared to the heroes.
On the concluding day, an almost full-hall audience enjoyed Natyateertha’s Komola Sundori. Adapted by Abdul Halim Aziz and directed by Tapan Hafiz, the play revolves around the titular character Komola Sundori.
Other plays staged in the festival were Mohua by theatre department of Jahangirnagar University, Ayna Bibir Pala by Natyadhara, Chandraboti by Shikor Natya Sampraday (Kisoreganj), Sonai Madhab by Loko Natyadal (Banani) and Dosyu Kenaramer Pala by Jahangirnagar Theatre.
‘Loko Natyadal will look forward to organising such festival more in near future’, said Kamrun Nur Chowdhury.
-With New Age input
