New drama Neeler Pala staged in city

The maiden show of the play Neeler Pala was held Wednesday evening at the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city’s Segun Bagicha area.
Theatre group Nagarik Natyangan Ensemble staged the show of their new production.
Theatre personality Abul Quasem has directed the play, scripted by Chittaranjan Ghosh, the noted dramatist of West Bengal in India.
Prior to the show, director of the drama Abul Quasem, president of the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation M Hamid and noted artist Hashem Khan spoke at the programme.
The drama depicts certain events related to the cultivation of neel or indigo at a village named Damurhudda in Jessore, during the British colonial rule.
The repression of the farmers by the British rulers has been portrayed in the play. The neelkars and their collaborators violated the women of the villages whenever the farmers refused to cultivate indigo. They also killed the farmers for their refusal to cultivate indigo in place of rice and other local crops.
Sharmin Sraboni played the role of Kushi while Rabi Babu played Mothur, Safali Parvin Sathi played Tara, Taslima Alam Rupa played Hormoni, and Saidur Rahman Sayed played Subal.
Shawon Sagir Sagar designed the set while Tariq Mahabub Russo planned the lighting for the play. Amy Rahman and Rabi Babu have jointly worked on choreography and Khairuzzahan Mitu designed the costumes.
M Hamid in his speech said ‘we should build a society where people will not be oppressed by people’.
Hashem Khan said, ‘drama helps us to be brave, to protest against any oppression. It is really remarkable that the theatre group has staged this difficult drama.’
According to the organisers, forty three artistes, most of them new, have performed in different roles in the play.
After enjoying the drama Sinthiya Ranman, who lives in Australia and came to Bangladesh recently, told New Age, ‘people of the new generation have little knowledge about the history of British rule in the subcontinent. The British rulers forced the farmers of our country to cultivate indigo in our land, in place of local crops. If people see the drama they will realise what used to happen back then.’
Another audience at the play A A Khan expressed his reaction by saying, ‘actually, this drama has shown how the English ruled, suppressed and violated our people.’

Courtesy of NewAgebd