Three shorter (hour-length) local interpretations of Tagore cover a range of theatrical activities. Shilpi Sangha’s Birpurush arose from a workshop for Howrah high-schoolers, who impress not just with their moving performance but also their original script. Co-authors Rajarshi Dhara and Swapnojoy Ganguly write about a boy who misses his father, an army officer posted on the border, and vents his frustration on his working mother. Tagore’s popular poem for children takes the shape of a vivid dream the son has, and the contrast between it and grim reality (see photo) creates the stark, tragic tone.
We must applaud the maturity of the writing and acting (teenagers performing as parents) and director Kingshuk Bandyopadhyay’s research (down to the precise military protocol of folding the tricolour), a department normally neglected in Bengali theatre. At a time when the Army often faces questions about its actions, Birpurush should make it feel proud, communicating what our bravehearts do every day for their motherland’s security. Army PR may wish to take heed!
Uhinee’s Muktadhārā draws timely attention again to one of Tagore’s most environmentally-significant plays – nearly 100 years ago, he foresaw the water wars of today triggered by dams. Adrija Dasgupta directs in a fetching style where members of the cast fluidly interchange roles by simply donning and discarding the costume accessory that signifies a character. However, her heavy editing ironically chops up the “free flow” of Tagore’s text, even damming it occasionally. The suffixed addition of “Oi mahā-mānaba āse” does not seem integral to the meaning either.
Balarka Nimta’s mime rendition of Totā Kāhini strangely retitles it as Totār Kahāni, linguistically neither here nor there. Bidyut Datta directs the ensemble rigorously in mimetic beauty, particularly Puja Kundu as the poor parrot, but after an energized opening song in Hindi he stretches Tagore’s succinct parable almost to breaking point through tedious repetition of imagery. Since most Bengalis know Totā Kāhini inside out, and its brevity has encouraged multiple productions and viewing opportunities, this version overkills – not only the bird but also itself – even for a non-Bengali audience.
(From The Times of India, 18 October 2019)