Friendship growing out of rejection and isolation, the inheritance of property in riparian villages, and talented lesser-known actors combine on two straightforward Bengali plays. The new face of group theatre, Debasish, wrote and directed Ektā Iskul for Chakdaha Natyajan. Set in Tripura, it tells the story of two boys who gravitate to each other—one constantly bullied in school, the other brought up by his grandmother. The first half presents an endearing depiction of their bonding, along with the Tagorean message that education in the open school of the world does better than the rote inside the classroom.
But as they grow up, Debasish falls back on the conventional trope of a formulaic villain who eyes the old lady’s land, though his lament for friendship disbanding once separated geographically remains universally true. The leads, Amit Saha and Abhik Dhar (photo), give realistic, unglamourized portrayals. However, for the umpteenth time, Debasish allows the menace of smoking on stage, tarnishing his reputation for sensitivity.
A very short story by Samaresh Majumdar provides the source for Piyali Chattopadhyay’s dramatization Bahamān, Curtain Call’s new production. A boy who got lost in a rural fair was raised by a Good Samaritan, who gifts him a plot when he matures, telling him to learn now to stand on his own feet. Elsewhere, a young wife is thrown out by her mother-in-law because she could not produce a child. Solitude draws the two single persons closer. Creditably, Chattopadhyay does not hammer their loneliness or love into us explicitly.
Nevertheless, she stretches this simple drama, 90 minutes long, to near snapping point. Director Tirthankar Chattopadhyay may consider editing the first hour drastically to balance the strong, final half-hour, to create a powerful one-hour play. But I congratulate the two principals, Abhishek and Chhandabani Dutta (photo), on their fresh, natural acting.
(16 September 2026)