Letter from Khulna
Bagerhat Theatre Activities
Theatre-related activities in this southern part of the country date back to the 19th century. But the practice in the form of modern theatre kicked off only after our liberation in 1971. Since it would be an arduous task to cover all those events together with an account of the rich cultural tidbits, tThis letter therefore includes only those events and influences that have significantly shaped theatre activities in Bagerhat. In fact, recent upheavals and some obvious changes in this field gave me the idea for writing this piece.
Any writing on Bagerhat's theatres should begin with how virtually all of them are clustered around the Purano Court Chattar, which is the centre of Bagerhat. The Bagerhat Cultural Foundation, which used to be the Shilpakala Academy, is located in the heart of the town. The two-storey building of the Foundation has the long-standing Macperson Library on the right and the wide Shadhinata Uddayan on the left. The Uddayan is a field attached to a spacious stage. It has recently gone through a spate of development, especially the shade overhead, which has blocked the welcoming look at the open sky. Most of the performances, theatrical or otherwise, are held either at the auditorium of the Foundation or on the stage at the Uddayan. Shuklal is next to the Foundation and Rudro Natya Dal is just a few steps away, while Bagerhat theatre is on the left of the Uddayan. Grouped thus, activists of the three theatres work in a fairly congenial atmosphere staying in constant touch with each other.
Shuklal Academy, regarded as the pioneer of all cultural organizations, is generally regarded as having formally initiated the practice of the performing arts in post-war Bagerhat. It was formed in 1972 by a group of music-minded individuals. In fact, it commemorates the musical maestro, Shuklal Chakravorty, killed during the liberation war by Razakars. In the beginning, it focused only on music. But soon branches like drama, dance and literature were added. In no time the department of drama emerged as the strongest. Among many others, Shambhu Nath Dam, Mir Saidur Rahman, Debprasad Mitra, Shapan Kumar Basu, Sheikh Kamal Uddin and Ramesh Chandra Majumder were some of the founding members. From Shuklal sprang many stage geniuses who not only in the local context revolutionized the quality of performances, but also took the lead in furthering the cause of drama.
Raising the slogan, 'Build up the habit of watching stage drama' they have staged quite a good number of plays. Some of their remarkable performances are Lalon Fakir, Chore, Shubachan Nirbashone - all directed by Sheikh Nazrul Islam. Molla Robiul Alam, an experienced actor from Shuklal, has already made his presence felt in the movie 'Nancholer Rani'. The Academy still is working to keep up the flow, especially among the youngsters.
Toward the end of the '70s, an enthused group came together under the influence of Sheikh Nazrul Islam, Shibpada Basu, Monir Uddin Monu, Tariqul Islam Lavlu and many other like-minded individuals, all of whom sought to start an organization that would foreground drama-related activities in the shape of a theatre standing by itself, not as a branch of some organization above it. The outcome was the formation of Bagerhat Theatre in 1978. Talking with me, Sheikh Nazrul Islam said that the formation of Bagerhat Theatre should be viewed in the wider context of group theatre practice instituted in Dhaka immediately after the liberation. The project began with the goal of producing skilled as well as committed activists; a goal which one might say, was fulfilled by actors like Niaz Mohammad Tarek and Tabedar-E-Rasul Channu.
Bagerhat Theatre has produced a total of 45 plays so far with multiple performances, quite a feat for any theatre group/s in a small town like this. In the '80s some of its glorious performances were Kalbihongo, Shubochon Nirbashone, Kabor, Chore, Kritodasher Hashi, Ebar Rajar Pala and many more - all being directed by Sheikh Nazrul Islam, already recognized as an ex-director from Shuklal.
Celebrated productions in the '90s cover Neela, Shada Beniar Kalo Aine, Court Marshal, Bornochore, Ferari Neeshan, Ora Kadam Ali, Sottie Bhuter Goppo (adaptation of Molier's 'The Miser'), Bichchu etc. The leading directors in this period were Niaz Mohammad Tareq, Shamim Ahsan Kalu, Shafiq Shohag and Wahid Murad Modhu. They also have written a handful of plays, and in addition, have produced a number of street plays.
Talking about the present situation and its prospects, Golam Kibria Lavlu, a gifted actor, sounded quite upbeat. About the diminishing audience for theatre, he responded by saying that theatre-going enjoyed its heyday in Bagerhat during the '80s, and that it was now superseded to a great extent by other mediums, especially DVD home movies and TV serials/plays. Moreover, a number of experienced theatre activists keep relocating to Dhaka for various reasons ranging from career plans to higher education. However, he firmly believed that good audience response could be re-sparked if the quality of performances were improved side by side with proper publicity campaigns.
At the start of the new century, a group of comparably younger activists formed Rudro Natya Dal. A few of the founding members became nostalgic while sketching a brief outline to me in an informal adda. They admitted that they had had their primary training under the care of Sheikh Nazrul Islam. They also mentioned some of the senior activists of Bagerhat Theatre as their mentors. But soon they also felt that the emergence of a new platform was indispensable. Committed to this line of action, they sought advice from former activists. Soon thereafter, a committee was formed in 1998 with Advocate Ramkrishna Basu as the president and Shaheen Siddique as the secretary. Among others there were B. M. Shamsuzzoha, Shamsul Hadi, Pran Krishno Roy, Rajib Mandol Prince, Mahamud Hasan and Abdullah Boni.
Since their founding, they have produced thirty successful plays and a good number of street plays. Some of their glorious performances are Baashon (Selim al Deen), Bou, Darpan( adaptation of Hamlet); Ferari Nishan, Meraz Fakirer Ma, Shadhinatar Shongram and Kabor--all directed at different periods by Shamsul Hadi, B. M. Shamsuzzoha, Kamal Hossain and Zahidur Rahman Shaon.
Among the performers who have enjoyed immense popularity, one has surpassed local boundaries and recently become a national icon: Pran Krishno Roy, known more as Dhublo for his brilliant comic role in Ronger Manush, and as Ramiz, the central character of Ramizer Aina. Discussing the present condition with regard to a slump in artistic production and rise in street plays, some of them opined that there has been a real dearth of good scripts; a bigger reason was that committed and talented activists preferred to switch to Dhaka, a point stressed earlier by Golam Kibria Lavlu.
These factors, ranging from lack of financial support and new activists, are due to the changes taking place over the past decades, especially the predominance of electronic media. Another change is the turn towards street plays, a genre propped up by NGOs or government officials for the purpose of easier communication with mass people regarding issues like adult franchise, female education, acid-throwing, etc. While this new genre is on the rise, some are worried about the future of stage-shows. But theatre activists are unanimously agreed that street plays should not be blended with artistic productions; rather, they should be supplementary productions intended to exert certain effects. Nevertheless, the significance of this genre should not be glossed over considering the effective role they play in raising mass consciousness as well as giving a place for theatre activists to channel their energies.
Stressing their determination to move on undeterred, they added that good quality scripts and some financial support from the government would go a long way in luring audiences back into theatre houses.
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