Theatre enthusiasts will get the opportunity to watch the second successful production of the TheatrEX Bangladesh titled “Dokkhina Sundori” today at the Natmondol, University of Dhaka at 7:30pm. The play is an awareness-based theatre crouched within a musical. The combination of music, dialogues and dance pieces in perfect harmony will surely capture the audience interest, not to mention the stage which delves into the audience seating area for a more profound effect.
Folk-tale and history are shaped into the plot of the play which opens with a song praising the beauty and livelihood of the Sundarbans which was alternatively called Chandraban during the ancient period.
The antediluvian folk-tale of the Chandrabande race is portrayed through two main characters, Chandre and Bona, and the legendary tiger-haunter Pochabdi Gazi is an ineluctable character depicting the story. The plot moves forward with a series of dispersed incidents showing the fight for survival of these ignored minorities against the maleficent deeds of the antagonists, who systematically destroy the balance of life in the name of rescuing the forest.
The entire play has been divided into six acts including the praise of the forest, the dark moon, the full moon, the deluge, the lower tide and the dream of Bona. The continuous shift of language from the colloquial dialect to formal Bangla was a bit confusing but the overall effect created through the ambiance makes it worthwhile for the audience.
Written by Shahman Maishan and directed by Sudip Chakroborthy, the production is supported by the British Council. Nusrat Sharmin played Chandre and Atiqur Rahman played Bona while Mahjabeen Islam, Syeda Iffat Ara, S M Jumman Sadik were other prominent characters of the production.
About the play, director Sudip said: “It’s an awareness-based production with emphasis on protecting the Sundarbans. The team of TheatrEX conducted extensive research by visiting the heritage site. We also went through a sea of documents to improve our knowledge about the forest.”
According to Sudip, the performance includes the lifestyle of people whose livelihood depends on the Sundarbans. It is enriched with the regional poetry, dance and music in a unique form. “It explores the theatrical aesthetics by fusing local myths, legends, fairy tales and parables with contemporary style of theatre performance.”