Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy staged its latest production “Behular Bashor,” based on Bangla medieval epic Mansamangal’s most tragic part Behula – Lakhinder. The premiere on July 23 at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy saw a full house.
The plot was dramatised by Shahidul Haque Shanon where the conflict of the merchant Chand Sadagar with Manasa has been expunged. Directed by Md Jasim Uddin, the play narrates the thrilling and heartrending story of Behula whose husband Lakhinder gets killed on the very first night of their marriage. The play does not present any one-to-one dialogues but the story is narrated with folk songs and dance performances like our traditional theatre form, Jatra. The dazzling costumes and props helped to create a perfect ambience for depicting a mythological story presented by three actresses as “Gayens” ( who narrates the story of Jatra through songs) who appear on stage as different characters at different points of the play.
Here the antagonist is Manasa, a snake goddess, who wants to take revenge on Chand Saudagar since he denies worshiping her. In this connection, the evil deity determines to kill his seventh son Lakhinder. On the other hand, Behula is a typical Bengali woman who is devoted to her husband and can cross any boundary to save him.
However, Behula comes to know the ill intension of Mansa and prepares every possible defense to save Lakhinder. Chand assigns Bishyakarma to build an iron-palace to secure his son. But due to the conspiracy between Manasa and Bishyakarma, a hole was kept at the palace. The night came and Manasa sends Kalnagini, the most poisonous snake, to bite Lakshinder.
She waited until Behula falls asleep, and then she attacked Lakhinder. When Behula woke up she saw Kalnagini has already done her job and it was too late to save her husband.