Ganrapota: The 23rd show of ‘Nirashraya’ by Ganrapota Saptak Natya Sanstha at its own theatre festival which was held at Gabordanga Sanskriti Bichitra Auditorium, Ganrapota, West Bengal was a huge success. The play was staged on the inaugural evening of July 19.
The play revolves around two characters and depicts the pain transgenders are suffering in silence.
The play opens in the garden of a 70-year-old retired assistant head master of a school with him listening to a song of Rabindranath Tagore, playing on his mobile phone.
Then the second character, Biplab, enters into the scene.
Biplab is the same student who was rusticated from a co-educational school for entering into girls’ toilet. Then he was in Class nine.
In fact, he was a male by appearance but a female within. His friends would take him for a girl and assault him sexually.
A few days later, Biplab became desperate to fulfill his utmost desire to become a full fledged woman through operation.
All these days, Biplob had been looking for the retired assistant headmaster whom he recognized as a sympathizer of his biological problem.
Biplob begs for help. Getting assurance, Biplab starts dancing in joy. Seeing his magnificent dancing movement the teacher is so amazed that he kisses on his forehead and proposes to spend that night with him and share bed.
Hearing this, hopeless and homeless Biplab brakes into tears, throwing away his wig and dupatta and wiping off makeup.
The climax sees a visibly disturbed Biplob taking umbrage at the entire system prevailing in the society.
While the play was written by Swapan Ranjan Haldar and directed by Pranoy Biswas, the latter was also seen delivering justice to his character Biplob. Souvickh Ghosh was also excellent in portraying the retired assistant headmaster.
Background music, light design and stage craft all had equal share in making the play success. Theatre lovers remained glued to their seats throughout the play.
The other two plays of the inaugural evening were ‘Yes’, staged by Gobardanga Naksa and directed by Bhoomisuta Das and ‘Mainamati Itikatha’, staged by Basirhat Kingshuk and directed by Mukunda Chakraborty.
Similarly, the three plays staged on the second evening were ‘Postmaster’ by Theatre Shine and directed by Shubojit Banerjee, ‘Sadhara Meye’, by Ganrapota Saptak and directed by Ruma Chatterjee and Pranoy Biswas and ‘Dhanimunda Birsacharit’, by Kalupur Hindol and directed by Ujjwal Aditya.
The concluding evening witnessed staging of two plays. They were ‘Mirror’ by Sabuj Sanskriti Kendra and ‘Big Bazaar’ by Thakurnagar Anuranjan, directed by Mintu Majumdar.
The festival was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Photo courtesy: Ganrapota Saptak Natya Sanstha
By kalasanskruti
