Bhubaneswar: With the sun going down the horizon of capital city Bhubaneswar on Friday, Rabindra Mandap auditorium came to life as Shatabdira Kalakar, one of the premier theatre groups in the state, threw open the curtains on its five-day 28th National Kalinga Natya Mahotsav.
The evening witnessed the presence of dignitaries like former Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha, Sahadev Sahoo, president of Kala Vikash Kendra, Bijayananda Singh, vice chancellor of Utkal University of Culture and Prof Prasanna Kumar Swain who inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp. Shatabdira Kalakar’s president Dr Gourahari Dash and secretary Dhira Mallick were also present on the dais.
The occasion also saw the felicitation of some theatre personalities. The Kadambini’s editor Itirani Samanta and playwright Manas Ranjan Gadanayak received Sumitra Samman, actress Manjulata Samal was honoured with Pramila Prativa Samman and music director Binay Das was felicitated with Shatabdira Kalakar Samman. Kartika Chandra Sahoo and Er Bighnaraj Jena, both are actors of Shatabdira Kalakar, were awarded with Lifetime Achievement Award.
The inaugural play, ‘Mahasangramara Mahanayaka’, written by former Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Biswabhushan Harichandan and directed by Dhira Mallick, the driving force behind Satabdira Kalakar, transported the audience back to 1817, into the heart of the historic Paika Rebellion, led by Buxi Jagabandhu, the military commander of the forces of the king of Khurda against the Britishers.
The stage lights up to show Buxi Jagabandhu and Paika heads of Khurda area strategizing to outwit the colonial forces. Their daring assault on Banapur marked a triumphant beginning, followed by a string of victories across the Khurda region.
But the tide soon turned. In a bid to weaken the rebellion from within, the Britishers manage to rope in Charan Patnaik to their fold and appoint him as the Tehsildar of Khurda.
The British Administrator Major Fletcher unleash a reign of terror before meeting his end in an attack led by Buxi Jagabandhu. After coming to know that the landlords are providing financial support to Buxi and his army, the British administration warn the landlords against supporting Buxi.
With financial support stops coming, Buxi struggles to sustain his army. Because of not getting salaries for months, many Paikas return tyo their villages and take up farming to feed their families.Yet Buxi refuses to throw in the towel. With a handful of loyalists, he carried on a relentless guerrilla war against the Britishers that continues for eight years from 1817 to 1825, leave ng scars on both sides.
The British, unable to crush his spirit, sought the intervention of the King of Nayagarh, Buxi’s confidant. They proposed a pact, promising to end atrocities and permit salt production from Chilika. For the greater good of his people, Buxi reluctantly signed the agreement. He was confined in Cuttack—an area now known as Buxi Bazaar.
The play beautifully depicted the incidents leading to how Buxi while in captive breathes his last.
The theatre lovers remained riveted to their seats till the last scene- a ringing endorsement of the production’s impact. Staging a historical saga is no small feat, yet the ensemble pulled it off with remarkable finesse, thanks to meticulous rehearsals and Dhira Mallick’s deft direction.
With a cast of 35 artistes, the production was mounted on a grand scale. Aloka Agnibesh, son of Dhira Mallick, brought intensity and gravitas to the role of Buxi Jagabandhu, while Tushar impressed as Charan Pattanayak. The period costumes designed by Karttika Chandra Sahoo and the evocative musical score by Pratap Rout added depth and authenticity to the sweeping historical drama.
On the stage: Aloka Agnibesh (Buxi Jagabandhu), Soumyaranjan Mohapatra (Major Fletcher and Nayagarh King), Sutanu (Dinabandhu samantaray), Anil (Bhramarabara), Santosh Mohanty (Madhukandha), Sangram Maharana (Madhaba Routyray), Debashis (Mukunda Dev), Santosh (Pahad singh), Tushar (Charan Pattanayak), Kali Prasanna Mallick (Krushnachandra dewan), Malay (Gopal), Phitu (Madan), Debashis Tripathy (Beggar), Manoj (Nata), Bignaraj (Biranchi/Shyama), Satya Prakash (Gopal Chhotray), Manoj (Raghu), Shubham I(Parshuram), Tophan (British officer), Ashok (British officer), Narendra (Baraju), Satrya Prakash (Pride), Kalpana (Maid), Dharashrabani (Queen), Rajesh, Sujit, Bikash and Sangram (Paikas), Karttik Sahoo (Arjuna Palatasingh) and Subha, Aditya, Raj and Mihir (British soldiers)
Off the stage: Pratap Rout (Music), Pk Tripathy (Light Design), Narendra Senapati (Make Up), Karttik Chandra Sahoo (Costume), Sangram and Nrusingha (Stage Craft), Bighnaraj Jena (Assistant Director) and Bibhuti, Bharat and Harihara (Stage Management)
Verdict: A must-watch play
