Bhubaneswar: Written by revolutionary Spanish poet-playwright Federico Garcia Lorca in 1936, the play ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ still hit home with startling force. That realization dawned on me while watching its Hindi adaptation ‘Din Ke Andhere’, staged by Seagull Theatre, Guwahati, Assam, on the second evening of five-day National Theatre Festival organized by Bidyakanak Srujananusthana at Rabindra Mandap on Sunday.
The celebrated Spanish play has travelled far and wide and staged in different languages. Even, its story prompted acclaimed filmmaker Govind Nihalani who made a film on it titled “Rukmavati Ki Haveli’ in 1991.
Despite its towering reputation, I had neither seen the film nor watched the play in any form before. Naturally, with lot more excitement I arrived at the auditorium which was then already buzzing with theater theatre personalities and enthusiasts.
There were formal lighting the lamp and felicitation ceremonies. While guests including Mayor Sulochana Das and Parichay Foundation’s chairperson Rojalin Patasani, former principal of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya Dr Maya Das and Jayashree Mohanty among others. Latika Pattanayak, a radio and stage artiste from Sundargarh and The Prameya reporter Chandini Mohapatra were felicitated for their contribution to the theatre.
As the curtain rose, the audience was drawn into the suffocating world of Kudasiya and her five unmarried daughters-Fatima, Masooma, Mumtaaz, Jamila and Ayesha, her mother and servants Jain Babua and Khairu.
At first glance, the household appears ordinary, but beneath the calm surface lies a powder keg waiting to explode.Kudasiya is a harsh, controlling mother who values family honor and social reputation above her daughters’ happiness. After the death of her second husband, she orders her daughters to observe eight years of strict mourning. This imposition turns their lives into a pressure cooker of bottled-up emotions, frustration and silent rebellion.
The pace gathers momentum when her eldest daughter, Fatima, becomes engaged to a young man named nuruddin. However, sparks begin to fly as younger sisters —especially Mumtaaz and Ayesha—also harbours feelings for him. Jealousy creeps in and tensions simmer inside the house.
What happens when Kudasiya knows about the truth forms the emotional core of the play best experienced on stage rather than spoiled in words.
The play didn’t let me down, nor the theatre lovers present in the auditorium. All seated glued to their seats till the last scene as the repercussions of dogmatic matriarchal control were being explored layer by layer.
Bhagirathi Bai, who heads Seagull Theatre and an NSD graduate with specialization in acting, donned two hats with remarkable ease. As Kudasiya, she delivered a commanding performance that anchored the production from start to finish.
“We are used to living a life on our own terms. Stepping into the shoes of people who are living in oppression, we had to make a self-study on what would be our lives in such circumstances. I have seen women in our neighbourhoods and elsewhere, still living under a dark cloud because of societal pressures. Their wings are cut for others’ sake and for family’s reputation. Our play is just a humble attempt to hold up a mirror to the emotional turmoil and struggles these women are forced to endure,” said Bhagirathi Bai.
The all-female cast also rose to the occasion, breathing life into their emotionally charged characters and earning generous applause from theatre lovers.The production’s technical finesse added another feather to its cap.
Ridip Bhandar Kayastha’s hauntingly evocative music synced seamlessly with the mood of the narrative, while Dibosh Barua’s sharp and atmospheric lighting design elevated the dramatic intensity several notches higher.
In the end, ‘Din Ke Andhere’ proved to be much more than a stage adaptation of a classic text.
It was a gripping exploration of authority, repression and human longing — themes that continue to resonate loud and clear even in today’s world.None thing to be noted here that while the play was an all-women one, all the guests of the evening were also women.
On the stage:
Bhagirathi Bai Kadam: KudasiyaPapori Medhi: Jain BabuaNirmali Sharma: FatimaManmayuri Burman: MasoomaDaisy Gogoi: MumtaazJanuka Goswami: JamilaB Palkee: AyeshaDeepa Mishra: NaniSaini Goswami: KhairuTejasweta Das: Guest
Off the stage:
Hindi adaptation: J N KaushalMusic: Ridip Bhandar KayasthaLight: Dibosh BaruaMake Up: Deepa MishraCostume: Manmayee and Deepa Mishra
