Bhubaneswar: Under its ‘Mousumi Natya Utsav’, premier theatre group Shatabdira Kalakar on Monday staged ‘Ruddhadwara’ to a packed auditorium at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar.
Established on April 18, 1976, Satabdira Kalakar has been actively promoting theatre through four major annual festivals — ‘Grishma Natya Utsav’, ‘Mousumi Natya Utsav’, ‘Sita Natya Utsav’ and its annual festival ‘Basant Natya Utsav’. The group also conducts workshops, seminars and a host of other theatre-related activities.
The first play under Mousumi Natya Utsav was ‘Bhakta Chakei Das’ staged at Biju Natya Kendra on August 9.
The second production of the series was ‘Ruddhadwara’, carries a strong anti-war message, underscoring how conflict leaves behind a trail of destruction while peace creates an environment for creativity, development and growth.
The play is set in ‘Phasalapaala’ village where the villagers’ are living peacefully. However, the villagers’ peaceful life is thrown into turmoil when the government selects their village for a missile-testing range.
Minister Sadananda, whose constituency includes Phasalapaala, visits the village and at a meeting announces the government’s decision. He says once the range is established, it will generate employment and substantial rehabilitation packages will be given to those who will be displaced by the project.
The announcement splits the villagers into two sections. While one section takes the side of the minister believing the project will bring opportunities and prosperity, another strongly opposes it, fearing the loss of their paddy fields, betel plantations, fish farms, school and temple—the very foundations of their community life.
Local teacher Alok Sir, assisted by village youth Tapan, spearheads the resistance. At his direction, the villagers seal the entry points to prevent Minister Sadananda and his followers from entering the village.
The simmering tension soon boils over into violence. One night, Sura, a village youth supporting Minister Sadananda, attempts to enter the village and confronts Alok Sir’s wife Mamata. In a fit of rage, Sura and his supporters kill her.
Seeking revenge, Tapan kills Sura and goes into hiding. The police then detain village head Brunda in an attempt to extract information about Tapan’s whereabouts.
Back in the village, the villagers launch a demonstration demanding Brunda’s release. The district collector arrives and asks them to call off their agitation. But the villagers refuse to retreat.
The standoff turns tragic when the collector orders the police to open fire, killing Alok Sir and several others.
In a poignant closing scene, Alok Sir and Mamata’s orphaned minor daughter comes to the spot and blows a conch arrives at the spot and blows a conch, signalling that the struggle against the missile range will continue.
Once again, Dr Dhira Mallick, the director of the play, demonstrated his command over the craft of storytelling. The brisk pace and tightly woven narrative kept the audience glued to their seats from beginning to end.
The incorporation of Odisha’s folk arts like ‘Chadheiyani Dance’, ‘Baadi Khela’ and ‘Naga Dance’ further enriched the play, contributing immensely to the success of the play. These elements added colour and cultural depth to the narrative without disrupting its dramatic momentum.
The huge round of applause after almost every scene reflected the audience’s appreciation for the deft direction and the artistes’ brilliant performances.
The play has a total of 25 artistes and all of them gave their best. However, Alok Agnibesh, Debasis Behera, Ashok Sahoo, Soumendra Patra and Monideepa Mallick need special mention for their portrayal of characters Minister Sadananda, Tapan, Sura, Alok Sir, and Mamata respectively.
While leaving the auditorium, the theatre lovers could be heard saying that Ruddhadwara was a production worth watching more than once.
Earlier in the evening, former administrator Sudarshan Nayak, playwright Dr Purnachandra Mallick, music director Laxmikanta Palit and film personality Himanshu Khatua lit the ceremoinial lamp and graced the dais. Shatabdira Kalakar’s president Dr Gourahari Das and secretary Dr Dhira Mallick were also present.
On the Stage: Soumendra, Santosh, Alok, Ashok, Debasis (A), Sangram, Kartik, Narendra, Bikram, Bijay, Sourav, Vicky, Seemanchal, Sujit, Debasis (B), Phitu, Malay, Surya, Sinmay, Monideepa, Priyanka and Monalisha.
Off the stage: Bibhuti Mohanty (Assistant Director), Pratap Rout (Music), Pradeep Kumar Tripathy (Light), Manmath Mishra (Lyrics and Voice), Kartik (Costume), Narendra (Make Up), Sangram Maharana and Nrusingha Maharana (Stage Craft) and Bighnaraj Jena, Hemanta Sarangi and Subham (Stage Management).
Worth mentioning, ‘Ruddhadwara’ was last staged in 2013.
