Bhubaneswar: There are some plays you won’t get bored watching them over and over again.
Dynamic Platform’s ‘Abhinetree’ is one such play. I had watched this play earlier. Again I had the opportunity to enjoy this play on the inaugural evening of Panchamveda’s State Level Theatre Festival held at Bhanjakala Mandap from March 14 to 18. Earlier, it was staged on the third evening of 18th National Theatre Festival Canfest 2021, held at Jayadev Sadan in Paradip from March 5 to 10. The festival is organised by Canmass, a theatre group based in Paradip.
Take it from me that the play will entertain you to a hilt, despite it having some flaws. Young and talented Debabrata Pattanayak is the director of the play. It is an Odia adaptation of Bengali play ‘Baudir Biye’ (Wedding of sister-in-law) written by Sailesh Guha Niyogi.
The play opens in a drawing room of a family comprising four bachelor brothers-Yudhistir, Bhim, Nakul and Sahadev.
Upon returning from their respective offices, Bhim, Nakul and Sahadev start complaining about their problems they faced that day in their offices. One says he feels offended for wearing a pair of different shocks. One says how his colleagues make fun of him for wearing a torn vest.
They say they are facing problems because they don’t have a sister-in-law. They want their elder brother Yudhishthir to marry.
The play gathers momentum from here onwards. The three brothers have their own choice of how their to-be sister-in-law should be. One wants his to-be sister-in-law should be health conscious, one wants his to-be sister-in-law should be modern one and one’s choice is that his to-be sister-in-law should have knowledge of singing. They even engage mediators to find a girl according to their choice.
Just then, a secret is unfolded. Their brother brings a girl Chhanda to the house introducing her to his brothers as his wife, saying he has married her two months back. In fact, he has brought an actress to get rid of his brothers’ constant pestering.
As the three brothers are not aware of the fact, they separate from their brother Yudhishthir.
All is well that ends well. Chhanda wins the hearts of all her three brothers-in-law by acting up to their expectations and all are united again.
It is when Chhanda is to leave the house as her agreement with Yudhishthir expires, Bhim, Nakul and Sahadev pleads with her not to leave the house and stay with them as their sister-in-law.
All the artistes did their best to do justice to their characters. In Yudhishthir character, Debabrata was excellent as he is always.
Dynamic Platform, established in 2015, has so far staged many successful plays like Jhimiti Khelaru, Ekalabya, Dhwansara Pathe, Sahidon Ko Salam, Durghatna Pare and Buxi Jagabandhu.
Recently, Lavanya Theatre, a theatre group based in Bhubaneswar, honoured Debabrata with ‘Pratibhaban Yuva Nirdheshak’ award at function at Bhanjakala Mandap.
By kalasanskruti.
