Bhubaneswar: The city’s cultural connoisseurs gathered at Rabindra Mandap on April 13 evening to witness the staging of ‘Atitara Chhai’ under the Natyadhara programme — a monthly theatre initiative organised by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department in collaboration with Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Odisha Natya Sangha.
Penned and conceptualized by veteran playwright Lalatendu Rath and helmed by director Sarat Das, the play was brought to life by ‘Pratidhwani’, a theatre troupe hailing from Rourkela. With two eminent personalities of the Odia theatre world behind it, expectations were naturally sky-high. However, the play fell short of the mark, leaving many in the audience somewhat underwhelmed.
The narrative pivots around Sukant Mishra, a once-famous stage actor and retired professor who now leads a solitary life in Bhubaneswar. The only company he has is Shankar, a man abandoned by his own family. Sukant’s past intertwines with Malabika, his former co-actor and love interest, who has long since moved on and now lives separately in the same city following her divorce.
The plot thickens with the arrival of Archana, Malabika’s daughter and a professor in Mass Communication, who is working on a thesis on theatre. As she frequents Sukant’s residence, she stumbles upon an old photograph featuring her mother with the veteran actor. When Sukant identifies the woman in the picture as Malabika, Archana is left shell-shocked.
While the three-hander aimed to build suspense around Malabika’s reappearance and mysterious connection with Sukant, the twist was let out of the bag too early. A dialogue revealing the estranged relationship between Archana’s parents—delivered much before the climax, effectively dimming the dramatic build-up. (according to this reviewer, the scene in which Shankar is telling Sukant that Archana said him that her parents are living separately after divorce should have been avoided)
In terms of performance, director Sarat Das, who also donned the role of Sukant, was the saving grace. His portrayal was heartfelt and nuanced. Priti Barik as Archana delivered a passable performance, while Manoranjan Buxi’s turn as Shankar lacked the emotional depth required for the role. Nita Goswami, though cast as Malabika, was only heard and not seen in the play.
Technically, the production missed a few beats. The opening scene — set on a rainy day — lacked consistent sound design. The background score of rain and thunder, heard only once, failed to sustain the ambience. The said score was missing even when Shankar entered the room with an umbrella, further highlighting the inconsistency in execution.
Throughout the play, the three artistes were seen wearing a single pair of dress. It would have been better if the artistes had changed their dresses as per the requirement of the scenes.
While the play had all the ingredients of a compelling drama — love, mystery, and nostalgia — its uneven pacing and predictable revelation left much to be desired.
Verdict: ⭐⭐ (2/5) — A tale with potential that lost its thunder halfway through.
