Bhubaneswar: The tales of tribal icon Birsa Munda’s life and valour were brought alive as Bidyakanak Srujananusthana staged its play ‘Ulgulan’ on the inaugural evening of its 8th edition of National Theatre Festival at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
The five-day festival got off to a fine start with the auspicious lighting the lamp ceremony by esteemed guests including Bhubaneswar Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, former secretary of Culture Department, Government of Odisha, Manoranjan Panigrahi, former MLA (Bhubaneswar North) Priyadarshi Mishra, The Samaj’s General Manager Gopinath Barik and eminent theatre director Prasanna Kumar Mishra.
The spotlight was then shifted to the felicitation ceremony. On this occasion, Soumendra Pujari and his wife Meenakshi Supakar, a couple dedicated to theatre, were honoured. They apart, eminent theatre personalities Prof Samar Mudali, Biplab Keshari Satapathy and The Samaja reporter Sambit Choudhury were also felicitated.
Once the curtains rose, the audience was transported straight into the heart of a tribal uprising against British rule.
The play unfolded like a rolling thunderstorm, tracing Birsa Munda’s journey from a fiery child with deep resentment towards colonial oppression to a fearless young leader who dared to lock horns with the British Empire.The play shows how he relentlessly fight against forced religious conversion, illegal occupation of tribal lands and the exploitation of indigenous communities.
Even his imprisonment in Hazaribagh jail for two years couldn’t clip his wings. After his release, he makes his army stronger and launches historic ‘Ulgulan’, the great uprising that shakes the British to its core. However, betrayed by police informers, Birsa is arrested and lodged in Ranchi jail, where he died at the young age of 25 under mysterious circumstances.
Though the British claimed he died of cholera, the truth still hangs in the air like an unanswered question.
Though all know more or less about Birsa Munda’s life, the audience remained glued to their seats from curtain rise to curtain call, thanks to the powerful acting of all actors, razor-sharp direction of Abakash Mishra, effective light design and soul-stirring music.
The generous use of Sambalpuri dialect and folk music added extra spice to the production, giving it an earthy authenticity that resonated deeply with theatre lovers.
Actor Pradeepta Kumar Swain slipped into Birsa Munda’s character like a hand into a glove. Backed by a gym-built physique and brilliant acting skills, he carried the play on his shoulders with remarkable ease. The other supporting actors too pulled all stops to keep the audience glued to their seats.
With its gripping storytelling and emotional depth, ‘Ulgulan’ proved to be more than just a play — it was a stirring tribute to resistance, identity and sacrifice.
The production should visit different theatre festivals in and out of the state.
On the stage:
Gobinda Mohapatra, Pradeepta Kumar Swain, Rajesh Balabantaray, Amardeep Mohanty, Jaga Rao, Chandan Nayak, Subedita Samal, Pramit Sahoo, Tapas Sahoo, Prashant Das, Debasish Rout, Rajsh Mallia, Soumyasuman Mohanty, Lopamudra, Akanksha, Sonali, Sarita Pradhan, child artiste Sujal Subhradeep Padhi and Sai swastika Behera.
Off the stage:
Concept and Direction: Abakash MishraCoordination: jagdish Prasad MaharanaLyrics and Music: Kishore KumbharStage: Trimurti ArtsCostume and Make up: Mama Chitralaya Light: Rakesh Satapathy
