Bhubaneswar: ‘Suna Kanian’, a thoughtful adaptation of Byasakabi Fakir Mohan Senapati’s century-old classic short story ‘Birei Bishal’, was staged on the concluding evening of Panchadhwani Natya Parishad’s 10th Theatre Festival at Bhanjakala Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. The artistes of Natyashree, a theatre group in Berhampur, staged the play.
Although written over 100 years ago, the tale still packs a punch, reminding us that while times changes, human exploitation often dons a new mask.
In those days, like present days’ dowry practice, a young man would have to pay a pre-decided amount termed as ‘Kanya Suna’ (bride-price) to a girl’s father to have her in marriage. In his short story ‘Birei Bishal’, the writer had raised that very issue.
According to playwright and Panchadhwani Natya Parishad’s president Panchanan Dash, who adopted the story for the stage, articulates this continuity with striking clarity: In those days, young women were treated as commodities to be bought; today, the trade persists, but in darker allays through trafficking. was prevalent. Today also there are incidents of women trafficking. “With the time, the method may have changed but the commodity remains the same,” he says.
A Story Rooted in Injustice
The plot revolves around a young woman ‘Kamali’ portrayed with remarkable poise by Sasmitarani Rout, her greedy father Raghab Patra brilliantly portrayed by Ramesh Rana and a village young man Birei played with quite sincerely by Sandip Pattanayak.
As the story progresses, it is unfolded in layers that Raghab Patra has already bartered off his two elder daughters for money—both now widowed, both victims of their father’s avarice. Hoping to escape a similar fate, Kamali doesn’t want to marry someone her father choses.
Birei is an orphaned farmer, who loves Kamali and offers her father Rs 700—an amount he painstakingly collects by selling his cattle. Though Raghab initially demands Rs 1000, he eventually seals the deal. Thus a marriage born of earnest affection on one side and cold calculation on the other is solemnised.
A Twist That Turns the Tables
During the wedding procession, gossiping village women accuses Kamali of being seven months pregnant after noticing her unusually rounded belly. In a moment that flips the narrative on its head, Kamali reveals the truth. She takes out a bundle hidden in her saree and hands over to Birei. When he opens it, he is dumbfounded. There are coins worth Rs 1000-Rs 700 came from Birei, and the additional Rs 300 came from the marriages of her sisters. She entrusts the money to Birei, asking him to return the Rs 300 to her widowed siblings.
Just then, Raghab Patra arrives there asking for his money. The scene unravels Raghab Patra’s moral bankruptcy before the villagers, who thrash him in outrage until Birei intervenes and takes the beating in his place. It is this act of compassion that finally jolts Raghab into remorse.
A Gentle Reconciliation
The play concludes on a tender note as kamali and Birei ask the penitent Raghab to live with them. The old man hesitates citing the custom that a father never eats or drinks in her daughter’s home until she attains motherhood. Dismissing it as empty superstition, Kamali persuades her father to live with them.
In a moment that gives the play its title, Raghab declares that though he chased kanya suna (bride-price), she has proved herself his suna kanian—his golden daughter.
Performances That Carried the Show
Though it was Natyashree’s first show of the play, the cast including three young girls performed up to the expectation. Especially Sasmitarani rout, Ramesh Rana and Sandeep Pattanayak need special mention. With their remarkable acting skills, they left the theatre lovers glued to their seats till the last scene.
Be it exit or entry, be it dialogue delivery or be it space management, every section was beautifully taken care of. At the same time, the pacing of the play never sagged, giving the audience an engrossing viewing experience.
At the same time, director Satyabrata Das deserves praise for an assured staging, while playwright Dash’s adaptation balances reverence for the original with contemporary resonance.
A Few Missed Notes
This reviewer found the music and stage craft serviceable, but the lighting design faltered at moments when nuance was needed. However, they got compensated by the actors’ performances.
In the end, ‘Suna Kanian’ proved that a story from another era can still hold up a mirror to today—reminding us that the past is never as far behind as we’d like to think.
Founded by Bilochan Patra and some like-minded friends in 1996, Natyashree has so far participated at several theatre festivals in eth state and staged around 40 plays.
Earlier in the evening, dignitaries including former principal secretary of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department Manoranjan Panigrahi, retired IAS Durga Charan Sahoo, former secretary of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademy Pradeep Kumar Mishra, Natyashree’s president Parthasarathy Mohanty and theatre personality Dr Nibedita Jena inaugurated the evening by lighting the lamp.
In the following felicitation ceremony, Lakshmidhar Mohapatra, Satyabrata Das, Manoj Kumar Pradhan, Rashmiranjan Swain and Sumitra Sahoo were felicitated with ‘Panchadhwani Swatantra Samman’ (for social work), ‘Panchadhwani Yuva Natak Nirddeshak Samman’, ‘Yuva Pratibha Samman’ (for Odissi dance), ‘Ganachetana Barishtha Sambadika Samman’ and ‘Janajagruti Sambadika Samman’ respectively.
The evening’s proceedings were anchored smoothly by Biswajit Baliarsingh.
On the stage: Girija Shankar Das, Ramesh Rana, Narasingha Rana, Radhakanta Nayak, Sandeep Pattanayak, Bhaktibinod Rath, Prajnasamahita Padhi, Saroj Kumar Barik, Nalinikant Gouda, sasmitarani Rout, Ankita Patra and Shivani Kumar Panda
Off the stage: Management: Parthasarathi Mohanty, Music: Jatin Das, Choreography: Ramesh Rana, Costume and Make-up: Prafulla Chandra Nayak, Stage design: Seemanchal Maharana, Light: Subhankar Sahoo, Group Management: Soumyaranjan Rath and Stage Management: Saroj & Nalini
