Bhubaneswar: Outside, it was raining and inside the Biju Natya Kendra auditorium here, the theatre lovers were soaked in devotion on Sunday.
As part of its Mousumi Natya Utsav, Satabdira Kalakar, one of India’s premier theatre groups, staged ‘Bhakta Chakei Das’, a devotional play depicting how a humble betel seller came to be revered as a true devotee of Lord Jagannath.
As the title suggests, the play’s story revolves around Chakei Das, a devout follower of Lord Jagannath from a southern state. Driven by an unwavering faith, he undertakes a journey of nearly seventy ‘kosh’ to reach Puri and have darshan of Lord Jagannath.
The hardships of the long journey fade into insignificant the moment he sets his eyes on his beloved deity.
After settling down in Puri, Chakei Das sets up a small betel shop on the Bada Danda. Every day, two boys—one dark complexioned and the other fair visit his paan shop. Unbeknown to Chakei Das, the boys are none other than Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra in disguise.
When he asks for payment, the boys casually tell him that the Gajapati Maharaj will pay him. They even claim that the King is their father.
The usual routine continues for nearly two months. One day, however, Chakei Das refuses to give them paan unless they clear their previous dues. With no option left, the boys hand over two pieces of cloth and ask him to show them to their father who would settle all dues. They leave only after having their paan.
Soon, the seemingly simple incident takes a dramatic turn.
Later during the mid-day rituals at the Srimandir, the servitors discover that the deities’ Gita Govinda Khandua Pata- the ceremonial silk cloth-were missing, leading to the delay in rituals and triggering concern among the servitors.
The matter reaches the Gajapati Maharaj who orders inquiry and decides to visit the temple to take stock of the situation. As the Gajapati Maharaj makes his way to the Srimandir in a royal procession atop an elephant, Chakei Das stops him and asks him to clear the boys’ dues showing the pieces of clothes they had given him.
The king takes one look at the cloth pieces and immediately recognizes them as the deities’ sacred Gita Govinda Khandua Pata.When asked, Chakei Das narrates everything. The truth then dawns on the King: the two mysterious boys were none other than Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra themselves.
Moved by this divine revelation, the Gajapati makes a historic announcement: “From today, the Lord’s tambula seva (offering of Bidia Paan) shall be introduced. A Bada Chhata Matha will be established for devotee Chakei Das, and Mahaprasad will be provided for him. Chakei Das shall serve as the first tambula sevak.”
The play, written by Er Dhanurddhar Mishra and directed by Dhirendranath Mallick, popularly known as Dhira Mallick, the guiding force behind Satabdira Kalakar, struck the right chord with the audience.While Mallick’s deft handling of the narrative and keen eye for detail were evident in every scene, he succeeded in creating an atmosphere stepped in devotion while keeping the audience glued to their seats from beginning to end.
The artistes, too, pulled out all the stops to breathe life into their characters. But, it was Santosh Kumar Mohanty, who played Chakei Das’s character, emerged as the backbone of the play, carrying the character almost single handedly from beginning to end. His performance was marked by depth and finesse. The thunderous applause that followed the performance was a fitting testimony to the play’s success.
Earlier, the evening was inaugurated by dignitaries including eminent playwright and additional DCP Manas Ranjan Gadanayak and general secretary of the National Journalists’ Welfare Board and Odisha Press Club Sanat Mishra. The group’s president eminent litterateur Dr Gaurahari Das, general secretary Dhira Mallick and advisor renowned playwright and director Bijay Kumar Das were also present on the dais.
In their addresses, the guests lauded Satabdira Kalakar’s efforts.
Satabdira Kalakar, which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year, organises four major festivals annually—Grishma Utsav, Mousumi Utsav, Sita Utsav and its annual festival Basant Utsav—besides conducting workshops, seminars and a host of other theatre-related activities.
As part of the Mousumi Utsav, another play, ‘Ruddhadwara’, will be staged at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on September 28.
On the Stage: Santosh Kumar Mohanty, Bijay Ku Nanda, Baishnab Nanda, Bikram Mandal, Vicky, Sourav Prasad Nayak, Satya Kantha, Sangram, Simanchal Achari, Suryakant Sahoo, Rajesh Agrawal, Sujit Sahoo, Bighnaraj Jena, Hemanta Sarangi, Bibhuti Mohanty, Prasanna Kar, Purabi Priyadarshini, Abhipsa and Monalisha.
Off the Stage: Music: Pratap Rout, Light: PK Tripathy, Costume: Kartik, Make Up: Narendra, Stage Craft: Sangram and Nrusingha, Asst Directors: Kali Prasanna and Ashok and Stage Management: Damodar, Aloka and Kalpana
