Badal Sircar (1925-2011) has been frequently adapted in Bengali proscenium theatre. Though he had famously ‘disowned’ many of his earlier attempts at writing plays for the proscenium, the plays he had written in the 1960s are now winning admirers everywhere.
Sailik, for instance, produced Sircar’s Ballabhpurer Rupkatha (picture) in 1998. Helmed by Prabir Basu, the group recently revived the production. Instead of reworking the design, Basu decided to stick to Kumar Roy’s stagecraft and V. Balsara’s background score. This decision mostly worked in the recent staging of the play at Rabindra Sadan. Two Greco-Roman pillars with Corinthian capitals may not signify pre-British architecture, but the archaic feel was assured as the main action was played out in centre stage. The occasional use of the staircase leading to the proscenium — suggestive of the world outside the dilapidated mansion that is now awaiting a buyer — added to the comic impact. Among the three shopkeepers who doubled up as remains of a majestic past, veteran Gouridas Basak made the maximum impact by flashing his teeth and quickly bowing while welcoming prospective buyers. Basu played Manohar, the caretaker, with measured pauses and supple delivery of words. One wished he stayed longer on the stage.
Berhampore-based Yugagni kicked off its golden jubilee celebrations by premiering Baki Itihas at Rabindra Sadan, Berhampore, on November 23. The director, Debashis Sanyal, edited the challenging script — Sircar’s tryst with the absurdity of human existence — without compromising on contemporary visual aesthetics. The stage space, underlined by primordial symbolism, reverberated with a tension that kept mounting as the play gained momentum after a sluggish start. Shyama Prasad Banerjee’s lights kept switching zones, heightened the moods and marked the surreal moments with maturity. This play about a suicide would have lost its appeal if not for Sanyal’s decision to foreground Sircar’s critique of violence. Sporadic human traffic in deep centre stage suggested the nerve-wracking pace of modern times. Despite shortcomings in the acting segment, Baki Itihas left a lasting impression.
