Rangakarmee has bounced back with Abhi Raat Baaki Hai. This is heartening as the passing away of Usha Ganguli could have been a body blow to this leading Hindi theatre group from Calcutta. With Abhi Raat Baaki Hai, which premiered at the Academy of Fine Arts on January 16, Rangakarmee seems to have found its way ahead.

Roping in Souti Chakraborty, the Calcutta boy who carved out a niche for himself in the national circuit, was a smart move. Penned by the Marathi playwright, Jayant Pawar, Abhi Raat Baaki Hai fits Rangakarmee’s commitment to socially relevant theatre. Chakraborty used Kailash Sengar’s Hindi translation to explore a working-class home where the mother (Ranjini Ghosh) runs from pillar to post to sustain the family. She receives little support from the elder son (Shubham), whose literary ambition does not gel with the daily grind, and the younger son (Om Tiwari), who is hooked on cricket commentaries. The other son (Deepesh Rajak) is a thug. The daughter (Sneha Roy) stays with them as her husband (Anirudh Sarkar) — a trade union leader — leads a hunger strike. As the neighbours keep flitting in and out (Shreya Khaitan in particular), the house becomes a microcosm of India, as it would have been just before the first set of economic reforms were undertaken.

Chakraborty has created a 100-minute-long production that is teeming with promise. The subtexts — touching upon sexuality, poverty and violence — receive a sensitive treatment. Ghosh excels in a part that demands maturity beyond her age. Sarkar shines in a passionate cameo. Soumen Chakraborty continues his purple patch as a light designer.