Is birth related to individual excellence? Should merit be decided on the basis of ancestry alone? Rabindranath Tagore drew upon a tale featuring Jabala and Satyakam from the Chhandogya Upanishad when he composed “Brahman”, an incisive critique of casteism in Hindu society. This Tagore poem has recently been developed into a full-length drama, Nirjan Rakhal, by Snehashis Bhattacharya. Ritwik Berhampore, a group which has always upheld the causes of social justice and the distribution of wealth, has produced it. The play premiered on the inaugural evening of Ritwik’s Desh Bidesher Natyamela at Rabindra Sadan, Berhampore.
Designed and directed by Biplab Dey, Nirjan Rakhal is a good example of contemporary Bengali theatre adopting the technical tools of modern theatre practices without sacrificing its signature style. Dey allowed Rajesh to design a set, essentially a tapestry of painted jute sheets that hung heavily from the bars atop the upstage arena and four paintings depicting different visual representations of prostitution in India from temple sculptures and early-20th century oil paintings. Swapan Bandyopadhyay designed a soundscape with an emphasis on the chanting of Upanishadic hymns. The choreographer, Chiranjit Das, crafted movements in adherence with the symmetrical patterns laid out on the stage and the veteran light designer, Shyamaprasad Bandyopadhyay, made creative use of cross-lights to highlight it.
Bhattacharya’s text oscillates between Jabala’s dwelling and the ashrama of the sage, Goutama. An athletic Rajesh, playing Satyakam, displayed a wide range of emotions. In a remarkable move, Dey employed two narrators, Payel Sarkar and Jinia Mondal, to comment on what was going on through Satyakam’s mind as the play progressed. Naturalism gave way to melodrama as Mohit Bandhu Adhikary portrayed a rather authoritarian Goutama to precision. Shipra Sen’s depiction of Jabala started on a dignified note and she brought out the motherly desperation well in the ashrama scene towards the end. The rest of the cast, including Sahanaj Begum and Mahua Chakraborty as Jabala’s mates, and the chorus that energised the stage acted credibly.