Sutradhaar Theatre Group was formed by a bunch of play enthusiasts living in Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi, back in 1986. Soon it became one of the leading groups in the Capital that staged Bengali plays. However, four years later, in 1990, “Chittaranjan Park Sadagarer Nouko”, was its last production.
Now, over two decades later, “Sadagarer Nouko” has been revived and put back on the stage at the LTG auditorium this past week. This has been made possible by one of the members of the audience who had witnessed the original production. Thanks to the person, DhayanRosendra Mukujje, his deep and abiding love for theatre, the group has once again become alive. It was heartening to watch some of the performers who appeared in the 1990 production, act once again in the new version. Based in Noida now, the group now has plans to stage significant plays regularly. As part of its programme, it will mount DhayanRosendra Mukujje’s “Shishu O Janani” at LTG on August 26.
Written by Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay, “Sadagarer Nouko” depicts the troubled world of an aged and impoverished, former popular actor in Jatra theatre. Owing to old age, he is no longer invited by the professional companies to act. Forced to live in utter penury, his son has to work in a factory as a wage-earner, who is in love with a next door girl and wants to marry her. In one of the conversations, the old actor, Prasanna, tells the girl that once he had suffered from mental illness and his son might inherit this disease. This causes bitter conflict between the son and the old artist, resulting in violence.
Obsessed with the painful feeling of defeat, frustration, neglect and humiliation, the actor has to fight on two fronts — his inner world and family members. In contrast to his glorious past, he finds his present full of humiliation and insults and his future appears to be bleak. His inner conflict is revealed by his brief monologues spoken in the moments of utter loneliness. Yet, in spite of everything, he carries a hope within the deep recess of his heart, that one day he will redeem himself from all impoverishment and misery.
The entire action takes place in the house of the aged artiste. The monotony and bitterness in his life is frequently enlivened by the visits of the next door girl and his former co-actors who somehow manage to work in the theatre to earn a living.
The play is directed by DhayanRosendra Mukujje with insight and sensitivity. He treats the sequences of the interaction between the aged actor and his former comrades in a perceptive manner. In the course of their conversations they often recall their past, living in two worlds — the present and the past. For them the past is inspiring, vibrant and meaningful and the present is bleak. These scenes are blended with stark realism and melodrama characteristic of the acting style of the commercial Jatra.The old timers, while in conversations with their old comrades, recreate glimpses of their favourite roles by rendering dialogues as comments on society, on humanity, on love and brotherhood. However, there are moment’s which become tedious because of the length of the play and verbosity. With swift pace to create dramatic momentum, the production could have become more riveting.
The set, designed by the director himself, is a bare structure formed with bamboo sticks which is suggestive of a bleak ambience in which the action takes place. On the centre is placed an ordinary wooden bed which is mostly occupied by Prasanna, symbolising his stagnated and colourless world and the down-stage provides enough room for the performers to establish a direct rapport with the audience.
One of the highlights of the production is the highly subtle lighting by Gautam Bhattacharya, a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, who creates lighting with telling effect to project the poor artiste’s house lit with lantern in the night. The finale, which exudes optimism, is made memorable with director’s insight, perceptive acting and brilliant light effects, suggesting that a creative person can liberate himself from the suffocating atmosphere of his confinement at home to move outside to a new, wider and creative world to make himself meaningful.
DhayanRosendra in the lead role of the aged artiste, creates a poignant portrait of a neglected and impoverished actor of the past. His artiste is defeated, demoralised and frustrated but deep down in his inner self he is spiritually and creatively alive. Aruna Bhattacharyya as Sati, the wife of the old artiste, creates a moving portrait of a concerned mother and worried wife. Tapan Guha Dam as Hari Sadhan, the old actor friend of the lead character, who used to play female roles in the Jatra productions, recreates old world’s warm memories. Subrata chakraborty as the actor friend, offers some amusing moments and serves as a harbinger of hope.
