A good story survives the passage of time, holding within itself universal threads that sustain, even as the context changes. Manoj Mitra’s Bengali play, “Sajano Bagaan”, in its Hindi avatar, “Bagia Banchharam Ki”, is a fine example of a good story unfolding before the audience a plot that remains relevant, and issues that, unfortunately enough, have lived on.
Directed by Bahrul Islam and produced by Sri Ram Centre Repertory Company, the play was performed as part of the Nepal Sadbhavana Natya Aayojan, a nine-day festival organised by NSD to contribute towards relief work in the wake of the Nepal earthquake. Translated from the original by Santwana Nigam, the play situates itself in a nameless village, and tells the story of a poor man and his battle for his piece of land. Old Banchharam’s land is a fertile garden, one he has tended to lovingly. Even as old age and disease racks his body, he continues to hold his land close, refusing offers from land owners and his own grandson.
It’s interesting to watch the equations between Banchharam and the Zamindar, to see how the feudal relationship plays out and then turns on itself. Sameep Singh as Banchharam and Shrikant Verma as Zamindar Naukodi play their roles well, and neither overdoes things, so that while you watch a set up that is unfamiliar in an urban setting, it still remains realistic and believable. As an old man, Singh is especially convincing, infusing his character with just the right amount of strength, helplessness and pride.
As the story moves forward and Banchharam is compelled to enter into a bargain with the Zamindar wherein he is paid two thousand rupees per month for the garden till his death, after which the garden passes over to the Zamindar, you recognize in the play elements that find their echo in current times. Poverty twists Banchharam’s arm, forcing him into a bargain he doesn’t want to make, and his failing health pulls him further down.
Inevitably, you find yourself rooting for a miracle cure, a way to save Banchharam and his garden. The play’s resolution is both cathartic and idealistic. What it does do is serve as a reminder too — not every story about the land grabbing rich and the suffering poor ends well.
A story that, outwardly, is both straightforward and almost fairy tale-like in its conclusion, “Bagia Banchharam Ki” contains within itself several subtleties, and the calibre of the actors, combined with the play’s own merit, creates an experience that has both depth and meaning. While the play could have easily veered towards hammy, stereotypical portrayals of the evil land owner, the disenfranchised poor, the greedy relatives and the hapless wife, it chooses to play the characters in shades of gray instead, a move that makes things come alive on stage.
