CELEBRATING 37 YEARS OF BSA WORKERS UNION
Struggles of Santal community going to be brought to life
Raarang, Aurangzeb on BSA stage today
DL reporter
Once again, the heroic tales of the struggles of the Santal community are going to be brought to life on stage by the theatre troupe Aranyak Natyadal with the play Raarang. The play is scheduled to be staged today at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), Segun Bagicha in the capital, as a part of the ongoing five-day theatre festival organised by BSA Workers Union.
Based on the Santal Rebellion of 1855, which is said to have inspired the revolutionary struggles of many other groups across the Indian subcontinent, Raarang, also shows the tragic tale of Alfred Soren, who was killed in 2000 when he opposed the expulsion of Santals from their ancestral lands. Soren was stabbed to death and his home torched.
Set against the backdrop of the British Raj, written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, the plays impressive cast includes Chanchal Chowdhury, AKM Hassan, Tomalika Karmakar, Joy Raj and Shamim Jaman.
Raarang is a Santal word for their battle cry. Though the Santal uprising has been overshadowed by many others that followed, the legacy of the rebellion lives on among the Santal tribes and speaks of their pride in their identity.
On the other hand, theatre troupe Prangane Mor will stage their seventh production Aurangzeb at the National Theatre Hall of BSA at the same time.
The play is featuring the life of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The play will highlight every aspect of the Mughal emperors life. Aurangzeb was also known as Alamgir or conqueror of the world. His death, the palace politics as well as the pride of Mughal era will be highlighted in the play as well. The play tries to establish that the policy taken by Aurangzeb during his reign went wrong. Ignoring his predecessors strategy, he tried to initiate a new way that finally fell through.
Aurangzeb is written by Mohit Chattopadhyaya and directed by Ananta Hira, the play selects, telescopes and fuses some historic events to capture the fissures as well as the peaks of a period of history. Faiz Zahir designed the set and lighting. Ramiz Raju and Nuna Afroz respectively direct the music and design costumes.
Prangane Mor premiered the play on September 28, 2012 at the National Theatre Hall, BSA.
To note, supported by Ministry of Cultural Affairs and BSA, bring two plays to the stage every day, the five-day theatre festival will be continued till April 28.
