Department of Theatre and Performance Studies of University of Dhaka has come up with its new artistic venture ‘Panjore Chandroban’ (Lunatic Asylum), written by Shahman Moishan and directed by Professor Dr Israfil Shaheen. The play is set to be staged at the Experimental Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the capital from five consecutive days at 7pm from March 6 to 9. Masters’ students of the department are performing the play ‘Panjore Chandraban’.

‘Panjore Chandraban’ entails new narrative of violence infested global realities along with the eternal search for the beauty of living in milieu of homelessness. The play as the political allegory radiates the idea of the home, which foreshadows the crisis and crying of Rohingya peoples in the context of geopolitical catastrophe in South Asia and even the political calamity in the Middle East and also in the other parts of the globe. The play examines the paradox of identity politics, hegemony of perverted intellectualism, the trauma of rape, the lower depths of the oppression, fractured existential crisis of being, the passion and misfortunes of kith and kinship, the hope for the promised land and at last the eternal desire for beauty.

The cast of the play includes Tanmay Paul, Sakhawat Fahad, Ummey Hany, Ummey Somaiya, Shangkar Kumer Bishwas, Roney Das, Israt Jahan Moutusi and Sanwarul Haque. Ashiq Rahman Leeon designs set light and props for the production. Beside costume designing for the play, Kazi Tamanna Haque Sigma has composed the music along with Sydur Rahman Lipon where Amit Chowdhury choreographs.  

On the other hand, the play will be staged on March 13 in Patna and March 14 in Delhi as a part of the 8th Theatre Olympic. The event will be organised by National School of Drama, New Delhi, India.    

Where: BSA, Segun Bagicha

When: 7pm, March 6 to 9