To celebrate its 20th founding anniversary, prominent theatre troupe Manipuri Theatre has organised a five-day theatre festival with the slogan ‘Rise with rhymes and dialogues’. During the festival, Manipuri Theatre will stage five of their popular productions. The curtain will rise on the five-day festival today with staging the troupe’s much-acclaimed production ‘Leima’ at the National Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the capital’s Segun Bagicha area.
Directed and translated into the Bishnupriya Manipuri language by Shuvashis Sinha, the play ‘Leima’ depicts the story of a barren woman named Leima, who became desperate to have a child but whose husband has no interest in having one. Due to his dire financial constraints, he has mentally lost all will and desire and spends most of his days and nights out. Leima has lost her desires. In the meantime, her past lover named Brojho gives her new inspirations to live again. During a three-pronged crisis, Brojho goes away to other areas, leaving her alone. Days go by and Leima, unable to bear with the fact that she is barren and to set herself completely free from motherhood, she finally kills her husband. Then she breaks down in tears and says, ‘I have killed my offspring’.
In the play, Jyoti Sinha plays the role of Leima. The other important casts of the play include Bidhan Sinha, Shukla Sinha, Surajit Sinha, Dipu, Sukanta, Ujjal Sinha, Susmita and Ananmika among others. Jyoti Sinha designs the costumes while Subhasis Sinha is in the direction of set design and lighting. Sharmila Sinha and Krishna Kumari Sinha lent their voices to the unique production.
On December 25, on the second day of the festival, the troupe will stage ‘Ingal Adhar Pala’ at the Studio Theatre Hall of BSA, while ‘Shree Krishna Kirtan’ will be staged on December 26 at the same hall.
‘Debotar Gras’ will be staged on December 27 at the Experimental Theatre Hall, while Manipuri Theatre’s production ‘Kohe Birangana’, a dramatic adaptation of Michael Madhusudan Dutt’s poem ‘Birangana Kabya’, will be staged on the concluding day of the festival.
Besides staging theatre productions, there will be cultural programmes like Manipuri dance, Notpala, holi and others in the festival. The festival will run till December 28.
To note, Manipuri Theatre was formed on September 26 in 1996 in the Ghoramara village of Moulvibazar district. During their 20-year journey, the troupe produced 30 productions.

Where: BSA, Segun Bagicha
When: 6:30pm, today