Ajnatobaas - Nandikar's play

Name of the play: Ajnatobaas

Theater Group: Nandikar

Story: Sukanta Gangopadhyay

Direction: Sumanta Gangopadhyay

Directorial Adviser: Rudraprasad Sengupta

Nandikar - the name itself symbolises and stands for unmatched quality in the Bengali theater arena. Being witness to their play for the first time, I am enthralled and wish to return as and when their plays come the next time round near my home's theater.

Ajnatobaas adresses the plight of the elderly of these days who are often turned out of their own homes by their kin and have to fend for themselves, at an old age, despite spending the best part of their lives to raise their children who become so selfish when they need their help the most - in their old age. The dilemma faced by the old people is played beautifully by the veteran actress - Swatilekha Sengupta, but the viewers don't realise what's going on in her life till the very last scene that has a surprise stored for the viewers.

The story is simple and then not simple enough if you delve deeper into the message that it desires to convey. Homemaker Payel (Sohini Sengupta) is alone in home one afternoon, when an elderly lady (Swatilekha Sengupta) turns up at her doorsteps. Offering the lady a glass of water, the lonely Payel brings her inside into the verandah, and starts chatting, albeit with suspicion. However, she lets her guard down soon and starts enjoying the company of the lady. She comes to know that the lady remembers nothing of her past, and yet feels a bond with her that forces her to allow the lady to stay in till her husband Soumik returns.

What happens next is a twist-and-turn of events, that finally culminate into a message on life, and how the elderly and even the younger generation need to traverse the road of life. Yes, the story is contemporary - giving the apathy that our society doles out to the elderly people. The play touches the heart for sure. Hats off Nandikar, for giving me the chance of enjoying a wonderful evening watching this magnificent play of your production house. Hope you keep the flag flying high for years to come.

BEST OF LUCK!!!

Aapad by Nandipat-a review

Name of the play: Aapad

Theater Group: Nandipat

Source: Bimal Kar

Play: Rajat Ghosh

Direction: Bimal Chakraborty

I have heard praises of Nandipat's theater for long but this was the first time that I had the chance to catch up on one of their plays. I had great expectations and needless to say that the 2 hour play (with a 10 minutes interval thrown in between) was rivetting enough to keep me guessing what's going to happen next.

To tell the story in brief - it's about a rags to riches account of poor grocer Raghunath of Nishipur village. How a chance encounter with a stranger changes his life and why he has to wait for an entire year, suffering the conscience-pinch to finally understand what the event of that stormy night really meant, makes for an interesting watch.

Cast wise, Bimal Chakraborty as Raghunath is simply superb. He brings the character to life and helps turn a somewhat mundane story into an interesting watch with layers of emotions depicted in the right dosage. Biplab Naha Biswas as Satyadas, plays another major role, and enthralls with his short presence on the stage.

I also liked the way this play used the stage space, creating a 3-in-one arena: one where Raghunath's shop is situated, the front space with some benches for villagers to sit and gossip, and Raghunath's home at a little distance away from the shop.

In brief, YES, I liked Aapad very much but won't spill the beans who or what this aapad (problem) is in the play. You have to see it for yourself and believe me - you won't be disappointed for sure!!!

Late marriage-is it so bad after all?

There is nothing wrong on going for a late marriage. For a successful relationship, one has to be financially independent. To have you own pay packet becomes all the more important in the recession-hit scenario of the present age. With the rising cost of everyday commodities, it’s no longer the man who needs to shoulder the responsibility of being the breadwinner. Women too have emerged as emancipated human beings who have a career to boast of and can share the responsibility of the home and hearth equally with her man.

Marrying late also makes you have a clear understanding of who you are and where you want to head to in the future. Rather than the mushy-mushy romance of the early 20’s, a relationship in your late 20’s or 30’s is based on hard facts and not on dreams. This in turn makes it much easier to weigh your options and plan your future much better.

From a personal point of view, I can vouch for the phenomenon of getting married late. Though there have been the usual pressure of getting married from my parents and relatives, I resisted the matter till I got settled into a steady job and felt that the time was ripe for a conjugal life. I’ve married at 33 and am pretty happy the way things have shaped up.

To conclude, I just want to say to the people who comprise of our society to let the men and women decide on their own when they want to get hitched. It’s not the duty or moral responsibility of people to put undue pressure on the boy or girl and get them married just because a few of their friends or relatives have done so. Let the choice rest with the person whose life is going to take a new turn once he/she falls prey to the marriage bug!

Things that I am passionate about

There are quite a few things in my life that I am passionate about. To begin with, there is hardly anything that matches my zeal for freedom. Without freedom – both physical and mental, living life would be nothing short of a real torture. I need to act sans shackles to live my life to the fullest.

Secondly, my creative pursuits are something that I can die for. I love to read, write and share my thoughts with the global audience. I still remember the joy of seeing my words being printed in the newspaper for the first time. Since then, I have come across a long way. Still I feel the same anxiety and eagerness even today when my words are published – be it in the online media or the print media.

Third thing that I’m passionate about is traveling. Though my busy schedule doesn’t allow me the luxury to travel frequently, I try to squeeze out some time to go on short trips - usually during the weekends. Though I have traveled quite a lot - from the rugged terrains, lush green landscapes, forests till the snow-capped mountains and vast oceans, I have a clear affinity towards the water bodies. So, I often try to plan tours to places that are either seashores or have some lakes or rivers nearby. A friend of mine once jokingly told that perhaps my affinity towards visiting water bodies has something to do with my Zodiac sign, which is Pisces. According to him, just as fishes love to remain in the water or close to it, so do I – the true sign of being a Piscean!

Last but not the least, I’m extremely passionate about matters related to the mind and spirituality. I like to meditate and exercise to keep my mind and body fit. I am a strong believer of nurturing positive mentality. So, I try to read good books and meet successful people from various walks of life to motivate myself and keep the fire in my belly burning. I also try to make my own small contributions towards some social causes – the primary one being the task of ensuring education for the kids. I also love to bond with my family members and friends as I feel they help to nurture my life force and make it worth living.

In a nutshell, I can say that I am passionate about living my life to the fullest and enjoying the simple things that life has to offer.