Dilip Guha ★ New Delhi : The Information and Cultural Department, West Bengal Government, in association with West Bengal Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi, Govt of West Bengal organized the four-day Bengla Theatre Festival titled “Bangla Natya Utsav” at the prestigious Muktadhara Auditorium of Banga Sanskriti Bhavan in the Capital from Friday, May 1st till Sunday May 4th 2025.
Smt. Ujjaini Datta, IAS, Resident Commissioner, Government of West Bengal, inaugurated the festival. Other dignitaries of the West Bengal government were present on the occasion.
In all, fifteen leading theatre groups from Delhi and one from Kolkata successfully staged their plays during a four-day drama extravaganza. Many leading theatre personalities attended this prestigious festival each day and witnessed the house-full gathering till the end of the event. A bouquet of Bengali plays in a variety of genres was presented. Significant topics, such as women’s issues, the lives of the middle class, old-age persons, and different social relationships, to name a few, were portrayed. The plays dabbled in diverse genres, such as satire, musicals, comedy, thriller, suspense, and romance.
On the First day, the program begins with a mesmerising Micro play, titled “Welcome Bondhu,” welcoming the guests at the Theatre Festival, presented by the renowned the writer and director, Suhan Basu, of “Japonchitro” group from Delhi and Dr. Saswata Dawn, Deputy Director of Information, O/o the Resident Commissioner, Government of WB, New Delhi.
For the first time, the usual practice of welcoming guests at the theatre festival with a welcome song has been replaced by a comedy play, which was the brainchild of Suhan Basu. He said, “The theatre festival will be inaugurated with the opening song! No, no, that won’t work. Let the theatre festival begin with a play, and as soon as the idea came to mind, I called Dr. Saswata Dawn, and the whole plan was completed.”
“Most of the rehearsals were done over the phone, and only once was a composition by the two of them. That’s it.”
“The Delhi Theatre Festival, organized by the West Bengal government, started off well with our comedy play ‘Welcome Bandhu’. In the presence of Resident Commissioner Smt. Ujjaini Dutta, the theatre festival, started with a lot of laughter and applause. The sound and music given by Saurasanta Biswas.”
On the occasion, Banga Sanskriti Bhavan was beautifully decorated, suited to the ambiance of the natya festival.
The theatre groups those who took part and participated in the festival were Swapner Uran-Tobu mone rekho, Drama Society Aakriti-Dharmo ubacho, Karol Bagh Bangiya Samsad-Bhangoner Chalchitro, Chena Mukh-Aloye Fera, Nabopolob Children’s Theatre-Chorer Saja, Ichchhe Bitan-Nakshi Kanthar Math, Srijanee Socio Cultural Association-Uttoron, Aamra kajon-Abinashwar, Nirbak Acting Academy-Godhuli Alor Rong, Navapalli Natya Sanstha-Tinkori Dasi: The Lady Macbeth, Chittaranjan Park Bangiya Samaj-Prostab, Saanjbati Foundation-Streer Patra, Japonchtitro-Paap, Shapno Ekhon-Ke, People’s Theatre-Ferar and Paikpara Indira Ranga-Ghanta Khanek Sange-Golok celebrated the amazing works of some of the brilliantly-talented playwrights.
Some glimpses into the theatrical performances showcased at the event are worth mentioning.
In the children’s category, the talented kids from Nabopolob Children’s Theatre staged “Chorersaja”, featuring talented child artists of the group. They were well-prepared child actors who exhibited remarkable talent and provided endless entertainment.
Ichchhe Bitan group presented Jasimuddin ‘s “Nakshi kantha r Maath,” which suits the criteria very well with reference to the theme of this year’s Bengal Theatre Festival, which is to glorify the Heritage and cultural Legacy of Bengal. The poetry drama “Nakshi Kanthar Math’ a Kabya Natya,” based on the poem of Palli Kabi Jasim Uddin, was their fifth production.
Two talented, budding culture-minded couples from Delhi, Nabanita Chatterjee and Siddhartha Bhadury, directed the touching story of Rupai and Saju, a wonderful poetic drama, which was brought to the stage in front of all the culture-loving people of Delhi.
On the occasion, Navapalli Natya Sanstha (NNS), a leading amateur Bengali theatre group in the capital, brought to the stage “Tinkari Dasi,” a full-length Bengali drama based on the life of a 19th-century actress of Bengal’s Public Theatre. After the departure of Binodini Dasi from the stage, it was Tinkari who dominated and reigned in the professional theatre. Scripted by Soma & Biswajit Sinha and directed by Biswajit Sinha, the play is a brief account celebrated actress Tinkari Dasi of Bengal’s public theatre, a saga of sufferings, agony, and exploitation of a befallen woman and her outcry for social recognition and respect. It is Sheer brilliance on the part of the playwright and director of the play for bringing this story to life in such a moving manner.
Saanjbati Foundation’s play “Streer Patra,” based on Rabindranath Tagore’s “Wife’s Letter,” presents a timeless and unconventional perspective on a woman’s journey of self-awakening. In this performance, Mrinal, a sensitive woman, struggles against the societal pressures that confine her. The story unfolds through a letter she writes—more than just a farewell, it represents a silent revolution. Although penned a century ago, Mrinal’s voice remains deeply relevant today, as her pain, courage, and protest resonate in our world.
Image : Writer
