Orson Welles

“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” 

"The virtue of dress rehearsals is that they are a free show for a select group of artists and friends of the author, and where for one unique evening the audience is almost expurgated of idiots."
~ Alfred Jarry

More Naina Rang Chade

It was a friday when early morning I left for nsd for some work and met my friends and got an invitation for the play more naina rang chade. The invitation was a treat for me but unfortunately I had to leave for work for the rest of the day. I took the invitation and left from there. On the way to studio I read the details of the play. I was excited to watch it as I am a graduate in literature and the play was an adaptation of 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' by Shakespeare. The play was directed by Satyavrit Rawat and was performed by the students of Bharatendu Natya Akademy . But what came to my surprise was a name written below saying :'NATYA RUPANTER- Kuldeep Kunal'.

My excitement doubled as I have worked with him as his student and now was the chance to see his work on the stage of NSD.I recalled the time when i was preparing for NSD and he helped me being all calm and composed to face the challenges.I wanted to see the treatment he has given to the play through his writings.

After a few hours of work I was allowed to go for the play. The moment I entered the audi I was away from the rest of the world. As the show started the lights were off and the stage was the only place having colors ,lights and life. Rest of the audi was completely silent to know what the stortellers have to say today.

The play revolved around three couples who were running around each other in the name of finding true love. The story became interesting when a clown faced man came on stage.He was given the responsibility to bring the right partners together and a situation of misunderstanding was created because of him amongst the six of them and how this clown faced man was again sent by the king to resolve the mystery and to get back all the couples with their right partners.

The fictional part of using the juice of flower to attract anyone towards his/her partner made me actually wonder if such things would have been possible in world, life would have been so easy :) but thats the fun of ficton. It makes you wonder about things which are not possible in this real world but are possible in the imagination. Your acting, lights, stage, and vision takes you outside this world of reality for sometime to see what you want to see.

So for the play the title worked- more naina rang chade.. Though there were some technical faults as in case of lights- one part of stage which was not in use but took some time to switch off the lights of unused stage,left the audience confused for a few seconds. But otherwise from set design to music to acting and direction..the adaptation was a success in spreading its colour on the audience.

It was another play which came and went. Left so many feelings behind in me to share on this plateform. Later I saw the actors off stage and they were so different from what they were playing on stage. Same people playing so many roles in just a small period of time kept me occupied for the rest of the night. :)

NaTi BiNoDiNi

Photograph by- Rohini Bisht

Nati means a female actor-performer by the name Binodini.

Amal Allana’s production Nati Binodini is based on the autobiography of the actress Binodini (Aamaar Katha) which projects her life at two levels simultaneously- the life she led off stage and on stage.A prostitute by birth,Binodini was among the first women to come across the public stage in Calcutta. Rising to become one of the most successful stars, she was opposed by the caste and class ridden society.

The play is a series of Binodini’s events of life.Her self image between the ‘saint’ and the ‘sinner’.The play opens as an older Binodini recollects her past in the processes of committing it to her diary.The play goes between the past and the present. The fragmented image of Binodini’s life was brought up well. To enhance the character the director used the device of casting four to five female actors to represent Binodini at different times. This helped the audience in depicting her body, mind and the deeper psyche. These five Binodinis-explode on stage with volcanic energy and still retain a flower like fragility.

It’s a play within a play .For instance a scene where we see, Girish Ghosh, her director instructing her how to play Chitrangada’s character castigating her husband for sacrificing their child. She was not able to perform it well. Followed by failure in love in her real life after which she re-enacted the same role with all emotions. Situations where her real life experiences made her an experienced actor as well.

Also the play talked about some facts like the climax of the play - A re-enactment of Binodini's most famous role as the female saint.This was also regarded as a milestone in Bengali theatres history.As Ramakrishna Paramhans came in person to the performance and was so taken up with the performance that he left blessings both Binodini and Theatre.This gesture was regarded as the highlight of her life,for her it meant she had been socially accepted.

The play got appreciated for the kind of music and costumes used to give the feel of the time and place.At every juncture the performance underlined how life and art are intrinsically entwined,one feeding on the other. The play did well in bringing out a woman who pursued her life with sheer dedication, an artiste who reached the peak and who experienced the loneliness and total isolation by the end.

Swaroopa Ghosh, quite evidently left a lasting impression as Binodini.By the end of the performance every one was up from their seats to give appreciation to the actor’s courage and performance. The theatre was full of sound of claps and hooting which added its own color to the entire experience of mine.

LEELA - South Asian Women's Theatre Festival

'LEELA'-The first ever South Asian Women's Theatre Festival was held from March 8 to 15,2010. I have been fortunate enough to attend the inauguration and first few opening performances of the festival.

The event was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR)in collaboration with the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Jamia Millia Islamia. The festival was inaugurated by Karan Singh,President(ICCR)on March 8,coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the International Women's Day.


The groups that performed at the festival were drawn from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. Besides Delhi, the plays got staged in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chandigarh.

Dr Singh said the festival was a unique concept in that it would focus exclusively on women's issues and bring together talented groups from South Asian countries.
NSD Director Anuradha Kapoor said the festival was part of a dialogue through theatre with India's neighbours.

Theatre has always been used as a powerful and intense medium for creating awareness about sensitive socio-economic issues such as gender inequalities, the deprivations and difficulties faced by women.This festival too used it to depict the key role of women as agents of change in bringing education, development, peace and prosperity within and across the nations of South Asia. Along with traditions and best practices in the arts and literature.

The opening performance of the Festival was Nati binodini by Amal Allana (based on the true story of a female) , Colombo Colombo by Indika Ferdinando,Srilanka followed by the play 'Jang ab nahi hoga' from Afghanistan,by an all-women group dealing with the destruction of the Buddha is story of courage spoke against war.

It was a wonderful experience to celebrate Women's day in such a special way by being surrounded by popular and successful female directors and performers and witnessing the variety of plays which motivate you to have your identity like many others who presented their works.