Vashi2Panvel.Com : Navi Mumbai : April 3: Bengalis have always had an inclination towards music, art, theatre, poetry, literature and other such fields. Their rich culture has a way of leaping over boundaries and sprouting in all places. Uttar Sadhak is one such Bengali amateur dramatic group, which has been inculcating the theatre as an art in Navi-Mumbai now for almost four decades. On 1 st April they performed a play which was held in Vashi at the Vishnudas Bhave Natya Griha. The play,'Chop! Adalat Cholche' is a translation of Vijay Tendulkar's Marathi play 'Shantata Court Chaloo Ahe'. It has been translated to Bengali by Nitish Sen and S.B Joshi. It has been directed by ace Bengali artist Mr Amal Dasgupta.
Entering Mr Amal Dasgupta's house in the second floor of a quaint building in sector-16 Koparkhairne, the first thing one notices is the old cane furniture, Batik prints and yes a whiff of 'macher jhol'. It's like being in 'Amar Shonar Bangla' again and right here in Navi-Mumbai.
The man, an elderly and highly passionate looking gentleman talks about his numerous successful plays. His romance with theatre goes back to the 1970s when he started inculcating dramatics for the entertainment of other people. His main purpose was to provide people with channels of entertainment other than alcohol and gambling. His troupe and Uttar Sadhak performed and entertained crowds with many hit Bengali plays such as 'Marich Shongbad', 'Aami', 'Bairer Dorja' and 'Chop! Adalat Cholche' among others.
Mr Dasgupta, now becomes more comfortable on his chair and starts talking more about his personal life. He says that, " I believe that everyone in this world comes with certain gifts, one that needs to be nourished and nurtured. I saw people, who would waste their lives by indulging in drinking and gambling, some were highly talented and this would sadden me to no end. I wanted to help these people and put them into something more worthwhile, hence I started Uttar Sadhak. Once it became popular people were inspired to express themselves in form of theatre.
That was one reason and another was my life's biggest inspiration- my wife, the late Smt. Manashi Dasgupta. She herself was a very versatile actress and I wanted to give her the platform she needed to display her skills. She acted in this particular play, 'Chop! Adalot cholche' too and it was one her most memorable performances. We decided to re-stage this drama in her memory."
"I first got to know about this script in 1968, written by Vijay Tendulkar--it was highly debateable and thought-provoking . I immediately decided that I would direct the Bengali adaptation. It has been a long time now and the play continues to be relevant even today.
The writer reflects on the narrow minds of a self-proclaimed modern society through the angst of an unwed mother-to-be. The played has been staged in a mock-court like atmosphere, where the woman is put through a trial for getting pregnant out of wedlock. "I still remember the first time it was screened I was tensed due to the nature of the play, but when I saw the rapt concentration of the audience I knew it was going to be great. Even after the curtains closed the audience were stuck to their seats and silence prevailed for some time and then I saw the most amazing and thunderous standing ovation I had seen in my life."
"Every time we performed this play after that, was nothing less than a great show. Even today, though without the charisma of Mrs Dasgupta, the mature troupe of "amateur" artist give the audience something to think about and a feeling that they could make life more meaningful."
After talking to Amal Dasgupta, and other cast members like Dipika Sengupta who plays "Miss Benare" and Sunanda Basu Sarbadhikari who plays "Mrs. Kashikar" (both of whom are teachers by profession) and other cast members which include a science graduate a lawyer and other talented individuals, one realises the service provided by them to the society in form of theatre.
Joy Chakravorty
[Posted on : 4-4-2007, 05:30]
