| Theatre -CHANDAN SARMAH | ||
It takes exceptional talent and extensive research for a troupe from outside Assam to stage a theatrical form that is essentially local. Especially when you are performing in front of an Assamese audience. For here, even the slightest defection from the core genre is likely to attract scathing criticism. But when the troupe in question is from the National School of Drama, there be little scope for complaint. A promising group of students took the stage at Rabindra Bhawan to enact Usha Parinaya in ankiya naat bhaona style, a genre that emerged from Vaishnavite culture. Director Dunakar Dev Goswami chose to keep it simple, letting his cast tell an epic tale with impeccable body language, that was quintessentially bhaona. Usha Parinaya is based on Ananta Kandali’s Kumar Haran — which is primarily about the grand war between Banasura, the king of Sonitpur and Krishna. The story goes thus: Banasura’s daughter Usha dreams of Aniruddha, Krishna’s grandson, and immediately falls in love with him. Usha’s friend (sakhi) Chitralekha, with supernatural powers, abducts Aniruddha and brings him to the princess’s secluded palace. The two marry and live together for a while before Banasura discovers the alliance. He imprisons Aniruddha, prompting Krishna to travel to Assam to rescue his grandson. Banasura being a devotee of Shiva, he invokes the god for intervention. A war follows, which ultimately turns out to be a tussle of might between Shiva and Krishna. Goswami translated Usha Prinaya from Brajabali to Hindi but managed to retain the original flavour. The scene designs were interesting, especially the use of sutradhars. The use of lights and traditional Assamese folk instruments added to the performance. But the brownie should go to the actors. It was difficult to believe that the cast pulled off such a remarkable performance with just a month’s workshop at Tezpur. | ||
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