Dristipath Natyadal celebrated its 30th founding anniversary by organizing a six-day theatre festival at Shilpakola Academy . Twelve theatre groups including one from Kolkata presented their productions to the much delight of Dhaka theatre viewers.
Besides open stage cultural programmes were held every afternoon from November 9 to 14.
On Friday, the third day of the festival, Kolyani Kolamondolom of India presented a two-artist production Manushi characterizing the life of an ordinary woman, a housewife.
Manushi is based on the play “ A woman alone & others “ by Nobel Winner Italian writer Dario Fo. A popular and controversial playwright , actor and Dario Fo has earned international acclaimfor his political satires and farces.
The Bengali adaptation was made Asim das. Ananya Das and Santanu Das played the role of Mela, the only character of this play whos is at her fifties.
Housewife from a well to do family, background , Mela having shades of vices and virtues like any other common human being of her age. We got to know everything about mela, her family , her past , her present her told and untold love, her fears and joy while she talks with a young women, her new neighbour across the window of her apartment.
Mela says, she is quite happy. Her husband has given her all the materialistic things that money can buy. She has absolutely no complain too. That is what Mela says to the neighbouring woman. But is that true in real sense?
Mela’s elder son is coming back home today after five long years staying abroad along with his newly married foreign wife. Mela is at the top of her ecstatic mood to welcome her daughter- in-law for the first time in her house. She is happy. She is busy. And she is remembering all those sweet memories of her young motherhood days completely occupied by her three beautiful little kids. All of them are adult today and busy in their own world. Neither thay nor her husband has time for Mela. She can find joy only in caring mentally retarded 10 yesar-old grand daughter and her perverted brother-in-law. Who is physically disabled also.
Meanwhile, a phone call from comes from the manager of her husband’s office who informs that her husband has suddenly gone to Bangkok. Mela become tensed. Now the phone call comes from her son who has reached here but boarded on hotel because he assumes that there will be no adjustment between his wife and his mother. Moreover he tells that now the house become a madhouse. The son rather ask mela to meet them at the hotel.
Now Mela becomes completely alone , feel in absolute alone, and fe4ll in absolute despair. She accepts the loneliness as her only companion.
Source: Weekly Holiday