Aranyak Natydal, a leading theatre troupe of the country, staged its new production Swapnapathik at National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Thursday marking one year of Rana Plaza tragedy.
Swapnapathik was a creative response to the catastrophe as written by Haroon Rashid and directed by and Mamunur Rashid, the play artistically depicted the impact of tragic catastrophes that took place at different apparel factories like Rana Plaza, Tazreen and others over the past years.
The play reveals that there has been no foreseeable change in the industrial sector in terms of ensuring the workers with adequate safety and wage.
For the director, it was a great challenge to compose the scenes not just as a strong message oriented ‘rough theatre’ but as an aesthetically rich one so that it could stir emotions in the audience.
‘My attempt was to create an artistic documentation of the cruel facts of workers’ lives. It was a tough production as it is a reflection on some recent bitter experiences,’ said Mamunur Rashid, director of the play..
A number of 40 actors of Aranyak played the roles of different apparel workers. The combined efforts of the actors could get the message clearly across the full house audience.
Earlier, theatre activists lighted candles to pay respect to the Rana Plaza victims. A discussion was also held where Shirin Akhter, member of parliament, AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, thespian Mamunur Rashid and AKM Mamunur Rashid, climatologist, spoke on ‘Urban Disaster: Preparation and Awareness’.
Aranyak stages ‘Raarang’
Meanwhile, the heroic tales of the struggles of the Santal community was brought to life on stage by the theatre troupe Aranyak Natyadal at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on April 28, once again.
The theatre” Raarang” is based on the Santal Rebellion against the British rulers and local Zaminders during 1855. The Santal rebellion is said to have inspired the revolutionary struggles of many other groups across the Indian subcontinent.
However, Raarang, tells the tragic tale of Alfred Soren, who was killed in 2000 as he opposed the expulsion of Santals from their ancestral lands. Soren was stabbed to death and his home torched.
Set against the backdrop of the British Raj, written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, the play’s impressive cast includes Chanchal Chowdhury, AKM Hassan, Tomalika Karmakar, Joy Raj and Shamim Jaman. Raarang is a Santal word for their battle cry. Though the Santal uprising has been overshadowed by many others that followed, the legacy of the rebellion lives on among the Santal tribes and speaks of their pride in their identity.
Source: UNBConnect
