Durga idol installed in Hatibagan Nabinpally, Kolkata. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Organizers of Hatibagan Nabinpally Durga Puja Committee in Kolkata are staging a play at their pandal every evening till Dashami to pay tribute to the late 19th century Bengali theatre, which is the theme of this year’s puja.
“In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this area [Hatibagan] Was the center of prestigious Bengali theatre. “All the major theater venues were nearby,” said Tarna Datta Roy Chowdhury, one of the organizers of Hatibagan Nabinpally Durga Puja. “While brainstorming the themes for Hatibagan Nabinpally, we thought, why not use our theater traditions. Revive and recreate them for the masses as Durga Puja theme?”
In a temporary auditorium built next to the pandal – a recreation of the Rangana theater of old Calcutta – the organizers are staging plays between 7 pm and 4 am every evening since October 4. The plays will be staged daily till the last day of Durga Puja. Dashami on 12th October.
female artists of yesteryear
In the plays, the organizers feature nine to 10 eminent women artists from Calcutta and present their reactions to the current decline of the city’s theater venues. “When theater was at its peak in old Calcutta, police had to be deployed in the area to control the crowds, especially when artistes like Noti Binodini, Trupti Mitra and Sundari Devi were on the stage,” Ms Roy Chowdhury said.
The plays match their subject – the old glory of the old theater auditoriums of Calcutta.
“All the famous auditoriums like Star Theatre, Sarkarina, Bijan Theatre, Vishwaroopa, Rangana, Rangmahal used to be around the Hatibagan area, but most of them have now been converted into high-rise buildings and malls,” said Ms. Roy Chowdhury. “We hope that through our Durga Puja theme and our plays, we can help save the remaining auditoriums.”
For visitors, the theme of Hatibagan Nabinpally becomes clear long before they enter the pandal. The surrounding streets are plastered with retro play posters and signage, resembling the exterior of an eventful theater venue. “Our sculpture takes inspiration from Noti Binodini, one of the biggest theater stars of 1880s Calcutta. The altar is like a stage, and we have wings on the sides,” she said.
Posters of a play put up outside a theater venue in Kolkata. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
According to organizers, the research behind the theme spanned the last year and included consultation with past producers, auditorium owners and other experts.
“There is not much from that era of theater that is documented and archived online. Experts like senior artists and seasoned producers helped us execute our concept,” said Ms. Roy Chowdhury.
He said that based on the physical records seen by him, elements like old posters, banners etc. were recreated in the Hatibagan Nabinpally pandal.
published – October 10, 2024 01:29 am IST
