Aranyak: A big name on stage

Mamunur Rashid (2-R), Fazlur Rahman Babu (3-R), Tamalika Karmakar (4-R), and others in Mayur Shinghashan

Aranyak's philosophy is that a theatre artiste, whether a director, playwright, designer or a performer, occupies a distinct niche in society. It is impossible for the artiste to be insulated from society. For this reason Aranyak is the only theatre group in the country that educates its workers on social issues. And the organisation is not afraid to take a stand against the powers that be. For instance, when other political and cultural organisations of the country feared to celebrate May Day because of the then military rule, Aranyak was the only group that observed the occasion.

Many prominent drama personalities of the country like Aly Zaker, Raisul Islam Asad, Tariq Anam, Dr Inamul Haq, Al Mansoor and Azad Abul Kalam, who are now the key artistes of several other groups, began their careers on stage as regular members of Aranyak. In the 32 years of its existence, the group has produced a good number of other talented drama personalities such as Mamunur Rashid, Najma Anwar, Mannan Heera, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shanta Islam, Azizul Hakim, Abdullah Hel Mahmud, Thandu Ryhan and Fayez Zahir. However the group also encourages new talent in all its productions

The quality of Aranyak's plays has improved steadily since the staging of Muneir Chaudhury's Kabar, directed by Mamunur Rashid. Pashchimer Shinri is the first production of the group, written and directed by its president Mamunur Rashid. The theatre group stated its ideology clearly in its fifth production Ora Kadam Ali in 1976. In the sixth production, Iblish in 1981, written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, Aranyak proved its maturity not only from the national perspective but also from international standards. In the play, Mamunur Rashid portrays Bangladesh as a village and at the same time depicts the rise of fundamentalism.

Other milestones of Aranyak's progress to high quality productions are Pathar, Mayur Shinghashan and the recent production Shankranti. In Pathar, by Mamunur Rashid, under the direction of Azizul Hakim, we get the story of the resurrection of fundamentalism in the sub-continent in the early 1990s. In Mayur Shinghashsan, by Mannan Heera, the playwright allegorically states that the true patriots of the country always keep their distance from the throne because of the unscrupulous acts of the evil politicians. Shah Alam Dulal is the director of the play.

In Aranyak's current production, Shankranti, written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, the playwright depicts the story of the oppression of the rural artistes (called Shongs) by the dishonest village leaders. Coriolanus, by William Shakespeare, is the only English play in the group's history. Mannan Heera is the translator and Mamunur Rashid the director of this successful play.

Regular members of the group have been prolific in their theatre productions: Mamunur Rashid has written 12 plays, whereas Mannan Heera and Abdullah Hel Mahmud has each written three plays of the 18 productions. Mamunur Rashid has directed 10 plays. Azizul Hakim, Azad Abul Kalam and Shah Alam Dulal have given direction to the rest of the plays. Thandu Rayhan is the regular light designer and Fayaz Zahir is the set designer of the group.

A five-member body runs Aranyak. The panel is elected for two years. The group, a member of the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation (BGTF), is steered by Mamunur Rashid. German drama legend Bertolt Brecht and Russian Lebedev influence his works.

The group is enthusiastic about charity work and student welfare. It also arranges workshops for upcoming groups at the zilla level. After completing a three-month appreciation course, the successful candidates become the regular members of Aranyak. The group meets its expenses through the monthly contribution of the regular members and call shows. Aranyak allows its members to work with other groups.

Along with the stage plays, the group regularly organises Patha Natak, Mukto Natak and workshops. Mannan Heera is one of the pioneers of Patha Natak in our country. The group has a huge collection of Patha Nataks, which they display to commemorate important historical events.

Mukto Natak is another innovative idea of Mamunur Rashid. The group arranges plays where all the artistes are common people of a certain area. These performances, guided by an Aranyak team, bring to the fore the community's day to day problems.

Aranyak's productions are a powerful statement on the social issues of our time, be it corruption, fundamentalism or the other problems of society. In over three decades, the group has matured and fine tuned its theatre performances. Aranyak is certainly a name to watch for in the future.