'Bela Shesher Galpo': A realistic approach to political turmoil

A scene from the play

Throughout the play (with the exception of two flashback sequences) Avijit enacts the role of a victim who is brutally attacked by the political goons -- all in a wheel chair. His performance as a physically challenged person was less declamatory. However in the flashback scenes, Avijit performed boldly and spontaneously, especially in a sequence when he decides to separate from his fiancé Mita (Sabira Sultana Bina) because of ethical clashes.

Though his middle class parents cannot arrange proper treatment for Animesh, his sister Ananya (Deepta Rakkhit) sacrifices herself for him. The most startling sequence is when Ananya narrates how she became a call girl. Deepta's voice modulation and body language were credible. Sujit Das in the role of the father also provided a good performance. However, in the major part his performance was not credible. The other artistes need to put their best foot forward to effectively present the political satire to the audience.

As the director of Bela Shesher Galpo, Avijit's approach is realistic. He has created the required tension and has maintained the momentum of the play. However, the transition in the flashback sequences was not smooth and failed to hold the interest of the audience. The question that cropped up was whether the flashback sequences could have been avoided. Moreover, the presentation of dance and music in the flashback sequence (when Animesh leaves Mita) appeared unnecessary.

Designer Asim Das's approach is also simple and realistic. However, a few of the set elements such as a painting at the backstage have no utility. Bela Shesher Galpo was staged by Nandimukh at the Experimental Theatre Stage on July 21.