...From bricks to walls

There was a time when groups of young girls would gather at the rooftops to practisebrotochary. With the daily wash hung all across the roof as an ad-hoc tent off course.' my mother would tell us whenever the topic of women's movement came up. 'Here they learnt thebrotocharydance and sang songs with simplest wordings known asbrotocharysongs...there was always intense resistance to women's freedom you see, and this was the only compromise they accepted. Little did they know how these 'un- threatening' actions would slowly build up to create a stage for women to come out of the stifling 'tent' that the larger society had built around them for centuries' she would continue. It never ceases to amaze me how the big ideas always start from small actions. And my mother's account of how the women's movement started was proof enough for me knowing that she was never far from the forefront that over the last 50 years had changed women's role in our society.

The brotochari dance form, encouraged the young people to be patriotic, non-communal and most importantly develop a sense of physical fitness and mental strength. With economic progress and change in consciousness, social change was imminent. Progressive families championed the spirit of education and culture even amongst girls. A handful of girls who were blessed with such opportunity were very soon exposed to the world outside their courtyard.

It was a change that came about one step at a time. The time was approaching when the mass of the society would be exposed to women in performing arts. The radio off course played a significant role.

After the partition of 1947 the first Radio station was centred at Nazimuddin road at old Dhaka which was then the city centre.

Vocalists like Afsari Khanam, Anjali Mukherjee, Laila Arjumand Banu, Malika Perveen were already performing then. The two legendary figures Feroza Begum and Laila Arjumand Banu were amongst the most senior and popular artistes of that time. The Golden era of music in the then East Pakistan was pioneered in 1955-60 by Ferdousi Begum, Anjuman Ara Begum, Mahbuba Rahman, Farida Yasmeen, Nina Hamid, Sanjida Khatun, Farida Bari Malik and a host of others. This lineage was carried on from the pre-liberation of Bangladesh by Sabina Yasmeen, Shahnaz Rahmatullah, Runa laila, to Papya Sarwar, Nilufar Yasmeen, Shabnam Mushtari, Rezwana Chowdhury, Farida Perveen, and a host of internationally reputed artistes.

I often heard stories from my mother Dr. Nurun Nahar Fyzennessa, how very few women joined the drama circle when she herself along with Madhobi Chatterjee, Nomita Anwar, Lilly Chowdhury, Biju Mustafa and much later Ayesha Khanam, Mirana Zaman and others entered the scene. In films Sultana Zaman, Reshma, Sujata, Sumita Devi, Shabnam, Rozy and later Kobori, Babita, Shuchanda and others joined in gradually.

Then there was Khelaghar an immensely popular radio programme aimed at nurturing the budding talents way back in the mid-sixties. Shahnaz Rahmatullah, Sabina Yasmeen, Shaheen Samaad, Sabiha Mahboob, Abida Sultana and myself along with many more appeared almost every Sunday, a weekly holiday then. Children gathered from all around the city to sing or recite a few lines from the poem. Dr. Fyzennessa initially conducted the programme and after a decade, Hena Kabir and others conducted it.One of the most active proponents of dance as a performing art was Bulbul Chowdhury. In 1938 he set up the dance institute Oriental Fine Arts Association. Through his exceptional performances, he earned widespread repute across Dhaka and Calcutta. After he passed away in 1954, his wife Afroza Bulbul, carried on his work through the setting up of Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts.

Around 1949, Gauhar Jamil, another great dancer came into limelight. He partnered with another stalwart of the dance world Raushan Jamil in the dance ballet, Indrer Shobha. After they married in 1952, the couple established Jago Art Center- an institute that played an important role in the development of dance in the region. He introduced such new forms as Jeley Nritto (Fishermen dance), Gypsy, Cha Bagan (tea garden), Naga (snake charmer), Shaotali (Santal) etc. In 1956 after the establishment of Bulbul Academy aspiring talents flocked to other dance institutes such as Nikkon, Jago Art Centre, Altaf Mahmood Music Academy and Chayanaut.

Over the years, some of the leading performers to grace the stage in dance were Rahiza Khanam, Laila Hasan, Sharmin Hasan, Dahlia Salauddin, Kajol Ibrahim, Lubna Marium, Zeenat Barkatulla, Shamim Ara Nipa, Sharmila Bandyapadhayay, Shukla Sharkar, Mun Mun Ahmed and others.

Performing arts have had a profound impact on societal thought. It would be almost impossible to find an alternative to songs, drama and dance that can similarly convey such a direct and powerful message to inspire social awareness.

The changing role of women happened one step at a time, from the tents on rooftops, to the drama stage to public media. It was almost as if others drew strength from them in whatever fields they wanted to pursue be it the arts, work place or any other careers. Brick by brick, the walls that seemed impregnable, slowly faded away.

Change always needs a face, and these performing artists in dance, drama, radio and television would be the everlasting images of the women's movement. Let us pay tribute to them not only as part of a program today, but cherish them as the role models they are, carrying their dreams forward.