Hajar Poshaki Rajar Galpo

A sequence from the play Hajar Poshaki Rajar Galpo. PHOTO: STAR

Adapted by Syed Manzorool Islam with a few contemporary connotations, the play was staged with a new title, Hajar Poshaki Rajar Galpo by Theatre (Baily Road), at the National Theatre Stage. The function was a part of the cultural programme arranged to observe the 200th birth anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen.

Andersen's story is about an egoistic king, who has little care for his subjects. During the adaptation, Manzorool has aptly focused on some economical and political scenarios, which reflect a contemporary Bangladesh.

The story: To ensure a better standard of life of for the king, queen and the ministers, the Tax Minister sets new taxes on the subjects. However, none of members of the elite class pays the tax. One day the Tax Minister decides to set the tax even on the beggars so that enough money can be spent for making new dresses for the Emperor.

One day two cheats come to the city and hoodwink the Emperor and his ministers into believing that they can make a wonderful dress, unparalleled by any known fabric in the world. Moreover they claim that the dress is made of a material which is visible only to the honest. The cheats rake in a huge sum of money in the guise of making the imaginary dress.

Finally, the leviathan Emperor, wearing the imaginary dress--in fact, without a dress--appears before his subjects and becomes a laughing stock.

Director KM Harun has blindly followed Russian Fairytale Theatre, a Russian TV show which popularised Andersen's fairytale. Sometimes it appears that the audience is watching a TV show on the proscenium arch stage. Like the Russian show, Harun has used an entertaining dance troupe with western attires.

However, there is an oriental touch to the costumes of the performers, the design of the set, and the whole drama. And there was no smooth transition between the scenes. As in the TV show: the performers freeze on the stage, the light goes off, and a new sequence starts.

MA Mannan has used a huge suggestive set. In the right corner of the stage, Mannan has used an entrance for an elite family, and on the left a suggested mobile shop, while in the backstage is the huge castle of the Emperor. However, Mannan's use of a set element between the castle and the cyclorama seems unnecessary.

Light designer Thandu Raihan's use of the "dark lamp" during a dance piece performed by Nrityalok Cultural Centre presents the entertainers as a few ghosts dancing on the stage, which is contrary to the mood of the play. Moreover, his frequent changing of light effects interrupts the viewers' concentration.

Faizur Rahman Dew and Masum Chowdhury in the roles of the two cheats performed really well. The duo has correctly caught the sense of a fairytale performance. Ranjit Shaha and Sohel Rana in the roles of the two ministers also gave good performances. A better performance is expected from Zakia Bari Momo in the role of a lavish queen. Rezaul Ekram Raju's performance of the Emperor reminds one of Utpal Dutta's portrayal of the King of Shundi in Satyajit Ray's film Hirok Rajar Deshe.