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Jahangirnagar Theatre

The group promoting upcoming theatre workers
11 January 2004, 18:00 PM
LIFESTYLE
By Ershad Kamol
11 January 2004, 18:00 PM
The performers of Jahangirnagar Theatre seen rehearsing for the show
Athough Jahangirnagar Theatre is not a remarkable name in our drama lane, it is a popular theatrical group in Jahangirnagar University. After each show the artistes of the group get overwhelming response from resident students numbering 5000. After the show of the playShakuntolaby Jahangirnagar Theatre the director of the production Shahiduzzaman Selim, a renowned actor, told Jussi who played the titular role, that he would one day become a star performer if he continued in the theatre. This inspired the upcoming star. The other performers of the group were appreciated as well by renowned artistes like Mamunur Rashid, Rosy Siddiqui and others who enjoyed the show on the campus in January last. Like Jussi Diana, the group has some other promising artistes like Pallobi, Debashish and Smrity.

Talking about its admirable past, Probal, a regular member of the group, says, 'In 1980, Humayun Fareedy, the then JACSU cultural secretary, directed a play in a drama festival held in the University. The show had a great effect on the new talents. It was then that Kaizer Ahmed, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Faruk Ahmed, Shubhashish Bhaumik, Fauzia Iasmin Shibli and others with the help of some teachers like Selim Al Deen, a famous dramatist of the country, formed this group to practice theatre. Till date we have staged 52 plays and regularly arrange a yearly drama festival on the campus.'

Limon, another member, adds, 'A good number of those founder members are now dominant in our drama circle and still give financial and technical support to their first theatrical group. Last year, Shahiduzzaman Selim took part in a workshop and directed our production Shakuntola.'

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Aphrodite says, 'We get enough support from the University too. A few days ago our teacher M Kamruzzaman Monir, who is an ex-member of the group, helped us solve a problem regarding a crisis over a rehearsal room. Professor Syed Kamrul Ahsan is our current president.'

Mubin is very optimistic about the membership in the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation (BGTF). 'We will soon be able to stage shows on the Mahila Shomity's stage. Sometimes, we face political pressures when we stage the satirical plays. Apart from that we are quite popular amongst the students in general.'

Nila wants to be a designer. She says, 'Our group consists of good singers which is very important for theatre. But we don't have adequate theatrical designers at all. And I want to be a designer--more specifically a light designer. I think, in this way I can contribute more to my group.'

The members of the group are helpful. Milon says, 'Although we live in a remote area away from our families, we have become a big family of our own. Together we strongly oppose any injustice on the campus. We consider an individual's problem as our own.

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The members of Jahangirnagar Theatre are busy preparing for the festival in March and at the same time rehearsing two plays simultaneously.