Shilpakala holds Dance Drama Festival

Mou, Swapan and co-dancers presenting Jasimuddin's Nakshi Kanthar Math

The academy staged the very popular dance drama Shyama of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore jointly directed by Swapan Das and Manashi Tarafdar. Kazi Farhana Islam and Swapan Das played the lead roles of Shyama and Bajra Sen. Among others were Swapan Barua, Manashi Das, Jhuma Banik and others.

Shyama, a court-dancer, falls in love with a foreign merchant who arrives with the Indra Manihar (a precious necklace) from Subarna Dwip looking for a suitable bride. However, the merchant, Bajra Sen is blamed for stealing Shyama's precious ring. But Shyama protests and proves that her beloved is innocent.

The organisers did try to make the show a success but seriously lacked professionalism. Swapan Das, one of the directors, said, 'We, the performers from outside Dhaka, are very neglected. We don't even get enough opportunities to perform at national levels.' Farhana expressed her gratitude towards the Shilpakala Academy for giving artistes a chance to perform in this festival.

The festival, however, deserves credit for including artistes from outside Dhaka--a much needed break to perform on stage.