Reminder of the impaired Education system
The 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, – International theatre festival at National School of Drama, in the capital, witnessed the classic Bengali play ‘Neelima’ whose Playwright is Eugène Ionesco; is directed by Biplab Bandyopadhyay and performed by the renowned Kolkata theatre group, ‘Prachyo’.
The play focuses about a student who comes to a teacher’s house to study. She is ambitious, hence, wants to do research in several fields. The choice of her field is perplexing. As the story unfolds, the student is seen as lacking the understanding of the fundamental concepts of mathematics, like addition and subtractions. The professor tries to use several techniques but fails to make her understand. Then the professor decides to teach her literature since she fails to respond to mathematics. The professor tries to prove the depth and knowledge he has about literature. Eventually, the student gets fed up and complains of toothache. But the professor doesn’t listen to her and starts getting violent, and finally kills her.
‘Neelima’ is a Bengali adaptation of Eugène Ionesco’s ‘The Lesson’. It is a masterpiece that is full of sarcasm and tells the tale of impaired education system that is prevalent in the society. The way in which education is imparted in our country is grossly mechanical. Knowledge has given way to rank and result. Any sensible person cannot overlook the crisis. Eugène Ionesco was a Romanian-born French dramatist whose one-act “antiplay” La Cantatrice chauve (1949; The Bald Soprano) inspired a revolution in dramatic techniques and helped inaugurate the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’. Elected to the Académie Française in 1970, Ionesco remains among the most important dramatists of the 20th century. His tragicomic farces dramatize the absurdity of bourgeois life, the meaninglessness of social conventions, and the futile and mechanical nature of modern civilization. His plays build on bizarrely illogical or fantastic situations using such devices as the humorous multiplication of objects on stage until they overwhelm the actors. The entire cast put up a wonderful show with the brilliant acting prowess and coordination in the scenes. The protagonists included eminent theatre artist Gautam Halder along with Saoli Chattopadhyay who beautifully essayed the roles of the Teacher and the student respectively.
Director Biplab Bandyopadhyay has been acting in different theatre groups and was awarded the Best Actor Award in the year 2001 from the cultural department of the Government of West Bengal and Shyamal Sen Smriti Samman in the year 2002 for a major contribution in the field of Bengali theatre. As a director, he formed the theatre group ‘Prachyo’ in the year 2009 and till date has produced five plays. He has also directed two short films and a documentary, and acted in many films. His plays ‘Andhare Akela’ and ‘Caligula’ have participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav.
‘Prachyo’ is a group of performing artists, actors and cultural organizers endeavouring to promote and support regional, national and international artistic expressions in the fields of visual as well as performing arts, and to organize workshops, debates, conferences and seminars on various art forms as well as present original and thought provoking works in various artistic areas.