Barman to regale audience as ‘Draupadi’
BCS presents ‘Ajnaseni Agnikanya’ on Nov 13
ABy Chaitali B. Roy Special to the Arab Times
s an art form, theatre satisfies several needs in Man. It fulfils our need for self-actualization, our need to create, express and experience our relationship with the world. The roots of theatre in India are ancient, and with time this tradition took different forms in different parts of the huge sub-continent reasserting indigenous values and ideas. The state of West Bengal has one of the most significant, non-English-language stage traditions in modern India. Anchored in vibrant folk theatre traditions that go back to antiquity, Bengali theatre adopted western style proscenium stage with gusto in the 19th century.
In the 1940s, a tradition of group theatre developed in Calcutta that was opposed to commercial theatre. This form of theatre experimented with themes, content and production and it used the proscenium stage to highlight social and sometimes political issues.
Inspired
Bijoylakshmi Barman, an incredibly gifted actor from India is a principal member of group theatre. For more than two decades, she has entertained and inspired theatregoers with her recitation, play reading and acting on stage and television. Over the years, she has taken her craft out of India, and has earned both public admiration and critical acclaim. On Friday, November 13, Bijoylakshmi Barman will regale admirers of Bengali language theatre in Kuwait with her new production ‘Ajnaseni Agnikanya’ under the aegis of Bengali Cultural Society, a leading nonprofit cultural organization made up of Bengalis from India.
Bijoylakshmi Barman began her life as an artist with recitation, an ancient and precious art. “I began with reciting poetry which I still very much do. I practise, perform and impart lessons in recitation,” shares Barman in an interview to Arab Times. Her liking for poetry was encouraged by her father who loved the art form. “The attraction started at a very young age, because my father loved reciting and I often joined him. I lost my father when I was in school, after which I gave up all artistic pursuits. After my marriage, my husband insisted that I continue reciting. In fact, he has been a solid support behind all my pursuits throughout my life,” she says. Sometime later Barman effortlessly moved over to theatre, a related artform. “I was hungry for something more than recitation although I could not figure out what it should be. A friend and colleague who was himself deeply associated with theatre, suggested I join the same.” Barman started work with Saoli Mitra, a leading name in Bengali theatre. “I first joined Saoli Mitra’s production that centered round Draupadi. I had a feel for the intriguing characters and incidents of the Mahabharata.”
Barman’s association with theatre brought her in touch with Gandhar, a leading theatre organization of Bengal. With them, she started working on a solo production that resulted in the critically lauded ‘Jara Brishtite Bhijechillo’ (Those who were drenched in Rain) based on a novel in lyric by renowned Indian poet Joy Goswami. The play which was brought alive by Barman’s sensitive and almost effortless interpretation was performed in Kuwait in 2003.
Monologue
This time, Bijoylakshmi Barman is back in Kuwait with her new production, yet another monologue theatre titled ‘Ajnaseni Agnikanya’, a play centred around Draupadi, the Pandava queen of the Indian epic Mahabharata. The play catches Draupadi in the twilight of her life, in the night before the five Pandava brothers along with her decide to embark on their last journey to Heaven. In the play, she recalls the life she has lived with memories that are joyous, sad and bitter. “I was given this play by Rudraprasad Chakraborty some years back. I was not very sure about enacting it, but I had a few play-reading sessions that were well-received. Later, I decided to launch the production.” The first show was in January this year in Kolkata. The play has been received well by audience and critics alike.
In theatre, a monologue is performed by a single character who express their emotions by either directly addressing the audience or another character. When asked if it’s difficult to enact a monologue when compared to other forms of theatre, Barman replies, “Enactment is always difficult, be it a monologue or with other artists, although, in a monologue, the load an actor has to carry is definitely heavier.” Barman’s load becomes heavier in ‘Ajnaseni Agnikanya’ where she portrays a fascinating women character from Indian mythology. Born into a man’s world, ‘Draupadi’ is a complex character who has the unique distinction of being married to five men at the same time. A favoured companion of Krishna, her unusual life at times resonates with similar emotions and dilemmas faced by women in the 21st century. Barman agrees, “Draupadi is indeed a fascinating character, not only because of her dramatic life, but for her intelligence, her personality. No Puranic female character matches Draupadi. She is intriguing with all that she suffered and achieved.”