Nazrul theatre fest at Shilpakala in progress

The first-ever Nazrul theatre festival was launched at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city on Sunday evening. A large number of theatre buffs from across the city flocked in droves to the festival on its opening day. Styled ‘Prothom Nazrul Natyautsab 2015’, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has organised the three-day carnival to be concluded on Tuesday. Lawmaker Simin Hossain Rimi inaugurated the festival at a grand opening ceremony as chief guest while BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the ceremony. Eminent Nazrul researcher Anupam Hayat spoke as special guest on the occasion while BSA director Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury delivered welcome speech at the programme. In the wake of the opening ceremony, theatre studies department of Rajshahi University staged ‘Shilpi’ on the occasion. Besides, a total of four plays including ‘Setubandhan’, and ‘Droh Prem Nari’ will be staged during the festival. Written by Kazi Nazrul Islam and instructed by Arif Haider, the cast of Shilpi includes Chiranjit Ghosh, Sharmin Akhter, Priyanka Saha, Hira Khatun and Marjia, among others. ‘Droho Prem Nari’ is a musical play based on Kazi Nazrul Islam’s ‘Aleya’ which was first staged at Natyaniketon in Kolkata on December 19, 1931. Minketu, the king, appears as a protagonist in this play. Many women feel attraction towards him but he never allows them in his heart as he waits for her desired woman. Krishna, Minketu’s Prime Minister, loves him deeply. But Minketu doesn’t feel Krishna in her way. On the other hand, Chandraketu, the commander-in-chief of the army, loves Krishna while she considers him only a good friend. However, Minketu, Krishna and Chndraketu were childhood friends and gradually they started feeling love for one another. Meanwhile, ‘Joyonti’, an attractive and appealing queen of a neighbouring kingdom, invades Minketu’s kingdom and defeats his powerful army with the heroic strength of her army chief Ugraditya. Once, she gets angry over Ugraditya as she later comes to know that Ugraditya also dreams of having her in his arms. Incidentally, Ugraditya was killed by Minketu and then Joyonti realised her mistake as she started feeling that Ugraditya was her power and also the beloved man of her younger sister ‘Chandrika’.