Barak-Surma theater festival begins

On the occasion of the four decade anniversary of Kathakali Sylhet, the six-day long Barak-Surma Natyotsav-2023 has been inaugurated. Indian Assistant High Commissioner Neeraj Kumar Jaiswal inaugurated the festival organized under the slogan ‘Akhand Upatyakaye Bahe Anadi Utsadhara’ at the open stage of Kavi Nazrul Auditorium in the city on Saturday at 5 pm.

President of Kathakali Sylhet and convener of Utsav Udjab Parishad Shamsul Basit Shoro and under the direction of senior member-organizer of Kathakali Aminul Islam Chowdhury Liton, Sylhet Zilla Parishad Chairman Advocate Nasir Uddin Khan, Sammilita Natya Parishad Sylhet President Rajat Kanti Gupta and Sammilita Sanshikari Jot Sylhet were present as guests. General Secretary Gautam Chakraborty.

The festival is supported by the Indian High Commission, Dhaka and Sylhet City Corporation with the participation of theater troupes from Barak River Basin in India, Silchar and Surma River Basin in Sylhet, Assam.

Organizer Kathakali Sylhet staged two plays on the opening day of Natyotsava. At the end of the inaugural season at the open stage of Kabi Nazrul Auditorium, the street play ‘Janani Ekatar’ written by Mostak Ahmed and directed by Nilanjan Das Tuku was staged. And at 7:30 p.m., Kathakali will stage the play ‘Che’er Cycle’ on the main stage. Faiz Zaheer directed the play written by Mamunur Rashid.

The six-day Barak-Surma Natyotsav will continue from March 16 to March 21. The exhibition will start from 7.15 pm every day. Today, Friday and Saturday, the drama troupe Prangnemore will stage the plays ‘Condem Cell’ and ‘Aurangzeb’ respectively. Anant Hira’s film Condem Cell will be directed by Awal Reza and Mohit Chatterjee’s Aurangzeb is directed by Anant Hira.

Next Sunday, the theater troupe of Hailakandi in the state of Assam, Evolution Theater and the theater troupe of Silchar in Assam will stage a series of dramas at Ajkar Prajan Theater. First, Evolution Theater will stage ‘Adhara Madhuri’ and later, Ajja Prajan Theater will stage ‘Tin Putul Kaga’. Both plays are written by Indranil Dey and directed by Sion Biswas. The next day, Monday, two plays will be staged by Race Theater in Assam’s Poilapool and Today’s Generation Theater in Silchar. First, Race Theater will stage their play ‘Ae Aranye’ written and directed by Indranil Dey. After that, today’s generation theater play ‘Chaichi Tomar Bandhuta’ will be staged. Sion Biswas will direct this drama written by Indranil Dey.

Next Tuesday, March 21, the last day of the Natyotsav, Silchar’s theater troupe Ganasur will stage their play ‘Nathavati Anathavat’. Written by Shaoli Mitra, the play will be directed by Subrata Roy.