Three-day Bengali theatre festival begins Friday

MUMBAI: A socio-cultural group named Roopangan Foundation will organise a three-day Bengali theatre festival in Matunga beginning Friday. The ‘Bahirbanga Natya Utsav’ will take place from December 18-20 at Yashwant Natya Mandir. Bahirbanga means “outside of Bengal”. Given that the aim is to preserve Bengali culture outside the native state, three well known theatre groups from Kolkata will arrive here to participate.Chokh will present a drama named ‘Khoon’ which is set in the red light district of Sonagachhi while Anya Theatre will enact ‘Chhoto Chhoto Bari’ which describes how a middle class colony fights land sharks. The Abhaash Dakshin Kolkata group has produced ‘Chotushkon’ which shows how a dissatisfied housewife drives her lover to kill her husband. In fact one of the participants is a minister for tourism in the West Bengal government.
Roopangan’s president Shivaji Sengupta, who works as an engineer with a leading airline, says the troupe comprises 18 amateur artistes who have been arriving to rehearse in Chembur after work each day. “One of them lives in Andheri, another in Dadar, a few others are from Navi Mumbai. But the passion to perform is overwhelming.”
The group is working towards a goal to set up its own old age home one day. “We have chosen to focus on this cause since inception. We recently donated Rs 15,000 to the Mary John memorial trust in Mira Road which houses 90 senior citizens from all communities. As we chase our main aim, we also promote culture through multi-lingual theatre,” says secretary Shaibal Roy.
The troupe has a keen fondness for Marathi drama. “Do you know that Bengalis share an abiding interest in Marathi theatre? So during our first anniversary, we adapted Jaywant Dalvi’s ‘Sandhya Chhaya’ into Bangla. Now we are translating ‘Kirwant’ by Premanand Gajvee. In these plays, the costumes and milieu is native Maharashtrian but the actors speak Bangla,” laughs Sengupta.
Roopangan is barely a year old but has already made a mark by participating in the Kala Ghoda festival. The Bahirbanga festival is being held in collaboration with the Paschimbanga Natya Academy of the West Bengal government.