A political satire in the making

Koushik

Kar and his team of Kolkata Rangeela are gearing up for their next play, which is being touted as a political-thriller-comedy

opera

. Written and directed by Koushik, the play will feature the group’s members, including Gambhira Bhattacharya. The play will be staged on September 26 at Academy of Fine Arts.

The team is still tight-lipped about the title of the play. “We have already posted a few teasers and got a good response. But we will declare the name through a small event. This is a part of our promotional programme,” the director informed.

“It is a political satire that has elements of both a thriller and a comedy. We have been rehearsing for two-and-a-half months. There will be live music and sound. Even our foot tappings and claps are part of the soundscape,” Koushik told us. His long-time aid, Somiron, has composed the music.

While elaborating the dramaturgy, the director said, “It is a blend of street play setup and proscenium. We have prepared this play in such a way that the stage, light, electricity or any other element don’t matter much.

Time

and again, we have travelled to remote rural areas where we struggled for either electricity or an auditorium. I felt the purpose of theatre was getting overshadowed by these nitty-gritties. Hence, this play. Also, money becomes another problem. Sometimes organisers don’t have the budget for big plays. For example, our play Auto. But this is a play that can be staged with minimum budget. This play is all about our acting prowess and the script. It is an original play and we all have been really working hard for months. I am sure people will like it.”

A team of 20 is working in the play. “All the characters are gender neutral. We have a set of very interesting costumes as well,” Koushik signed off.