Nandikar completes 176th show of Madhabi

When a 59-year-old theatre group decides to stage the 176th show of the same play, you naturally expect some grand performances.

Nandikar

recently staged

Madhabi

, a story from the

Mahabharata

about Yayati’s daughter Madhabi and her beloved Galab, a disciple of Rishi Vishwamitra. They have been staging the play since 2010 and receiving adulation and awards galore.
Mythological tales always get a grand translation on stage. They are understandably every theatre director’s favourite choice of adaptation. Madhabi was also well received for its depiction. “I got attracted to this story of Madhabi because of its great drama, the tempestuous journey of a woman confronting a hierarchy, which is steeped in moral pretense, demonic in its power-soaked status quo,” shared Swatilekha Sengupta, the director.
And how has it been playing Madhabi all this while? “For Sohinidi (Sengupta), enacting Madhabi’s dignity and poise on stage has been so nuanced that despite the presence of other pivotal characters, played by Rudraprasad Sengupta and Debshankar Haldar, her character stands out as the central one,” said Ayon Ghosh, a member of Nandikar.