Play:
Hastagata
Director: Madhurima Goswami
Cast:
Tathagata Choudhury
and Prasenjit Bhardhan
Duration: 45 minutes
Language: Bengali
Star: 4
Who doesn’t want a bit of freedom? While some march to ensure freedom for everyone, others are content with their own personal liberty. No matter whether you are a rebel with or without a cause, condescending in nature or contend with your own self — state wants your complete subordination before you are free, and your freedom is largely dependent on the state’s whims and fancies. In the process of obtaining the subservience, the regime does not think twice to twist arms. This is Hastagata in a nutshell. Based on Polish playwright
Slawomir Mrozek
’s Striptease, young director Madhurima Goswami has crafted a play with the right doses of wit, humour and smartness. Garnished with performances by two stupendous actors,
Tathagata
Choudhury and Prasenjit Bhardhan, the play is a treat to watch.
With limited theatrical paraphernalia, Hastagata’s set is designed with two doors — one open and another closed. In the apparent darkness, we are privy to slogans. As there’s light, the first man, played by Prasenjit, stumbles onto the stage through the open door. The younger one, played by Tathagata, follows him soon after and the drama unfolds, slowly but steadily. The two realise that they are imprisoned in a room. While the young one rebels against this threatening of freedom, the older one tries to remain content with his version of “ofuronto abhyontorin swadhinota”. The more the young man tries to point out the futility of freedom in confinement, the more agitated the other man gets and the play takes a hilarious turn. The plot thickens as a gigantic hand robs the duo of their belongings every time the younger man raises his voice. As the play progresses, the hand keeps surfacing along with a screeching gibberish sound in the background, and it makes sure the imprisoned duo bows down in front of the ‘supremacy’ of the hand, and in the end, while setting the duo free, the hand somehow manages to make the two look like clowns.
The play is absurdist, sarcastic and full of dry humour. With minimalistic use of set and props, the play looks smart and comical. The crisis doesn’t take long to set in and that makes the play pick up pace. The attraction of the play, however, lies in the powerful performances by the two extremely skilled actors. Prasenjit is perfect in the skin of his fumbling, non-confrontational, middle-class character. Tathagata, on his part, portrays the young rebel with utmost elan. Together they are an enjoyable watch.
The play is performed in an intimate space as it doesn’t involve an elaborate set or complicated content. Watch it to enjoy an hour of good theatre.
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