A revival of Humayun Ahmed's drama
Harun ur Rashid
Humayun Ahmed has become renowned in filmmaking, literature and TV plays. Even the simplest and most clichéd of plots are rejuvenated into amusing crisp pieces in the hands of this best-seller author of hundreds of books. Although his plays, telecast on the last two Eids, seemed to lack that typical Humayun Ahmed flavour, the most recent one, however, surely has revived it. Aired on the first day of ntv's anniversary celebration, Humayun's play Badal Diner Prothom Kadom Phul was really a simple yet cheerful piece.Directed by Saidul Anam Tutul, not the playwright himself, the play presents complications and funny consequences involving marriages of two siblings Riaz and Shawon. Riaz whimsically marries his beloved Richi at a Kazi Office, without realising that she would insist on going to live in his house. Shawon, on the other hand, is betrothed to a middle-aged man, Fazlur Rahman Babu, whom she feels reluctant to marry. The affair between Shawon and Babu seems to be a self-ridicule by the playwright. The family of Riaz and Shawon also has the father--Masud Ali Khan, their elder brother Swadhin Khosru and his wife Munira Yusuf Memi and their son. Also, there is a housemaid, who is typically over-enthusiastic and always under Memi's scrutiny. After Riaz finally concedes to Richi's insistence and brings her home, things get rather funny as Riaz does not disclose her identity and contrives a story of his own. Meanwhile, however, Masud Ali Khan comes to know everything from Richi, and the two plan to play a trick on Riaz. Shawon also plays tricks to get rid of Babu as a result of which the poor lover ends up at the police station. Finally, however, everything gets on the right track. The play ends in a romantic scene where all the family members, including Babu, get together in rain with the famous Rabindra Sangeet Badal Diner Prothom Kadom Phul playing in the background. Fazlur Rahman Babu's over enthusiasm regarding Shawon, Ejaz Ahmed's brief yet amusing appearance, the housemaid's typical behaviour, Swadhin Khosru's always tense nature and his unique way of punishing his son--everything contribute to making the play an enjoyable one. One directorial mistake was, however, not avoidable. No witnesses are shown at Riaz-Richi's marriage, a requisite on such an occasion. May be Humayun Ahmed would have paid more attention to such minor details if he had directed the play.
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Richi and Riaz in a scene from the telefilm |