Anuswar to return with an Arthur Miller classic in ‘Mulyo Amulyo’

After a 13-month hiatus, theatre troupe Anuswar is bringing its third production, "Mulyo Amulyo" ("The Price and the Priceless"), back to the stage. The play will be performed at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's Experimental Theatre Hall on August 20 at 7:30pm, marking its 31st staging. The last performance took place in June of last year at the same venue.

Based on Arthur Miller's "The Price", the play has been adapted into Bangla by Asit Mukhopadhyay, with transformation and direction by Mohammad Bari. "Mulyo Amulyo" explores the steep emotional cost of eroding family bonds in the face of a profit-driven state, a fragmented society, and the relentless march of market capitalism.

The drama opens with two brothers, Ranjhu and Monju, preparing to auction off their late father's old furniture. Overseeing the sale is the shrewd auctioneer Khodabox. But as the bidding begins, the transaction gives way to tension—resentments rooted in the past, disillusionment in the present, and uncertainty about the future bubble to the surface.

Through the clash of personalities and the volley of arguments between the brothers, the play unravels layers of idealism, greed, deceit, uncertainty, conspiracy, and the narrative of a time steeped in frustration. 

Guilt eventually forces each character to confront the mirror of time. The story leaves the audience questioning—do relationships inevitably become a game of winners and losers? Or must some pay an immeasurable price to keep them alive?

The cast features Mohammad Bari, Prashanta Haldar, Saif Suman, Farida Lima, and Yajnasini Mou, among others.