Mamunur Rashid’s ‘Rarang’ starring Chanchal Chowdhury makes waves in Kolkata

The acclaimed artiste Mamunur Rashid's play "Rarang", which he both wrote and directed has been making waves on the stages of Kolkata, with back-to-back houseful shows upon requests from Kolkata audiences.

Renowned theatre troupe Aranyak Natyadal has been staging one of its most acclaimed productions, "Rarang", for more than 19 years. However, this is the first time that Aranyak is staging two shows of this two-hour-long play in one day to manage the presence of an overwhelming crowd of ecstatic audiences in each of its shows.

Since December 22, Aranyak has been staging the play continuously for six days at various theatre halls across Kolkata, including Kalyani Mancha in the city, as well as in Madhyamgram and Belgharia in West Bengal, India.

"All of our shows were not only houseful but people were making places on the staircases floor of the hall premise to watch the play. And every time the play concluded, audiences were flocking to us to express how much they loved it. We have never expected this much response and are really ecstatic about it," said one of its crew members.

Director Rashid said, "I have never seen this much excitement and interest in the audience for a theatrical play ever. We all are overwhelmingly happy. This is also the first time we had to stage two shows of this long play twice a day in different locations, only to accommodate the huge audience we are getting. This has been a great experience, for sure," said the theatre activist.

Popular actor, and thespian, Chanchal Chowdhury, a regular thespian of Aranyak Natyadal, said, "We had houseful shows of 'Rarang' in Bangladesh as well, but the heartfelt appreciation and joy we are receiving from the audiences here in West Bengal is euphoric."

"Hundreds of people stood in queue regularly to collect the tickets, and all the shows were sold out 15 days before the showtime. I've never experienced anything like this," noted the actor.

"I cannot express how good it feels to receive this much love as a thespian and part of the crew. We can do wonders with theatre, and this is the proof," said Chanchal emphasising that theatre is crucial to bringing out promising artistes in Bangladesh, and the theatre scene in the country should be rejuvenated to attract new audiences.

"Rarang" holds the distinction of being the first play about the indigenous community in Bangladesh. It was written in the aftermath of the 2001 assassination of Alfred Soren, which sparked widespread protests across the country. Mamunur Rashid, the playwright, was invited to participate in a significant protest organised in Naogaon, the location of the murder.

At that time, the Santal community gifted Mamunur Rashid a bow and arrow. Afterward, Rashid spent many years researching the incident, eventually writing "Rarang" as a result. Talking about the incident, Rashid said, "I spent four years researching the situation. Several times, I would visit the Santal village over there to increase my knowledge. That's how I ended up writing the play."

"After being gifted the bow and arrow, I immediately decided to write a play about Alfred Soren. This initiative was what actually helped get it done. I hope that through this play, more people now know about Soren. The first show of 'Rarang' took place at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy," continued Mamunur Rashid.

"More and more people are learning about the Santal community through this play. They are getting to know how this community was destroyed and deprived. The history of how they have had to fight for their lives is also showcased in 'Rarang'. This, I believe, is the ultimate achievement of a writer," shared Rashid.

Chanchal Chowdhury acted in the first show of "Rarang", and now he resumed acting after the 200th show last year. In the play, he takes on the role of a daroga (inspector in English). After a gap of almost two years, Chanchal has finally returned to this play.