Remembering the great bard

The set for the dance-drama was minimalistic, using a decorated screen in the front-stage to depict the real world. This was removed to reveal the world of cards, depicted symbolically by a decorated mask and a tiered platform.
Photo: Mumit M.

After a break of nearly twenty-eight years, Chhayanaut the foremost cultural organisation in Bangladesh, staged a dance-drama by the Nobel Laureate on the occasion of the Poet's 69th death anniversary on 6th August. With the 150th birth anniversary of the Poet coming up in 2011, world-over Tagoreans are preparing to pay a befitting tribute to the far-sighted poet who, amongst other things, was the first to promote the practice of dance within the educated gentry of Bengal. The staging of 'Tasher Desh' with the support of Shadhona--A Center for Advancement of Southasian Dance and Music, is part of these preparations.
The show started with Dr. Sanjida Khatun, president of Chhayanaut, elaborating how everyone had put in their all out effort for this event and appreciated Farhana Ahmed's work for this dance drama. This was Farhana Ahmed's directorial debut, and she did a competent job in spite of the fact that most of the dancers were amateurs who are currently students of dance at Chhayanaut.
Tasher Desh is a satire on the then social environment of undivided India during the last phase of the British raj. The play begins with a prince exasperated by the monotonous restrictions and boundaries of the royal palace. In a state of boredom, he embarks on a voyage with a young merchant. As destiny would have it, they fall prey to a violent tempest and after the shipwreck finally find refuge on the 'Island of cards' - a domain inhabited and ruled by cards. The prince makes an important discovery through the robot-like lifestyle led by the residents of the island. There is no laughter, no mirth and no tears. In other words the inhabitants are devoid of emotions. The prince makes an attempt to break the robotic existence of the 'cards' by explaining to them what it is like to give in to one's innermost feelings and passion. The result is outstanding.
Tasher Desh emphasises the philosophy of creation. Tagore believed that an existence is meaningless if it's devoid of expressions of human emotions. The only means to overcome a stagnant social state is through the removal of rigid regulations. In other words, imposed social order can never be permanent and in such a case society itself looks for a revolution.
Farhana did a good job of portraying the stilted existence of the cards, through contemporary dance movements. This contrasted well with the joyful dances of the Prince and his friends, portrayed by Mukammel Iftekhar Kakon and Jhoton Sylvester. The use of the lilting movement of Manipuri dance to express the breaking of the bonds of regulation by the young subjects of the Kingdom of Cards, was well appreciated. The dance drama was kept very simple yet beautifully carried out by the artistes, Sanjana Haque, Farhana Ahmed, Samina Husain Prema, Sonia Rashid, Belayet Hossain Khan, and other gifted dancers as main characters. Lubna Marium graced the stage with a cameo appearance.
The set for the dance-drama was minimalistic using a decorated screen in the front-stage to depict the real world. This was removed to reveal the world of cards, depicted symbolically by a decorated mask and a tiered platform. Though the costume was colourful and elaborate, it could have incorporated some more of the aesthetics developed in Santiniketan.