Need for equality under spotlight

Sambaditya Das (L) and Malabika Sen as Prakriti and Ananda. Photo: STAR

As part of the ongoing joint celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore by India and Bangladesh, Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, High Commission of India, Dhaka organised staging of a Tagore dance-drama, “Chandalika”, at the main auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum on March 9. Choreographed and directed by Guru Dr. Thankamani Kutty, artistes of Kalamandalam, Kolkata, India staged the dance-drama.
“Chandalika”, composed by Tagore, is an epic composition. Tagore adapted the dance-drama from “Jatak”, a collection of Buddhist stories. The original story depicts how, having achieved nirvana, Chandalika gives up her desire for Ananda. However, Tagore did not provide a glimpse of Buddha or the necessity of acquiring nirvana in his play. His “Chandalika” is more flesh and blood.
A young girl, Prakriti, who belongs to the untouchable caste of 'Chandal', is the protagonist of the dance-drama. Hated and belittled by the upper caste, Prakriti becomes depressed and wallows in self-hatred. Ananda, a disciple of Lord Buddha, asks for water on a hot summer day from Prakriti, who was drawing water from a well. The girl refuses to offer him water, as she is scared and surprised, thinking that the water touched by her is not fit for his drinking. Ananda consoles her by saying that all human beings are equal and she must not sow the seeds of self-hatred.
Prakriti is convinced and offers him water. Ananda quenches his thirst and blesses Prakriti. This event brings about a dramatic change in Prakriti as her mind turns towards Ananda. She opens her heart to her mother who is a strong woman -- well versed with black magic, performs all sorts of ritualistic witchcraft and succeeds in drawing back Ananda to satiate her daughter's infatuation for him. But, at the end, both Prakriti and her mother become extremely repentant for forcing Ananda to divert to worldly attachments.
Prakriti realises that Ananda is an ascetic and it is wrong to entangle him in a materialistic world. The mother and daughter sincerely beg his forgiveness. Ananda blesses Prakriti. Both Prakriti and her mother bow down to Ananda and he uplifts them to tread the path of divine enlightenment.
The dance-drama, enacted in two Indian classical dance forms --Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi -- never failed to stir the audience with its concept of equality and the need to shun the concept of “untouchables” which was once prevalent in society.
Malabika Sen donned the role of Prakriti while Anita Mallick and Sambaditya Das enacted the roles of Prakriti's mother and Ananda respectively. The other cast members included Kalamandalam Sankara Narayanan, Rajib Saha, Samrat Dutta, Jhinook Mukherjee, Moumita Chatterjee, Barnali Shome, Senjuti Sengupta, Ilina Basu, Jayita Ghosh, Amrita Ghosh and Jayanti Saha.
Ashoke Adhikari designed the lights while Madhumita Kutty designed costumes. Sarbo Bharatiya Sangeet O Sanskriti Parishad directed music for the production. Rajashree Bhattacharya, Tamalika Guha and Kajal Sengupta lent their voices to Prakriti, her mother and Ananda respectively.
At the end of the show, Ranu Bhattacharya, wife of Acting Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sanjay Bhattacharya, greeted all the featured artistes, Somnath G. Kutty, secretary, Kalamandalam and Guru Dr. Thankamani Kutty, choreographer-director, with bouquets.
The troupe also staged the dance-drama yesterday at the Muslim Hall of Chittagong.