“Eksho Bosta Chal” celebrates Japanese award, 50th show
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Japanese Embassy's collaborative production, “Eksho Bosta Chal”, recently bagged a prestigious Japanese award conferred by the Kome-Hyappyo Foundation. The play also marked its 50th show. Through a show on July 18 at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the cast and crew celebrated the two achievements.
Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, secretary, Ministry of Education; Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy; and Hideki Ieawa, first secretary, Information and Culture, Japanese Embassy attended the show as guests.
The play narrates the early-Meiji era social changes in Japan through a story involving one hundred sacks of rice. The government commissioned the rice for the samurais. The chief advisor Kobayashi Torasaburo, however, wants to sell the rice and set up a school for children with the money.
Initially, the samurais oppose the chief advisor, but the latter's wisdom and visionary thinking convinces the samurais. They vow that they would fight till death to bring peace in the country.
Through the play, history of Japan is partly narrated, as it showcases the hardships of the samurais who once were the symbol of bravery and pride. Humiliation of the samurais, poverty and other social issues are depicted as well as mythical elements.
The play has been directed by Golam Sarwar. An adaptation of a Japanese literary work by Yuzo Yamamoto, the play has been translated into Bangla by Professor Abdus Selim.
A group of actors including Junaid Eusuf, Md. Nur Zaman Raja, Md. Rafi, Abul Kalam Azad, Faiz Zahir, Tashmi Tamanna and Joyita Maholanbish performed in the play.
Faiz Zahir, Junaid Eusuf, Irin Parvin and Thandu Raihan together designed the play, in which, the Bangladeshi actors did a commendable job in incorporating Japanese nuances, especially samurai gestures. Constant allegorical reference of the sword -- an inseparable companion of a samurai -- made the dialogues meaningful.
Faiz Zahir and Junaid Eusuf designed the set and Thandu Raihan was the light designer. Ahsan Reza Khan directed the music.
Before staging of the play, the guests handed over replicas of the Kome-Hyappyo Prize to the cast and crew of the play.
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