Aranyak stages Iblish after two decades

A scene from the play. Photo: Jamil Mahmud

Theatre troupe Aranyak staged one of its early plays, “Iblish”, after nearly two decades. The play was staged on January 31 at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, as part of the festival celebrating the troupe's 40th anniversary.
Written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, the play featured some of the troupe's former members, including Tushar Khan, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Harun-ar-Rashid and Azizul Hakim. The cast also included current members such as Mamunur Rashid, Mannan Heera, Shah Alam Dulal, Faiz Zahir and Momena Chowdhury.
“Iblish” premiered in 1981. It narrates the struggles of people living in a rural area.
As part of the festival, the troupe also staged another old and popular play “Shankranti” after nearly two years. The play was staged on January 30 at the National Theatre Hall.
Written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, the play tells the story of a group of indigenous performers from the greater Tangail region. Known as 'Shong', the performers generate laughter through their acts but ironically, real-life hardships remain concealed in their laughter.
The cast of the play included AKM Hasan, Shamim Zaman, Momena Chowdhury, Arif Hossain and Chanchal Chowdhury.
The weeklong festival ended on February 1 with the staging of the resurrected version of its first play “Kabor”.