Capturing The Indomitable Spirit of Bengal

In late November of last year, I was approached by an earnest young man from the Dhaka University Theatre and Performance Studies Department who wanted to talk about a performance based on Syed Shamsul Haq's works that they were producing for their final exam under the direction of departmental professor Ahmedul Kabir. Sabuj Talukder, then a student in the final semester of the Third Year and also Stage Manager for his class, spoke to me about what he called a 'unique' approach to Syed Haq's works and insisted I attend their first public performance at the Dhaka University Natmondol stage towards the end of January. 

I duly turned up at the venue expecting to do no more than show my support for a group of enthusiastic, budding theatre professionals on the final leg of their journey into the real world of performing arts. In the hour and fifteen minutes that followed, I swiftly realised that I could not have been more mistaken. I have since seen the performance three times in the space of as many months, the last time being in Kurigram, the heart of Syed Haq's mythical Jaleshwari and in the land of Nuraldin himself as the opening act in the week-long Syed Shamsul Haq Drama Festival recently conducted by Pracchad Kurigram. 

'Bonhi Bishorjon Ba-Dip' – which refers to the fire of revolution that sweeps across Bengal is not one, but three of Syed Haq's works – the first ever stage adaptation of a novel, Nishiddho Loban, sandwiched between two verse plays,Nuraldiner Shara Jibon and Payer Awaj Pawa Jai, stitched together through the use of spoken parts and carefully choreographed visual sequences involving the traditional lathis or bamboo poles that were used widely as both weapons and for ceremonial purposes in Northern Bangladesh in earlier times. The result is a visually striking and surreal experience that gives rise to a sense of wonder in the minds of the audience as well as leaves open to interpretation a number of important questions through a series of climatic endings. 

I had the pleasure of speaking to director Ahmedul Kabir along with his colleague Ashiq Rahman Leon during my recent visit to Kurigram in-between their hectic performance schedule. During the course of our conversation, I learned that Syed Haq's works form part of the curriculum for the DU Theatre and Performance Studies course and that this performance was, in fact, the final assessment for students of the Third Year. I also learned of the rationale and thought processes that went into the production and was surprised to discover how technically and artistically evolved the field of performance art has become in Bangladesh. 

Two concepts are central to the theme of the overall performance – the Liberation War of Bangladesh and the repression of women, both of which feature strongly in Syed Haq's works. Kabir chooses to start with Nuraldin as being the precursor to the liberation movement, rather than with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to demonstrate how the same fighting spirit which saw us through the independence of Bangladesh has remained ingrained in the Bengali psyche from time immemorial. Moving in a linear fashion from Nuraldin to the War of Independence and beyond, a sequence of spoken parts crafted by Shahman Moishan provide the glue that binds the individual acts together. Coupled with some well thought-out effects and lighting designed by Leeon, the result is a performance in which the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

When asked about the challenges faced in the production, Kabir smiles and tells me that he views the numerous hurdles along the way as inspiration rather than challenges. The defining moment for the team was when they conceived the idea of using the spoken word to bridge the individual parts and to represent these shifts visually through a sequence of lathi nach or traditional dances using lathis. Some may not know that the lathi nach is a form of martial art in Bangladesh that dates back centuries and that practitioners are called lathials. Through the symbolism of using lathis throughout the performance, Kabir emphasises the indomitable spirit of Bengal. Interestingly, the performance both begins and ends with a lathi nach, indicating that our struggle for freedom and identity is a never-ending one that returns to us in a circular fashion – The Alpha and the Omega of Liberation. A song at the end of the performance sums this up beautifully.

For Kabir and his students, the production has clearly been a labour of love to pay homage not only to a much-admired playwright but also to one who has been an occasional instructor in their department in the past. Their love and admiration of Syed Haq shines through in their delivery, as does the dedication of the actors and performers, most of whom were not even born when some of these works were penned. That they were able to master and deliver the complex Rangpuri dialogue convincingly to a native audience in Kurigram to rapturous applause demonstrates this fact. If you are looking for a whistle-stop tour of Syed Haq's works with strong entertainment value, then look no further.

Ditio Syed-Haq is a freelance writer and works in television.