A play on Gombhira

DRDO scientists and their families staged a play as part of Dasara celebrations

A play titled ‘Sodulapurer Nana’ was staged by the scientists at DRDO and their families at DRDO complex, Kanchan Bagh on Thursday.

Gombhira is a dying folk form in Bengal that has existed for many centuries. It is performed to raise social awareness among common men. This form is rather unthinkable in this age of commercial media.

In undivided Bengal, Gombhira artists used to travel across the rural areas of Rajshahi and Malda awakening mass consciousness through performance. After partition some artists in Malda have been trying to uphold the tradition of Gombhira in the midst of troubles and negligence.

‘Sodulapurer Nana’ depicts the joys and sorrows of a Gombhira artist named Old Nana who is in his dotage. Old Nana remains wide awake at night and hallucinates about Digambur Biswas, an indigo revolutionary.

Nana’s grandson Subol is perplexed at his cowardice. A troublesome fakir entering his life adds to Old Nana’s chagrin and is a pivotal part in the play. The play was written and directed by Anindya Biswas and was produced by Krishti Goshti.