Navapalli Natya Sanstha (NNS), a Delhi-based theatre group, recently presented its stage adaptation of “Lajja,” a book by the acclaimed Bangladeshi author and activist Taslima Nasrin at Capital’s Muktadhara Auditorium.
NNS has earned a distinguished reputation as a leading theatre group, thanks to their unwavering commitment to enriching Bengali-language theatre and nurturing a vibrant theatre movement in the capital. Their success stems from their consistent delivery of high-quality productions both within and beyond Delhi, marked by a continuous embrace of innovative theatrical practices and experiments.
Exactly thirty-one years ago, a poignant and thought-provoking novel was published in Bengali, later banned, taking the subcontinent and the entire world by storm.
“Lajja,” a pivotal work by Nasrin, explores the profound themes of religious intolerance, communal strife, and the indomitable human spirit. While the book has been translated and published in numerous languages globally, it has not been adapted into a film or play until now. The adaptation by Navapalli Natya Sanstha is set to vividly translate Nasrin’s impactful narrative and deep themes to the stage for the very first time. The play was scripted by Biswajit & Soma Sinha and directed by Biswajit Sinha.
Taslima Nasrin, as a writer confronting the escalating wave of fundamentalism, addresses the secularism crisis in Bangladesh, a nation experiencing repeated instances of anti-free-speech incidents often.
Speaking to this reporter, she recounted her memories of working as a doctor at a hospital in Dhaka. She mentioned treating patients who were victims of the violence that occurred after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya Uttar Pradesh, India. She witnessed the chaos of riots and the violence directed at minority communities, especially targeting Hindu families and women, in Dhaka’s streets. She also spoke of the pain experienced by the Dutta family when their daughter was kidnapped, and they were later forced to leave the country which inspired her to write her novel.
She said “Lajja” a tale of humanism, is proudly brought to life on stage, reflecting our collective pride. I am certain that the audience was touched by the profound message of “LAJJA” and the distinguished performance of our celebrated actors in Delhi, directed by the remarkable Biswajit Sinha.”
“I am grateful to Navapalli Natya Sanstha for their enormous courage, mental strength, and determination to stage “Lajja”. There are so many Bengali theatre groups, but no one dared to stage Lajja. Nabapalli made history in this subcontinent by telling a true story about religious riots and rootlessness.”
“It took 30 years to dramatize Lajja only because people are afraid of Islamic fundamentalists as they are violent and do not believe in freedom of expression.”
“My advice to the younger generation is that they should treat humans as humans regardless of their caste, class, and creed.” She added.
The play’s main theme is “Universal Humanism,” which aims to eliminate separatism, racism, and religious fanaticism, addressing issues that create divisions among people. The main purpose of this play is to dispel the misconception that it is anti-Islamic.
Through thought-compelling storytelling and captivating performances, the production seeks to ignite meaningful conversations and reflections on the urgent issues highlighted in the book. The stage adaptation of “Lajja” offers a pertinent and opportune moment to delve into the intricacies of religious intolerance and the resilience of the human spirit amidst adversity, as per the Director of the play.
Speaking to this reporter he said “We hold the conviction that the stage adaptation of ‘Lajja’ offers a pertinent and opportune moment to explore themes of religious intolerance, communal strife, and human resilience. We invite you to engage with us in highlighting this significant production and the lasting significance of Taslima Nasrin’s work,”.
“The story is about the hardships faced by innocent minorities in Bangladesh following the destruction of the Babri Masjid in India. At a deeper level, it addresses the chaos caused by religious extremism in its various forms, which results in the suffering of minority groups and the dominance of the majority in any part of the world. Today, religious fanaticism is manipulating religious feelings, fueling violence, hatred, mass killings, devastation, and destruction. The persecution of religious minorities and ethnic conflicts is evident everywhere. Our play is intended for those who advocate for secular principles and values and oppose religious extremism that leads to the dehumanization of humanity.”
The storyline of the play is a poignant portrayal of a Hindu Dutta family living in Bangladesh and their struggle in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in India. Dutta’s family goes through tremendous suffering to prove their nationalism. The story begins with Maya cursing her brother’s apathy and coaxing her brother to take the family to a Muslim friend’s house for safety.
The adaptation’s success lies in its ability to not only tell a story but to evoke the emotional and psychological turmoil of its characters. The audience is taken on a journey through the eyes of Maya, who becomes the voice of reason and the embodiment of courage as she navigates her family through the storm of communal strife.
As the play progresses the rioters take the streets and unleash violence, looting, rape, and burning of temples and houses of Hindus, asking them to leave the country if they wanted to survive. Nightmares inevitably arrive at their doorstep and the world begins to fall apart.
Sudhamoy, the patriarch, feels that Bangladesh, his motherland, will never let him down. Kiranmoyi as a faithful wife stands by her husband’s views. Suranjan, their son, believes that nationalism will be stronger than communism but is progressively disappointed. He finds himself adopting communal reactions that contrast entirely with the ideology of patriotism he has always had faith in. The progressive Dutta family, which rejects the notion of religious fundamentalism, ultimately finds itself compelled to emigrate from the country.
In terms of production, it was awesome, the audience was motionless, stuck with complete attention, to what was happening on stage.
The lead character roles are, Suranjan enacted by Delhi’s noted actor Palash Das, Maya by Soma Sinha, Sudhamoy by Prodip Ganguly, and Kiranmoyi by Ananya Dutta.
In terms of performance, Palash did extraordinary acting. His voice and facial expressions in each changing mood are noticeable. Soma by her expression, gestures, and body language helped bring out the intricacies of the character she played. Prodip and Ananya justified their roles with mind-blowing performances.
Other supporting characters are Haider: Kalyan Ghosal, Ratna: Indrani Chakraborty, Kajol: Ashish Dutta, Pulok: Biswajit Sinha, Qaiser: Tushar Chanda, Nonigopal: Tapas Chanda, Shamima: Rita Biswas Pandey did well with directors expectation. Enacting such a high-strung drama tends to make the actors overdo their performances, but the director kept them under control.
The director created some magical moments on stage with mesmerizing lighting, sound, and costumes. The intelligent use of light and sound caught the different moods of the characters and accentuated the atmosphere in the play. The total production was controlled by Manosh Choudhury.
The songs were performed by singers Shambhunath Sarkar, Tushar Chanda, Kaushiki Deb, Moumita Kundu, and Instrumentalist Darpan Sarkar. Music executed by Biswajit Sinha & Manab Narayan Sen. Light by Gaurav Ganguly Stage décor by Sudip Biswas and Makeup by Abhijit Chakraborty.
This Bengali play is not just a performance but a statement—a reflection of society’s ongoing battle with religious intolerance and communal strife. It becomes the story of people living in any country of this world. This is the story of mankind, the mankind who believes in secularism, opposes communal ideas and craves peaceful co-existence.
