About the Play:
The way a man wants turn around towards the life while standing between the no man’s land of death and life; similarly, the lived past life comes back to him like the sparks of the electricity ridining on the wings of memories. Almost in a similar way, the play “Darao… Janmo Zodi Tobo Bonge” is written about Michael Madhusudan Dutta ‘s tensed mind sets during his last moments at Alipur charitable hospital, while he was plagued at sick bed. The final journey of Michael continues along with his search for the answers of the imaginary questions made by his recently departed life partner, art mate and wife Henrietta. In this journey, different fragments of diagrams of many acceptances, denials and creations create an undivided map, one side of which shows the bohemian lifestyle of Michael while the other side shows the mesmerizing artistic life created by Him. While getting burned in the flare of daily lives how relentlessly Michael satisfied the thirst of art devoted people by his ambrosial art works; this self-searching play “Darao… Janmo Zodi Tobo Bonge” searches for that truth.
Playwright’s word:
“Many people say that you edit the plays written by Selim Al Deen,. What is your opinion about this?” while taking an interview of playwright Nasiruddin Yusuf for national daily Samakal, that was my question to him. “I take what I need from Selim’s writings.” he replied. Same things found to be happened with director Ananta Hira. He took the portion he needed from the written play. Moreover, he asked to increase the conversation between Michael and Biddyasagar, I did it as he said. Then the awaiting period started. When all the anticipations ended, I get to know that the written play “Michael Madhusudan” will be staged with the name “Darao… Janma Zodi Bonge Tobo”. It was a matter of sorrow. The dialect and solution of the play revolves around the name Michael Madhusudan. The mind doesn’t want to see the shadow of the path left behind in a way round. Still got to understand that a real artist can’t go beyond his art just the way man can’t afford to overcome his shadow. As a result, Michael set behind the mountains while it’s outcome “Darao… Janmo Zodi Tobo Bonge” rise up in a artistic manner. And the director Ananta Hira becomes correct in its stagnation. Along with all the stage workers of Prangonemor, special gratitude to Nuna Afroz,the core actress of the troupe, who never denies her worthy duities, for the analysis of the stagnation.
To see the story of that Michael Madhusudan in my imagination, who became the son of fortune of Bengali poems by using pen and papers after a lot of denials, his lifelong journey of going against the main stream, yet grained crops on a fertile surface made by applying silt after silt, impulse me to start writing a play. I choose the ending period as the beginning in order to have a look on the path that was left behind. It’s a pleasant journey of the successor with a submerged respect and self realization to the predecessor. In the journey of writing this play, I often rememberd a heart whelming line of veteran actress Ferdausi Majumder, “I couldn’t sleep at those nights with remorse and repentance when I forgot any dialogues by any playwrights due to illness or unmindfully on the time of stagnation of any play.” I tried but couldn’t forget this statement. You can’t forget such respect to the playwright even if you want to. And as it can’t be done, the dialogue spoken through Michael Madhusudan’s voice “Darao… Janmo Zodi Tobo Bonge” empties in the sequence of time, in different formation of creations arts.
Apurba Kumar Kundu
Director Notes
The one who wrote “Sharmishtha’, the first drama of Bengali language
The one who has the credit of “Rotnaboli”, the first translated drama of Bengali Language
The one who wrote “Ekei Ki Bole Sobbhyota” and “Buro Shaliker Ghare Ro”, the first comedy of Bengali language
The one who wrote “Krishnakumari”, the first tragedy of Bengali language
The one who wrote the first epic of Bengali language in blank verse
The one who was the pioneer of tradition of dedicating books in Bengali language
The one who wrote the first letter poetry of Bengali language
The one who wrote the first sonnet or 14 line poem of Bengali language
This play and its philosophy is about Him
For any provider and audience of Bengali drama
Ananta Hira
Directors
On Stage
Sri Madhushudhan Dutta: Ananta Hira
Bidya Sagar: Ramiz Raju
Henrieyeta: Suvechha Rahman/ Al-Avi Jahan Tushi
Back Stage:
Script: Apurbo Kumar Kundo
Director: Ananta Hira
Stage u0026amp; Costume: Nuna Afroz
Music: Ramiz Raju
Light: Ahmed Sojan
Music Operator: Prokriti Shikdar Bauli
Advertisement: Sarwar Saikat
Production Management: Sujoy