Tripura Theatre Productions
1. Bishhayoner Notun Logo (2006): This play depicts the perils of neo-liberalism. Offering a realistic portrayal of diverse circumstances and events the play highlights the impact of economic liberalization on the common mass – criticizing privatization, increased economic inequality leading to poverty and the consequences of globalization. It bagged first prize in Shekhar Smriti Drama Competition organized by Cultural Campaign at Khowai Town Hall, on 22nd September 2006. It was also performed in Agartala, Gandacharra and Dharmanagar. Till date it remains one of the most vital plays of Tripura Theatre.
Written and directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee.
2. Panipather Choturtho Juddho (The Fourth Battle of Panipath) 2008: A family satire, this play portrays the day to day affairs of two squabbling families living in the same neighbourhood. It uses humour, irony and exaggeration to ridicule their stupidity and vices essentially to draw attention to the wider, persisting socio-cultural issues and thus aiming for improvement. It was performed in multiple places in Tripura.
Written and directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee.
3. Dharti Aba (2007): One of the most celebrated plays of Tripura Theatre, Dharti Aba tells the story of Ratan Telenga, an Adivasi tribal kid from a remote village of Tripura who becomes a graduate, a first from their community, conquering great hardship. He, being one of the few farsighted men of his community, throws aside his personal aspirations to work diligently for the upliftment of his community. Ratan’s inspiration is the great tribal leader Birsa Munda. He persuades his fellow-Adivasi friends to give up their superstitions and hesitations and starts a collective fight against the exploitation of the Hindusthani communities by the rich, corrupt and self-centred power-mongers who practice caste-based oppression and discrimination for their own interests. Due to his undying spirit, his quest for knowledge and his ability to mobilize masses, Ratan incurs the wrath of these people and dies as a martyr.
This play is also a fierce commentary on caste-based discrimination prevalent in India and exposes how these communities are surviving without proper food, education, healthcare. It depicts how capitalist cronies are encroaching into their territories for monetary gains, thus uprooting them from their own lands in the name of national development. The play also shows how they’re denied the opportunity to become self-reliant and are compelled to somehow make both ends meet by working at tea-gardens, pulling rickshaws, becoming fishermen and daily wage earners.
Ratan’s character is modelled on the life of Prem Singh Orang, a fervent Communist activist and popular Adivasi leader from Tulasikhar, Rajnagar area, near Chebri, Khowai who was shot by extremists because of his courage, benevolence and popularity.
Bibhu Bhattacharjee researched extensively while writing this play. He visited various Adivasi communities (Munda, Telenga, Shobor, Taati), often stayed with them, listening to their stories, conducting interviews. Till date this play remains relevant and one of Tripura Theatre’s finest productions. The play ends with Ratan’s fellow crusaders standing around his dead body, and taking an oath,
“Listen, Birsa Munda
Listen, Prem Singh Orang
Listen, Ratan Telenga
We were, we are, and we shall be.”
Dharti Aba was performed all over India and gained widespread critical acclaim for its representation of the oppression on marginalized class. It was invited in various theatre festivals. On March, 2010, it was invited at Octave 2010, a festival of art and culture by EZCC. Here’s a concised list of places where it was performed:
· Rabindra Bhavan, Agartala: 11.09.2008, 12.09.08.
· Recorded and Telecast by Akash Tripura Channel on 4th Oct, 2008.
· Rabindra Bhavan, Guwahati, 16th September, 2008. Invited by Samahar Theatre Group of Guwahati.
· Dharmanagar Town Hall, 13th Feb, 2009. State Level Theatre Festival.
· Belonia Town Hall, 19th Dec, 2009: Theatre Festival organized by Agantuk Theatre group.
· Minerva Theatre, Kolkata, 31.03.2010. Invited at Octave 2010 Festival, organized by EZCC
4. Kankal (2009): On the 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Tripura Theatre staged this play based on Tagore’s short story. Adapted by Goutam Ray and Directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee this play deals with the themes of unrequited love. A sense of lovelessness and the desire to be loved looms large. Like many of Tagore’s stories, “Kankal” concerns the perspective of a young woman living within the confines of a restrictive social sphere. This is told in a story-within-a-story format thus involving metatheatrical elements.
5. Chakravyuha (The Trap) 2012: A thriller, this play depicts how insurgency is orchestrated in various North-Eastern states by multiple armed separatist factions. The play explores how various terrorist organizations brainwash and manipulate young minds to participate in their crusade of destruction and mass murder.
6. Amra 99 percent (We are the 99%)2012: The play is based on The Occupy Movement, which is an international progressive socio-political movement that expresses opposition to social and economic inequality and to the lack of “real democracy” around the world. The first Occupy protest to receive widespread attention, Occupy Wall Street in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, began on 17 September 2011. The phrase “The 99%” is a political slogan used by participants in the Occupy movement. The play explores the uneven distribution of wealth among the citizens of the world where the top 1% have a disproportionate share of wealth and the remaining 99% deprived of everything.
Written and Directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee.
7. Swami Vivekananda (2013): On the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Tripura Theatre staged this biographical play. In this play it has been depicted how Swamiji’s greatness lies in the fact that he took notice of all classes of society at the time when India was known to be a feudal state. With his socialist point of views, he raised voices against untouchability and communal sensation and also worked tirelessly to uplift the downtrodden and energize the youth. His knowledge, inclusive approach, his rejection of the religious fundamentalism made him one of the pioneers of modern India. The play has aimed to trace all that and more. It’s been a huge success and has been performed everywhere in the Northeast. On 12th January, 2014, upon the invitation by NEZCC, it was performed at Shilpagram Auditorium, in Guwahati. It was also invited at the Purvottar Natya Samaroha, organized by NSD, and was performed on 26th September, 2014.
Written and Directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee
8. Naya Andaz (2015): A family drama, the play deals with the sensitive yet widely discussed theme of generation gap. It takes place in modern day Agartala, which has metamorphosed from a town of simple origins to a city pulsating with life, ambitions and diverse choices. In this play, Bikas, a retired professor with an illustrious past is an avid follower and admirer of Yatras and time-honoured views of culture and traditions and he can’t cope with the fact that his children Mili and Somu are of a different breed altogether, having separate cultural values. Time plays a pivotal role in this play as there is a continuous confrontation between the past and the present. A play that is deceptively simple with a non-linear narrative style, hopes to explore themes of nostalgia and regrets of the past as well as fears of the present which culminates in a collective desire to attain a synergic relationship.
Written and Directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee.
9. Kabuliwala (2017): An adaptation of Tagore’s celebrated short story, this heart-rending tale revolves around the themes of innocence, love, fate and separation and explores how filial affection and bonds of friendship transcend the borders of race, religion, culture and language. Dramatized and Directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee, the play also speaks against the dangers of communalism, which has been a raising concern in today’s India. It also stresses on the history of migration crisis. It was one of the most successful plays of the group and has been invited in various theatre festivals organized by NSD, NEZCC and EZCC.
10. Motijaner Meyera (2018): A feminist play, based on the short story of famous Bangladeshi novelist Selina Hossain, it is a moving account of the contemporary socio-political conflicts and crises – examining gender roles and critiquing systems of power that keep women oppressed. Adapted and Dramatized by Bibhu Bhattacharjee, this play explores the lives of lower-class, economically backward women of India and Bangladesh and how they’re subjected to oppression, domestic violence, and deprived of love, affection and humility. In the subcontinent, there has been a systematic erasure of female voices, especially in that particular class. They’re denied of education, constantly devalued and confined to certain stereotypical representations. This play seeks to touch upon these issues and also consciously put forward a sense of empowerment- thus advocating for woman’s rights by examining their social roles and lived experience. This play has gained gained widespread critical acclaim and has been performed at various places in Agartala.
11. Bapuji (2019): The play centres around the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi. As part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, as declared by the Govt of India, Tripura Theatre presented this play as a homage to the person who was massively responsible for envisioning a free India and also have tried to address the perennial questions on hatred, untouchability and freedom which still haunt India so many year after its independence. It also depicts how Mahatma Gandhi carried forward a nation-wide non-violent protest against the Britishers as part of gaining Independence, and how he envisioned a modern nation state free from superstitions, untouchability and hatred.
Written and Directed by Bibhu Bhattacharjee.