Azad Abul Kalam:
His directorial venture takes him to foreign lands
Ershad Kamol
Azad Abul Kalam, the well-known director of stage plays, seeks to introduce unique ideas in Bangladeshi theatre. So far he has directed nine stage-plays. Each time he has tried to add a new element to his earlier works. He has directed Bou Basanti, a Udichi production in the Dhaka Drama Festival 2004. Azad said, 'A director has to gauge the capability of the artistes before directing a play. In addition to my own group Prachyanut, I take a lot of time to work with the other groups as a guest director.'Azad will soon be off to India with a new directorial venture. Azad said, 'I am one of the directors of Babarnama. In the play, artistes from five countries-- Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka--are taking part. The Japanese government will extend patronage to the play, which will be staged in Japan and India.' Azad has a mixed response to the Dhaka Drama Festival 2004. As he says, 'Lately the theatre movement in Bangladesh had lost its momentum. The positive sign of the festival is the huge response of the audience. If the theatre leaders work together to promote drama it will be a step in the right direction. But if the Bangladeshi people from this medium are not up to the task, the festival will be a mere drop in the ocean.'
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