Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 447 Sun. August 28, 2005  
   
Culture


A new dimension in poetry recitation
Drishyakabya by Manabi


To give poetry a different dimension, cultural organisation Manabi screened their first production Drishyakabya, (dramatisation of poetry), at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture Friday last.

Bhashwar Bandyapadhyay who recited the poems for the production, explained, "This is the first such effort of poetry dramatisation. Different directors and performers have presented poetry in different ways, but this is the first time in Bangladesh that poetry has been presented through characterisation."

The six poems used for the production are Rabindranath Tagore's Bisharjan, Dui Bigha Jami and Bimbwaboti, Mejaj by Shubhash Mukhapadhyaya, Abosharer Gaan by Shabyashachi Dey and Fanshi by Kanailal Jana. Directed by Parvez Shikdar and Manik, the other recitor of Drishyakabya is Nahid Parveen. Popular actors Sirajul Islam and Nasima Khan portrayed two different characters in Dui Bigha Jami and Mejaj. Promising actors Anjum Ara Bakul, Rafiqul Islam, Nahid Parveen, Shantanu, Manik, Riya and Manabi have also played their characters with commitment.

The best piece in the production was the performance with the poem Bisharjan that tells the story of a distressed mother who struggles to save her ailing child. Anjum Ara Bakul, in the role of the mother, was appreciable. The performances of Rafiqul Islam and Shantanu as two convicts, given the death sentence in the poem Fanshi, were quite realistic and moving. Riya's mature performance in the piece Abosharer Gaan seemed to surpass her years.

According to the director Manik, "As poetry is the substance of all types of human emotion, we wanted to express these feelings through characterisation. Without distorting the true essence of the original poems, we have created this production to enable the audience to visualise poetry."

Bhashwar expressed his appreciation of the selection of the poems, as there is drama in each of the poems. According to him, "I appreciate this maiden effort, as it is not exactly the so-called recitation we usually watch. However, there are some limitations in the production. For instance, the characters of the poetry could have been portrayed better through proper expressions and body language, rather than through dubbing. And in between the poems there should be a little pause to give a break to the viewers. Despite these problems, the director tried his best to present the poems with authenticity. As an innovative effort, such productions could add a new dimension to the TV channels as well."

Picture
(L-R) Shantanu, Rafiqul Islam and Manik with co-artiste in a sequence of Fanshi, one of the poems presented at the programme