An ode to artists and artistry — this is how Durgapur Bhimroti characterised its performance of Rongchongey Muhurtora at Madhusudan Mancha. Sadly, the production left much to be desired in terms of artistry.
The story, scripted by the director, Dipankar Sen, seems to be a slightly tired mishmash of Life in a… Metro and The Hustle. However, there are numerous plus points which would recommend the performance to a prospective audience. The two lead actors, Arindam Ganguly and Nayana, playing Tathagata and Ajaya, respectively, superbly enact the roles of two rather old individuals who meet by chance at a busy Metro station and engage in a sparkling conversation, reminiscing about old days and lost loves. Their experience shines through and they convincingly inhabit the roles of people who have left behind childish desires to live a life of responsibility. Unfortunately, the plot is too contrived — the dialogues make it evident that the ‘fictional’ Ajaya does not actually know Tathagatha and is a con ‘artist’ trying to deceive him into giving her money; she succeeds in doing so, eventually, by narrating a sob story about having fallen on hard times. The play rounds out with Ajaya moving on to another victim. The side plots, and consequently the side characters, are wholly unnecessary — the magicians, the shabby, old beggars, and girls seemingly running away from abusive families seem to exist only to remind the audience that nothing is what it looks like and that everyday life is a scam, a swindle. The play would have one believe that they would accept being fooled knowingly as long as it meant they got to experience some joy, a few ‘moments of colourful happiness’.
Another fantastic feature of the stage production was its music. The title song, composed and sung by Senjuti Gupta and Mrinal Kanti Das, was a breathtaking arrangement of merry cadences that carried the audience along on its simultaneously melancholic and joyful rhythms.
In conclusion, Rongchongey Muhurtora’s revolt against the commodification of life by demanding that one should slow down and smell the roses should draw the audience to watch it at least once, but it won’t be remembered in the annals of Calcutta’s theatre.