A scene from Beyond the Land of Hattamala

My personal choice as the sleeper in Badal Sircar?s oeuvre is Hattamalar Opare, for its simplicity of concept and expression combined with depth of social import. A child can enjoy it at the same time that an adult appreciates its egalitarian message. Compared to his famous plays that bear the burden of sombre anti-war statements or absurdist interrogations of identity, it is as crystalline and sunny as a pellucid pool.

He dramatised it from Premendra Mitra?s novel Hattamalar Deshe, completed by Lila Majumdar in the 1970s. It begins with two petty thieves, Becha and Kena, escaping from people chasing them and jumping into a river to save their skins. They apparently drown but then we see them on the other bank. Meeting the polite citizens of this land, they gradually realise that no such thing as money exists here. Some seniors recall that in the dim past, they used to have coins and notes. Now everyone serves the community with whatever they do best, and takes what they want according to their needs. They are most intrigued by the thieves? ability to break into buildings, and discuss how this specialised skill can help them all.

The Action Players (TAP) are the ideal group to present this utopian parable (in its English translation as Beyond the Land of Hattamala). The dialogue may have seemed an impediment to India?s only speech-impaired company. But Zarin Chaudhuri surmounts this handicap by adding, as in the past, voicing actors, with the difference that this time they perform throughout as shadow actors speaking the text. Most innovatively, however, she employs Indian sign language for the first time on stage, completely indigenising the TAP experience. She also coopts Jhooma Sircar as co-director, continuing her policy of training younger members to take over.

Irfan Ahmed and Vishal Rao interpret the puzzled purloiners as leader and sidekick respectively. Irfan?s counting to 100 to control his temper exemplifies their relationship. The eight other actors emote expressively. Rajatri Biswas and Chirag Madan voice very well, but Gev Bapooji is a revelation, not only for his splendid baritone but also in varying his scale to suit the character portrayed. Neel Adhikari?s original soundtrack sounds contemporary as well as aids TAP by its strong rhythms. The production does Calcutta proud; we hope it travels elsewhere in India.