Apala Basu on stage (Picture by Surjendu Acharya)

The reading of a play isn?t as breathtaking as the staging of the same, contend many theatre-lovers. And some simply brush it off as being equivalent to a ?Sunday afternoon radio play?. In spite of obvious limitations, play reading has its band of sincere followers. Abritti Parishad and Sangya organised a feast of vocal emoting at the Sisir Mancha (April 24-25) for them.

Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay?s short story Kinnardal ? the title literally alluding to a group of heavenly musicians and thespians ? has the almost invisible and fleeting presence of Sripati?s wife, characterised by Apala Basu, a modern urban woman who reads, sings and, above all, thinks. She gradually wins the hearts of her neighbours and organises these women into groups that think healthy, enact plays and even break into occasional song. Then suddenly news comes from the city that Sripati?s wife has not survived a difficult childbirth. The women are once again left in the mire of early 20th-century village life.

Director Kajal Sur has done a commendable job of script-writing and turning a simple story with the typical Bibhutibhushan-like twists into an audio play. His awareness of the hidden dramatic elements is praiseworthy where the rural lingo comes alive in the women?s non-stop chatter at the bathing ghats. Sur could have looked into the correct pronunciation of the two ?r? sounds by some of the readers, to lend the reading a more professional edge.

Nineteenth-century playwright Dwijendralal Roy?s Shah Jehan has been a popular play laden with a multitude of dramatic elements and musical compositions that have done their rounds with the masses. Abritti Parishad played safe choosing the play (Sisir Mancha, April 25), but also ran the risk of being pitched against the Sisir Bhaduri productions of it. And predictably enough, the oft-read lines brought memories of this costume drama. Every slip in the reading (Satinath Mukho-padhyay as Aurangzeb was a prey to the heavy tongue-twist-ers) surfaced awkwardly as there was no costume, lighting or action to concentrate on. Swapan Ganguly?s Shah Jehan could have been more contemporary ? sans the jatra melodrama. Shuktisree Saha?s Jahanara was as per expectations while the truly enlightening part was the background music by Santanu Bandyopadhyay ? full of controlled nuances.