A scene from the play, Siraj. Picture by Eastern Projections

Siraj, a timeless classic short story by noted writer Lakshidhar Sarma, was brought on stage by Natasurjya Phani Sarma, the undisputed apostle of modern Assamese theatre.

The play was staged by artistes of Baan Theatre, Tezpur, at the Asom Ranga Utsav, a drama festival at Rabindra Bhawan recently.

Directed by Promoth Das, the play turned out to be an impressive production.

The complex but skilfully knitted story deals with a tea planter’s son Kandarpa’s affair with the household help of the family, Sabitri.

Kandarpa promises Sabitri that he will marry her after completing his studies in Calcutta. Sabitri finds herself pregnant and after feeling insecure in the absence of Kandarpa, she runs away from the bungalow.

She finds refuge in the household of an aged, humble Muslim villager, Siraj, who treats her like a daughter. But she refuses to tell Siraj and his sister Fatema the identity of the father of the unborn.

Sabitri dies in childbirth after which Siraj assumes responsibility for the child, named Sita.

As fate would have it, at the age of eight, Sita meets the now-married Kandarpa.

Kandarpa introduces himself to Siraj as Sita’s father, takes custody and arranges for her to stay in a boarding school in Calcutta while keeping his wife in the dark.

Eight more years pass by but Kandarpa’s wife remains childless. One day, Kandarpa’s wife comes to know about Sita. Defying all conventional sentiments, she blames Kandarpa for hiding Sita from her for so long.

The play is full of dramatic elements and the director has intelligently managed to project these with the help of just two sets: the drawing room of the tea planter’s bungalow and the inner courtyard of Siraj’s house. Minimum props were used, leaving ample space for the artistes. The lighting and and sound were commendable.

Bhupen Sarma (as Siraj), Uday Sankar Saikia (as Aaghona, Kandarpa’s aged domestic help) and Nomi Sarma (as Sabitri) displayed flawless, innovative acting skills.