A scene from A-Chik A-Song. A Telegraph picture

Pabitra Rabha happens to be one of the very few alumni of the National School of Drama hailing from Assam, who is doing something exceptional and experimental in a stage play.

A seasoned theatre activist with fresh ideas and a creative mindset, Rabha has already made a mark in the state theatre by producing a couple of interesting plays and his latest production, A-Chik A-Song, a play in Garo staged in the recently-held Purbottar Natya Samaroh, was also no exception.

Written by Rajib Kumar Phukan and set in the backdrop of the 1870s, the play is based on the socio-political history of the Garo people and their armed resistance against the British.

The playwright establishes the narrative in the form of a flashback. It begins with a grandmother narrating the heroic tale from Garo myth and moves on to the episode of martyr Toggan Nigminza, who trained Garo youths to fight against the British rulers.

The actual events take place in a village inhabited by peace-loving people. The great Garo freedom fighter, Toggan Nigminza, comes there and motivates the youths to be united and also to become trained as warriors so that the British rulers could be banished from their motherland.

The villagers, initially, find it hard to accept the new concept of getting involved with war and violence. But Nigminza, with his towering personality and strong conviction, wins the heart and faith of the masses.

Finally, their very first ambush on the British costs the life of their leader Nigminza and his heroic death makes the villagers in general and the youths in particular more committed to the cause.

The significance of the play lies in awakening the sense of patriotism among the simple, peaceful masses and then to convince them to take the path of war to free their motherland from the clutches of the British.

Director Rabha has shown his skill in maintaining the slow but rhythmic pace of changes in the mindset of the villagers. Using some interesting elements from the rich Garo folktales, Rabha has dealt with the plot in such a subtle way that it moves in a smooth, even pace without any jerk.

The wonderful use of Garo traditional costume and music lifted the production to an enviable height.

The imaginative set-props, especially, the high ramp at the deep stage installed to create the effect of the riverbank, was another asset to the play.

The most surprising aspect of the entire play was the flawless acting by the entire cast comprising all greenhorns. There was no sign of hesitation or inertia in any of the actors. Rabha deserves praise for bringing in such a cohesion to his unit.