File picture of an Oja-Pali performance

June 4: Their goal is ambitious: to revive the moribund folk drama forms of Assam. And when members of city-based cultural society, Purbaranga, stage their grand public performance Taal at Rabindra Bhawan tomorrow, their commitment to the cause is sure to be apparent.

Seven years since they started out on their endeavour of resuscitating the dying folk drama forms of Oja-pali and Deodhani, Purbaranga has reason to be proud.

Choreographed by society director Gunakar Dev Goswami, the show ? spanning almost two hours ? will bring to the proscenium the classical art forms of the state.

“Sad but true, the oldest of the Assamese art forms are dying a silent death. Our commitment to the cause has motivated us to bring Oja-pali and Deodhani to urban audiences,” said Goswami.

“The Oja-pali and Deodhani art forms are not only as old as the land itself, their colourful extravaganzas can enthral audiences for several hours at a stretch. The drama forms bear almost all the ornaments of modern theatre,” Goswami explained.

Oja-pali refers to the choral singing of a party comprising the oja (master) and palis (assistants). The oja recites verses from the scriptures accompanied by gestures and body movements while the palis follow him.

Fifteenth-century Vaishnavite saint Srimanta San-kardev championed the cause of Oja-pali. Oja-pali consists of abhinaya (expression) in a narrative pattern as well as semi-theatrical elements. Oja-pali has two forms ? Viyah Oja and Sukanani Oja.

Deodhani dance has links with Sukanani Oja-pali. “Deo” means devta (god) and dhani means girl.

Goswami himself will take the lead while performing an Oja-pali recital. Nagen Deka, Bholaram Nath, Dipjyoti Nath and Niren Kakati will accompany him. Deodhani will be performed by Seujpriya and Bandana Baruah.

Lalit Chandra Nath Oja, the oldest living exponent of Oja-pali and a winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, has provided guidance to the performers.

Purbaranga’s last performance at the eighth Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the annual theatrical fiesta of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, won widespread critical appreciation for Sati, an hourlong play strictly based on the format of Oja-pali.

The 35-year-old Goswami, who is currently pursuing research on folk drama forms of Assam sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), came up with the idea of bringing Oja-pali to mainstream theatre as part of his experimental work.

Goswami, a well-known theatre personality, holds the record of winning the highest number of awards by any Indian at the All-India Multilingual Drama Festival, at Cuttack in Orissa last year.