Sonepur: Natyachakra, a theatre organisation based in the district, presented Bhookha, a play written by Sambalpuri litterateur and lyricist Mangalu Charan Biswal on the World Theatre Day on Tuesday. The play is about the conflict between tradition and modernity.
The play has been staged at a time when technology is growing fast there is digitalisation of almost everything. Set in the 1980's during the early days of the advent of modernity, the play explores the plight of the Bajnias, the Ganda caste people from western Odisha, who were traditionally drummers by profession and performed in marriage processions with their group.
Soon a band with more sophisticated instruments took their place and threatened the existence of their music and also affected their livelihood. Beautifully set in the social landscape of rural Odisha, the play captured the cultural dominance of the dominant class.
The play was made into a movie in 1989, the first Sambalpuri movie which become the first film from the state to win an international award. The movie won the special jury award at the Gijjon International Film Festival in Spain.
The film was directed by Natyashree Gadadhar Barik and actors - Soumya Kanta Mishra, Abhisek Mishra, Jhalak Mishra and Shraddhanjali Sarangi were a part of it.
Film actor Sadhu Meher inaugurated the two-day event on the occasion of the World Theatre Day. Speaking on the occasion, Meher said the theatre served as the mirror of the society. "Theatre reflects the culture, tradition and other aspects of an area. It is a mirror of the society," he said.
Sonepur district collector Dasarathi Satapathy, the chief guest, said that theatre had a special place among all the performing arts. "It has a special place because you need combination of action, music, dialogues and many other things to communicate with your audience. The art is entertaining as well as educative. Theatre deals with issues like social injustice, superstitions and other social evils to create awareness among people. There is philosophy of life in theatre," Satapathy said.
