Cultural organisation Bashori lifted the curtain on a seven-day theatre festival featuring theatrical works of Kazi Nazrul Islam and plays on him at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Bangladesh Mahila Samity on Saturday.

The festival titled ‘Bashori Nazrul Natya Samaraho 2024’ is featuring 11 theatrical productions of different theatre troupes.

Independence Award-winning thespian Ataur Rahman inaugurated the festival while International Theatre Institute, Bangladesh Centre president Abdus Selim was present as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony.

Theatre director Golam Sarwar delivered welcome speech at the ceremony, which was presided over by Bashori president Khalequzzaman.

Ataur Rahman said, ‘This theatre festival is different from other commemorative programmes organised to observe the anniversary of the birth and death of Nazrul. I thank Bashori for organising such a different event featuring many plays of Nazrul.’

Golam Sarwar said that many people, including theatre artistes thought that no plays were written by Nazrul, who, in fact, wrote plays.

‘We only knew that Nazrul wrote leto plays but did not know much about the plays before the publication of the book titled Dukhu Miyar Letogan from Kolkata in 2003,’ said Golam Sarwar.

‘Moreover, he wrote many modern plays,’ mentioned Golam Sarwar, adding that many people say that the plays of Nazrul are for reading not for staging, which is not true at all.

‘I hope that the plays will be staged one day,’ said Golam Sarwar.

Abdus Selim said that the plays of Nazrul did not get due recognition.

Nazrul was not only a poet and writer but also a playwright, said Abdus Selim.

Khalequzzaman said, ‘Bashori is working with all works of Nazrul. We want to spread the works and philosophy of Nazrul among people.’

The opening day of the festival featured two theatrical productions of Tagore University of Creative Arts and Bashori Repertory.

Bashori Repertory staged the play titled ‘Setu-Bandha’, an allegorical play, written by national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and directed by Golam Sarwar.

The play emphasised protecting the river and the environment. It revolves around the battle between the goddess Padma and a demonic character named Jantrapoti.

Padma comes to know that Jantrapoti has completed all the preparations to build a dam on the River Padma with the intention of entering heaven by destroying the river. Therefore, Goddess Padma urges Meghraj, Pavana and other gods and goddesses to stop the demon and the battle begins.

Besides, theatre troupe of Tagore University of Creative Arts staged ‘Bouer Biye’, a leto play written by Kazi Nazrul Islam and directed by Dhiman Chandra Barman, on the opening day of the festival.

The second day of the festival will feature Theatre Bayanno’s play titled ‘Sudkhor Brojen Mukherjee’ and Jagannath University Rangabhumi’s ‘Bouer Biye’.

Bashori will stage ‘Boner Meye Pakhi’ on Monday while Methopath Theatre will stage ‘Haradhoner Biye’ and Bohor will stage ‘Shami-Strir Jhogra’ on Tuesday.

Besides, Desh Opera will stage ‘Bidrohi Nazrul’ on June 5 while Gazipur Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi will stage ‘Putuler Biye’ and ‘Bidyabhutum’ respectively on June 6.

Bashori will draw the curtain on the festival with Karpashdanga Nazrul Smriti Parishad’s theatrical production titled ‘Nilkuthi’ on June 7.