Drama society Aakriti, a reputed amateur Bengali theatre group staged two plays — “Timir Hanon” in Bangla and another one in Hindi “Rubaru” — on the occasion of “Aakriti Annual Night”, at Muktadhara Auditorium in New Delhi this weekend.

The group always aims to produce good meaningful plays of social relevance and offers healthy entertainment to theatre lovers. Although based in Delhi, it has not remained confined to Delhi NCR only, it has dished out to the Northern part of the country during its twenty-one years of existence. It has participated in numerous drama competitions/festivals, made its presence felt in the theatre circuit, won about sixty-one awards with thirty-one productions in its credits, and hence earned a formidable reputation.

Speaking on the occasion about their current production renowned artist and director of Delhi theatre circle Souvik Sen Gupta said “Timir Hanon is a play charged with emotion, in which human integrity meets a terrifying test. It dramatizes the struggle within every soul between light and darkness and its relevance to our everyday struggles.”

“Our first Hindi production -Roobaru -Haqiqat Se Saamana, a story about what is the reality of life, what is the importance of a relationship, what is the truth, what is the matter, one has to find out. It glimpses into one’s soul, offering a blend of thought-provoking themes and captivating imagery.” He explained.

Their First presentation, a serious play in Bangla “Timir Hanon” is based on the story “The Devil and Miss Prym” by Paulo Coelho. Playwright by Shri Shankar Basu Thakur, and Design & Direction by Shri Souvik Sen Gupta.

The storyline of the play was set in the remote small village of Viscos with a population of just 281 persons, where a stranger arrived, carrying with him a backpack containing gold bars. The village community is devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear. The strange man is persecuted by the ghosts of his painful past and meets a young woman who is searching for her happiness.

The stranger strikes up a curious friendship with this young woman from the village – Miss Prym. His mission is to discover whether human beings are essentially good or evil. In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives. In one eventful week, each of them will face questions of life, death, and power, and choose their own path leading to god.

The cast was impressive as all actors contributed in some measure. The lead players, Palash Das as Carlos – The Stranger, Aparna Banerjee in the role of Berta-The old lady, and Sanghita Shome as Prim – Caretaker of the Ramos Inn, deserve special mention. All are well-known faces on the capital’s Bengali stage.

Arunava Sengupta delivers a wonderful supporting role of Father Jacob. Other actors Amitabha Mitra (Owner of Ramos Inn), Sabhyasachi Sen (Head of Village Viscose), and Nirbhik Chatterjee (Tim -The Ghost of the Late Husband of Berta) convincingly essayed their respective roles.

The make-up by Dilip Chakraborty was effective, the minimalist approach in stage decor by Sudip & Supratik Biswas and brilliant and inventive light design by Ranjan Basu, and the music by Arunava Sen Gupta and music Operation by Abhiranjan Biswas helped the director immensely. On the whole, the production stood out for depth in theme and aesthetics.

The second presentation of Aakriti’s annual night was the Hindi play “Rubaru” which is an adaptation of the Bangla novel by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. Playwright, Design, and Direction by Souvik Sen Gupta.

“Rubaru” deals with human personality – our pattern of thought, feeling, and behaviour which can change dramatically if the situation demands. Our mind allows us to interpret what we perceive externally, yet there is so much left unexplained about the mind itself. When an individual’s very existence is at stake, a new identity is forged inside his subconscious, splitting his personality into two or more distinct parts. The storyline of the play searches for what happens when these two personalities come face to face.

Two strangers meet at a park for a chitchat which slowly reveals different layers of human psychology.

It is a reflection of a profound understanding of human emotions and the ability to express them in a captivating manner. The play takes the viewer on a journey of self-discovery, exploring the intricacies of human relationships, the complexities of life, and the beauty of memories. The author’s work is a testament to his creativity, sensitivity, and empathy.

In terms of performance, Vijay Singh and Sadananda Mukhopadhyay played the lead roles of first and second persons skilfully and excelled in their roles. Needless to say, Sudip & Supratik Biswas’s set design, Souvik Sen Gupta’s and Arunava Sengupta’s music with Ranjan Basu’s light created a mesmerising environment on stage.

At the end of the day, it was a heartwarming performance of the artists of Aakriti under the able guidance of director Shri Souvik Sen Gupta, success in passing a strong social message was acknowledged by the house-packed audience. Its experiment in content and form has made the connoisseurs of performing art sit up and applaud.