BITARKITA APARAHNA – The Play

Sriman N. Mishra, is an Actor, Theatre Director, Playwright and Poet. He has been working for the cause of Theatre for more than 25 years. His contribution to Odia theatre as an actor, director playwright and organizer led dimensions in respective directions. He has started working as a director since long as an armature practitioner and off let taken up direction in professional approach and this adventure has no end. For the last 21 years, he has been organizing a National Theatre festival popularly known as “CANFEST” at Paradip, the only port city of Odisha, in which the theatre repertories of various parts of India as well as from the state have been participating. “Gandhi Bhumikare” (In the role of Gandhi), “Se Marigale” (He passed Away), “Chandrama Ra Chudi” (The bangles of Chandrama), “Andhara Ra Suryamukhi” (The sunflower at Night), “Mangala Mahuri Ra Tana”, “Gandhinka Odisha etc. are bunch of plays directed by him. As a theatre critic and poet, he has contributed articles to many magazines and periodicals. His recent play “Nihsanga Nayak” (The lonely hero) will be presented at “24th Bharat Rang Mahotsav” by National school of Drama at Delhi.

“CANMASS” is one of the leading cultural organizations in the state of Orissa, promoting art, literature & drama for last couple of years. The organization is an association of reputed cultural personalities having abundant experience in theater & media. “Canmass” has been organizing a National Theater Festival at Paradip, the only port city of the state, since last Twenty-one years (i.e. from 2004) inviting many eminent troupes from different parts of Country as well as from the state.

This festival is popularly named as “CANFEST”.

The organization has been involved in various Theatre and Literary activities like arranging literary discussions, State level poetry reading session, Discussion on theatre arts, production of stage plays, Theatre Festivals, Theatre Workshop for students and Children Theatre Festival. A special program “Odia Playwrights’ Conference” has been organized since last Seven years in collaboration with Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Canmass at present is imparting a Short-Term Certificate Course on “Acting, News casting and Anchoring” under “Canmass School of Performing Arts” (CASPA).

“CANMASS” as a theater group has been participated in various National and State Level Theatre Festivals. Few of them are Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Adi Rang Mahotsav organized by National School of Drama, Minerva National Theatre Festival, Kolkata, Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival by Rangayan and Rang Sangam a State level Theatre Festival organized by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, Bhubaneswar.

Bitarkita Aparahna (roughly translated as The Afternoon Blues) by Manoranjan Das, acknowledged as ‘the Father of New Wave Theatre Movement in Odisha is the story of three generations, the conflict between one generation that is on the verge of passing into oblivion and the succeeding two generations.

The middle generation represented by the couple Sukumar and Saswati is being torn between the old-world values and the pressing demands of modern life and is often visited by their alter egos. Wrestling with themselves in the form of their unseen adversaries (the other selves within) not only highlights their inner moral conflict but brings forth the essential father and the essential mother in them too.

Bulbul & Leena belong to the present generation, who is without qualms and gives a damn to the faith that his grandpa Nilaratan holds on to. The play closes with the apparent burial of ‘tradition’ and leaves a lot for the audience to brood over. The drama transcends the age-old friction between generations and the period the play is set in and becomes a human document of all time.