27-03-2023 (Monday)
Boda Raja
Badungudduupa Kala Kendra, Assam
Dhananjay Rabha
Ahamiya
THE DIRECTOR…..
Dhananjay Rabha was born on 28th July 1977 at Nadiapara village in Goalpara of Assam. He has an inborn talent of acting and learnt the art of theatre initially under Sukracharjya Rabha, in BadungduppaKalakendra, Assam since 2002, Padmabhushan H. Kanhailal and Padmashri H. Sabitri in Kalakshetra Manipur since 2006. He has earned fame as a folk instrumentalist as well as a performer. He has acted all in plays Directed by Sukracharjya Rabha. His plays Kuhipath in 2011, Lakhor Sabra in 2013, JumangiJakhala in 2014, Bornomala in 2015, Chijam in 2016, Nahi janta in 2017 and Sulung in 2018 have been well loved by the audience. Lastly he has directed “Kukuiraja” play based on Lusai folktale concept & script by Madan Rabha and “MarangkaiKap” in 2020.
THE GROUP…..
Badungduppa was established in 1998 in the Goalpara district of Assam by the initiative of the theatre lovers within Rabha community. It is the only rural based tribal theatre group actively engaged in making theatre in contemporary meaning. Under the artistic leadership of Sukracharjya Rabha, the group produced 20 plays last 21 years. Some of plays are Rupalim, MadaiahMuchi, To’ Poidam, Labhita, Hati Aru Fandi, Dangai, Dumukchi, Rather Rashi, The Silent Reality, Rhythm of the Valley, Echo of Life and NukharRenchakayniGopchaniand Son of Earth Mother were performed widely in national and International Theatre festival . The group is regularly organizing workshops for rural artists and research oriented theatre festival named “Under the Sal Tree” and Children Theatre Festival annually.
From 2003 till June 2018 the theatre group worked seriously under the committed, energetic and qualified guidance of Director Dr.Sukracharjya Rabha. Following his untimely demise in 2018, the group has been carrying his legacy forward under the artistic Director Dhananjay Rabha and Managing Director Madan Rabha, a talented and creative veteran in the field of theatre.
THE PLAY…..
Inspired by a Rabha folk tale “Randana Chandana and JanturPantur”, the play narrates the story of a monolithic village that thrived in harmony with the cooperation and fellowship of its inhabitants since time unknown. Given the content life of the villagers with neither to gain nor to lose, they continue to live peacefully uninformed of their susceptibility. However, with the passage of time, the society undergoes a gradual change as greed, for both power and wealth, upsets the bond of their ancient solidarity.
The ominous greed gradually transforms into a python that swallows the entire village and controls them positioning itself at the centre of the power structure. The calm and peaceful life of the village erodes as the serpentine body of power grows bigger and stronger. To make things worse, some opportunists from within the villagers participate in their own exploitation dancing to the tune of their handler in the hope of satiating individual hunger with a little slice of the pillage. The villagers are caught in an existential wait while the power induced lunacy of the present time is leading to further derangement of social harmony and mutual trust.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE…..
The play is a reconstruction of a popular Rabha folk tale with an attempt to recontextualise its symbolic importance in the present day scenario. Exploitation of the weaker by the powerful ones is an inevitable truth of human society. Aided by (mis)information and illusive reality, power has its many channels of oppression that perpetuates exploitation and torment of the weak. Within this premise, the play enquires if a new beginning is possible from within the battered wasteland.
