Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Apsara Theatrer Mamla

A not so very well known but quite intriguing Satyajit Ray’s Feluda story based on mysterious disappearances and murders of stage actors tuned to the rhyme of today’s scenario by Charbak and directed by none other than Sabyasachi Chakrabarty who plays the lead character of Feluda. The play may be thought of as a tribute to the golden days of the Bengali theatre projecting the devotion of the artists as a part of its theme. Though the essential facts remained the same as the original story but sub-plots relating the producer’s desire of selling up the Apsara Theatre to an estate promoter much against the determined wishes of the performers and the director has been added, as has been the inclusion of female characters in important roles, a rarity in Feluda stories.
The main theme is a sudden disappearance of the lead actor of the Apsara Theatre followed by a murder of the replacement after three months thus considerably jeopardizing the proposed show schedule. Several motives evolve and Feluda is held in confusion to the real identity of the criminal. I won’t give away the story but will surely point out that two equally significant motives have been introduced that was not in the original story. The play is not only an entertaining watch for the Feluda lovers but also serious critics may find in equally enjoyable. Special mention must be made of Kheyali Dastidar, who not only plays a character that was not in the original story, but plays it better than all the others. Sujit Ghosh, playing the character of the greedy producer, is also a new addition to the plot but he also is superb in his role. The third best performance, according to me, is by Subir Roychoudhuri as Jatayu who excels in his role and I think Sandip Ray can now think seriously of casting him as Lalmohan for any upcoming Feluda movie. The stage and the scene plans are also superb that is best noticed in the scene where the murder takes place in a dark lane in front of a taxi. Light has been expertly used to project the various moods of the story as it progresses. On the whole, a pleasant watch and a nice tribute to the golden past of the Bengali theatres.

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