Bisarjan - A Play by Manipur Dramatic Union

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A Scenes from Manipur Dramatic Union's Bisarjan :: Picture Credit - Bunti Phurailatpam

Manipur Dramatic Union
play: Bisarjan
Date: March 22, 2012

About the Play:

'Bisarjan' is a prominent play written by the novel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore in the earlier period of the literati. The play is based on the superstitiuous tradition of worshipping the Hindus goddess Kali and Chandi cult. When a poor, helpless girl named Aparna complained to the King of Tripura called Govindamanikya that one of her goats was taken by force, for sacrificing before the goddess, the King and came to the temple where the goat was to be sacrificed and asked Jaising, the foster son of Raghupati Priest of the temple to know the reason of having taken it. When Aparna knew that the goat had already been sacrificed, she cried with great shock.

Seeing her in such a sad condition, the king felt unbearable and decided to stop the tradition of any being worshipping the goddess with blood and stopped it. After this, there was a great rivalry between the king and the proud and superstitious Brahmin, Raghupati. Raghupati tried to preserve the tradition of sacrificing by wicked means. He pursued the childless superstitious queen, the nobles of the court and people to continue the tradition of sacrificing before the goddess, and asked Jaising to bring the blood of the king.

The priest Raghupati instigated his younger brother, Nakshatrarai that he would be the king if he could kill Govindamanikya as told by goddess Kali in his dream. Gunabati, the childless and superstitious queen who was mad in the hope of getting a child and who was under the influence of Raghupati had a mistaken view that the king neglected her for a childless mother persuaded Nakshatrarai who wholeheartedly wanted the kingship to kill the fostered child, Druba, and sacrifice the child in her name. While the king knew the secret plan of sacrificing the child by Raghupati and Nakshatrarai, the king made them arrested. The king make a final decision to exile the two guilty persons.

Raghupati requested the king to allow him to stay in the country for only two days. The king agreed to his request. At last, as a last means, Raghupati asked Jaising to bring the blood of the king. Jaising who thought that he also had the blood of the royal family, knifed himself before the goddess and to worship the goddess with his blood and thus saved the king. When Jaising whom be took as his own son ended his life. He was greatly shocked. He became to know the uselessness of his pride and superstition. He cried woefuly. He threw the image of the goddess to the Gomti river. Aparna who led a miserable life by his neglect helped him at the time of his sorrow. This shows the idea of universal love and ahimsa is supreme.

A Scenes from Manipur Dramatic Union's Bisarjan :: Picture Credit - Bunti Phurailatpam

Director's Note:

Bisarjan has a material and spiritual content with a lyrical and poetical expression. Moreover, it is a psychological play also. The playwright successfully portrays his opposition to offering of blood to the goddess Kali and his love for universal love and ahimsa. Moreover, the play depicts the playwright's minute view of humanism.

It also shows the material and the spiritual, the conflict between the wife and husband, and the members of the family and his stand against the worshipping of Kali with man and animal blood. It is a great burden to show the great endowed human qualities of Rabindra Nath Tagore. It shows the humanism, spiritualism and universalism. It is a sincere effort as an experiment to bring out the message of the playwright as a theatrical art.

About the Group:

Manipur Dramatic Union popularly known as MDU is a Premier Theatre Organisation of Manipur which was established on the 15th March, 1931. The group has been working relentlessly for the development of Manipur Theatre as well as Manipur Literature and Culture. It has been exhibiting different kinds of play in and outside Manipur and bagged many prestigious Award.

MDU's play Haorang Leishang Shaphabi is the first one in Manipur to get the National Award in the National Drama Festival held at New Delhi in Folk category in the year 1954. The group has produced 224 plays including 32 short plays since its inception.

About the Director:

Dr. Lamabam Gojendra (born 1953) started his career as a child artiste. He joined Manipur Dramatic Union (MDU) in the year 1978. He is the founder Director of Children's Cultural Centre, Manipur. He has directed more than 30 plays including children plays and in one of the well known Creative directors in contemporary Manipur Theatre. He has also conducted many Theatre Workshops and worked with noted senior directors like H. Thambal Sharma, K. Kunjabihari, Khaidem Bihari, Heisnam Kanhailal, Prabir Guha, John Martin etc.

He is a Short Story writer, playwright and translator too and is also associated with literary and cultural organisation and published two books on the short stories. He is a regular columnist of the local daily,'Poknapham'. Also contributed critical and research articles in Leading Journal of Manipuri and presented paper in seminars and conferences.

He has won best Director Awards in many State and National Festival Competitions. He has also been awarded the Dr. Ambedkar Fellowship Award by the Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi New Delhi, 'B.I. Award' and 'S. Chaoba Award' by Manipur Dramatic Union, Imphal.

Cast:

Govindamanikya : Sorokhaibam Sarat
Raghupati : Irengbam Tiken
Jaising : Lairenmayum Milan
Nakshatrarai : Taibanganba Thangjam.
Nayanarai : Khundongbam Unba Meetei
Chandpal : Pangambam Wanglen
Child Dhruva : Master Thangjam Nganba
Gunabati : Ningthemcha Ongbi S. Manglembi
Aparna : Sorokhaibam Sangita
Maharanigi Loinabi : Mangalleima Hijam

Courtiers & others

: Athokpam Kholchandra.
: Thokchom Ragen,
: Thokchom Shyamkishore,
: Thiyam Anand,
: Huidrom Bikel
: Purnc Ningthoujam,
: Mangalleima Hijam,
: Ngariyanbam Nandita,
: Hijam Destiny etc.

Credits :

Stage & Light : Laishram Ibochouba
Asst. : Taibanganba Thangjam
Make-up : B.K. Pebya
Costume : Khundongbam Unba Meetei
Music : Chanambam Ringo & Irom Joy
Asst. : Bachaspatimayum Bobby Sharma
Set & Props : L. Ibochouba & Th. Taibanganba
Stage Manager : Athokpam Kholchandra
Script : Rabindra Nath Tagore
Translation : Khomdram Dhanachandra
Design & Direction : Dr Lamabam Gojendra
Consultant. : Kshetri Ibohal, Thoidingjam, Tombi, Akham Laxmi Devi, Kshetrimayum Madhabi Devi