The audience and the show’s staff honored Tilottama by maintaining silence at the start of the production of Chanda Bedni, the newest play by the Rangakarmee. Although a lot of shows are currently being canceled or rescheduled, Rangakarmee, a theater organization established by the late Usha Ganguly, adheres to the idea that “The Show Must Go On”. Permit the play to go on, but instead of putting an end to it, let people protest through their art.

 “The issue of livelihood for many people arises if the show is stopped. The man who stands outside the venue selling tea makes his living when the show is on. Thus, we’re not in favor of stopping a show” said Anirudh Sarkar, director of the play.

The narrative of “Chanda Bedni” centers on the plot-driven murder of a lady. The Tilottma demonstration appears to address the issue of unfairness towards women, even though the drama set in the Bundelkhand milieu leaves it out.

The tale of Chanda Bedni centers on a prostitute belonging to the Bedni clan in Bundelkhand. It is their job to provide dance, music, and other forms of entertainment to keep the kings happy. The protagonist of this tale is Chanda. The narrative of the injustice that befalls a lady is revealed via the love in her life and the tragic conclusion. The drama, written by Alakhanandan, tells the story of the Bedni tribe, where women are the main providers of income, giving the audience a taste of the colorful culture of Bundelkhand. The story shows how Chanda, a courtesan mesmerizes everyone with her charms.

When a Brahmin boy falls deeply and selflessly in love with Chanda, the story takes a different direction. In contrast to everything she has ever known, this love transforms her life.

This tale is brought to life by Rangamkaree’s production, which shows how love overcomes social and religious barriers with a blend of mysticism and realism. But the royal queen’s jealousy will ultimately put their love to the test, and the results will be disastrous.

The cast consists of Ranjini Ghosh (Chanda), Ankit Sharma (Laxman), Om Tiwari (Sadhu), Anindita Pati (Munni), Monosij Biswas (Raja), Shirsendu Maiti Pal (Mantri), Gaurav Sinha (Kutna), Abhishek Pandey (Raj Purahit) ), Megha Guha Roy (Kaki), Subhash Biswas (Sukhiya Muchi) and Shubham in the role of mridanga player.

The music of the play is composed by Dr. Mita Sarkar, Anirudh Sarkar, and Shubham.

The next show is on September 15, at Girish Manch.

Priyanka Dutta