Batighar stages fan-favourite play 'Bhagaban Paliye Geche'

During the month of Ramadan, the theatre space usually comes to a standstill. However, this year turned out to be different.

The theatre group, 'Batighar' performed their famous play, 'Bhagaban Paliye Geche' on two separate days. One on Sunday (17 March) and the other on the following day at Shilpakala Academy at 7.15 pm.

The play featured talented performers such as Saddam Rahman, Faisal Mahmud, Sanjay Goswami, Nusrat Imam Bulti, Yasir Arafat, Sweety Hor, Shumon Shoron, Mridha Ayomi and more. Despite the idea that events like this might go slow during Ramadan, surprisingly, the hall saw an impressive number of guests on both days. 

"The writing process for this play began during the Covid pandemic. During that time, we struggled a lot mentally and went through a difficult time. At that time, I wrote the play in the context of our beliefs and values," said the playwright and director Muktaneel

He also added, in a way to explain the delay of the play perhaps, "We face a lot of difficulties in the theatre space. We do not get enough time, the availability of venues is low or we cannot get the dates we prefer for shows." 

Then he continued, "On the evening of the first performance, we faced several technical difficulties but we overcame them. The audience was satisfied and many people commented that they had experienced something beautiful." 

Faith is the main theme of this play as if it were a banyan tree — its presence is prominent above the ground and is equally strong below it. 

In the premise of the play, people seek refuge in faith and rely heavily on their beliefs. Since the beginning, people have remained deeply attracted to supernatural beliefs, which we tend to inherit from our ancestors. 

Bhagaban Paliye Geche doesn't speak of God absconding rather it is a tale of how we lose ourselves. It is a tale of how we lose our conscience, judgement and our humanity. The play was very enjoyable. The ambience – created with incense, smoke and percussion – was so immersive that it did not feel like a regular stage play. 

Sanju Goswami playing an owl was something else as he was genuinely emitting the aura of the nocturnal bird. The evolving relationship between God and the witch seems to transcend beyond human love and takes on a whole new form. Though the music is a dominant component in the play, it doesn't overpower the other elements of the play. 

The different settings the play brings out keep the pace going, however at times, silence creeps in somewhere, encouraging the audience to sit with their thoughts and contemplate. Upon hearing the title of the play, I thought that the play would bring a new perspective, and it did not disappoint. The storyline of the drama was quite thought-provoking.

Essentially, the concept of God is symbolic of the human conscience. The creator of the play has brilliantly portrayed this concept. Each actor performed exceptionally well in their respective roles.