Glorious mobile theatres of Assam: Nostalgic memories

Gautam Ganguly

(gautamganguly2012@gmail.com)

The news item that 'Kohinoor' and 'Abahan', two iconic mobile theatre groups of Assam, deciding not to stage any drama during the year 2021-22 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, appearing in almost all leading dailies has shocked and disheartened thousands of ardent admirers of glorious Assamese Mobile theatres. It needs no reiteration that 'Bhramyaman theatres' have been the heart-throbs, the indispensable parts of socio-cultural life, besides being a prolific source of entertainment for the theatre-goers of Assam. Being closeted like a caged animal in a zoo due to fear of being infected by the Coronavirus and consequential lockdown, my mind takes a journey down memory lane to pay homage to several spirit-uplifting, superb dramas staged during the last few decades that have remained permanently etched in my memory.

Time was when the ushering of the winter season was welcomed in our state for providing respite from heat and humidity, besides igniting the passion of theatre aficionados to watch plays performed by different mobile theatre groups. While the city of Guwahati had always been a reservoir of various recreational avenues with an abundance of sports and cultural activities at any given time, the mobile theatre groups (BHRAMYAMAN NATOK GOSTHI) became as inseparable as the auspicious festivals for the entertainment-starved suburb, mofussil populace during the early 70s to mid-90s.

'A nation is known by the stage', goes the English saying. The high dramatic sensibility, the lofty artistic taste of the audience of Assam coupled with their euphoric response had a telling impact on the quality of mobile theatres in the formative years. The hiring of buses to go to nearby places to watch popular plays and umpteen such activities were the familiar sites during the winter season from Sadiya to Dhubri (Barak Valley excluded).

Travelling down memory lane, I fondly remember the sheer brilliance with which Shakespeare's 'Othello' was presented in 1979 by 'Kohinoor'. We were overwhelmed by the quality of faithful recreation of Shakespeare's classic. The professional skill and competence with which the audience was transported to the Shakespearian age were mind-blowing.

Technique Rehman in the role of 'Othello' was just superlative and so was late Mahananda Sarmah in his role of 'Lago'. The oft-quoted, immortal Shakespearian dialogue in the climax scene, 'Put out the light and then put out the light…' was brilliantly translated. The fact that the whole set of a packed audience, many of whom were unfamiliar with the drama, were kept glued to their seats magnify the extent of the brilliance of the venture.

In the context of the present Afghanistan imbroglio, let me remind the present generation that an 'Air India jumbo jet' was hijacked by Pakistani and Taliban terrorists in 1999 and landed at Kandahar, Afghanistan. The pitiable condition of passengers, their mental trauma was superbly presented on the stage by the mobile theatre group. Most importantly, the sight of a jumbo jet on stage was mind-blowing.

'Andhakup', a suspense thriller, remains etched in memory primarily due to maestro, Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia's unmistakable mastery and deft touch. Written and directed by all respected Dr Saikia, the play was exciting and had kept the audience on tenterhooks till the end. Late Suren Mahanta in the role of a police inspector was simply superlative (1982).

The staging of 'Mahabharat', the epic, was a roaring success and heralded a new horizon in technical excellence for the mobile theatre groups. Watching the 'Kurukshetra war' onstage was simply pulverizing for the connoisseurs. The sight of two arrows hitting each other coming from the opposite direction and resultant flash of lightning was spectacular. 'Lord Krishna 'in His chariot advising 'Arjuna' had caught the imagination of the audience. It can be safely asserted that no Indian state could even dream of staging 'Mahabharat' in 1983.

A milestone play titled, 'Xurongor Xeshat' (At the end of the tunnel) became ravishingly successful in the year 1984. Superlative acting by all artists, outstanding screenplay, awe-arousing background music has all combined to make the highly tensed drama magnificent and unforgettable. Even when Akashvani Guwahati used to broadcast this drama, it was immensely popular. The visual impact of this drama was as enormous as that of all-time hit films in Indian celluloid like 'Dr Bezboruah' and 'Sholay' etc.

Those of us always, wailing and lamenting for 'what we lack in our state' and look for neighbouring states, need to be assured categorically that mobile theatres and their visual extravaganzas have been the embodiments of the rich Assamese culture and aesthetic tradition. 'Jatra',

'Bengal's popular form of entertainment once upon a time, devoid of modernity, bereft of technology besides being too rustic, had little impact on the modern populace and died its natural death. Mobile theatres in Assam in contrast have been going from strength to strength keeping a perfect balance between modernity and tradition.

As an ardent connoisseur, I feel that the first phase of the glorious journey of Assam's mobile theatre had reached its sky-rocketing climax with 'Titanic', directed by Hemanta Dutta. At a time when the whole world was overwhelmed by the million dollars worth of Hollywood movies, we witnessed Helicopter landing and the vast Atlantic on a small stage!! A theatrical adaptation of, 'Titanic' has received unanimous accolades across the country and even in Hollywood. Hemanta Dutta's performance in the role of captain of the sinking Titanic has been stunning.

At the risk of being branded as an 'old timer' suffering from 'generation gap syndrome', I ould prefer to watch old classics on the mobile theatre stage rather than the present effort to pamper and cater to the Bollywood infatuated audience' steeped in decadent taste and culture. I offer my humble tribute to A Lahkar, Ratan Lahkar and Krishna Roy, the stalwarts, the doyen of Assamese mobile theatre.