Bangladeshi play Amina Sundari, presented recently at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, was derived from two texts. Director Rokeya Rafique Baby tells Utpal K Banerjee that the narrative draws from the folklore of Chittagong and the ancient Mymensingha Geetika
Bangladesh is a land incredibly rich in folk culture and folklore that easily transcend the common religious barriers of Hinduism and Islam. Indeed, the Sufi tradition of Islam is heartily shared by the pan-Baul community of both Bengal and lalan Fakir’s stronghold in Kusthia has an inter-religious akhada (site) where several scores of devotees from all denominatations congregate and celebrate the iconic Fakir: throughout the year. Mymensingha Geetika has been a fertile source of ballads — sung and intoned through its lilting lyrics — that have gone round the whole world in its English renderings. Coastal areas of Chittagong has been another source of folklore, where the indigenously-built and architecturally-attractive shampans (large boats) form the back-bone of many romantic journeys across the seven seas on adventurous voyages, with their tales abounding in folk ballads.
Amina Sundari, directed by Rokeya Rafique Baby and presented recently by Theatre Art Unit from Bangladesh at NSD’s Bharat Rang Mahotsav, was a celebration of such journeys of Nasar Malum, sailor, to Burma (Myanmar) to hunt for his fortune. He leaves behind his beauteous wife Amina Sundari and does not return for eight long years, making her pine away all the while. What is much worse, she falls prey to the sharks and jackals of the society, who lust for her feminine flesh and swarm in with ignominious proposals. Even her parents join in the collusion and counsel her to accept a rich and aged widower as bread-provider, instead of awaiting her absentee husband.
The beleaguered Amina is subjected to exorcism, to rid her of the persistent loyalty to Nasar and to be preyed upon by the sexually greedy. In desperation, she has to flee home to escape the society’s unsavoury advances and undertake another shampan journey to Myanmar. Meanwhile, the fickle Nasar in Myanmar weds his employer’s daughter, quite forgetting Amina and undertakes yet another journey to distant Poridiya island, in quest of new trade. He visits Chittagong, too, to find Amina absent from there. He is robbed of his belongings at Poridiya. After some more adventures, Amina and Nasar land up at the same Hindu merchant’s household. The encounter results in Nasar’s solicitous enquiry if Amina had so far “protected” her fidelity and chastity. later, a dying Amina asks God: Why, to men, the chastity of the body matters mostIJ
It was an absorbing story, competently told. The exquisite architecture of assembled and dismantled shampans provided the bed-rock of the stage-props. The folk form of pala gaan, sitting in the round by two rows of dramatis personae, and providing many altrernate Aminas, and indeed all the other characters was an attractivre ploy and the lilting lyrics of the Bangladeshi music provided wonderful support to the narrative.
Excerpts from interaction with the director:
Tell us about the narrative...
I’ve used two stories. The first, from the 350-year-old Mymenshigha Geetika, is that of Velua Sundari who was for ever hunted by rich merchants and aged widowers and who eventually committed suicide. The second is from the shampan folklore of Chittagong, because, I wanted my story-telling to deal with journeys, with the protagonists being coastal folks.
You’ve broken the usual format of pala gaan…
Indeed, the normal folk-style is the leader-and-support form, but I thought I could add more gaity and variety by multiple singers, and all others joining in the support-role, and exchanging roles all the while.
You’ve used both folk songs and classical ragas...
The music has been set by my late husband SM Solaiman, who was our group’s founder-director. I miss his presence and inspiration.
What is the leit motif of the playIJ
The greatness of love, struggle and humanity in this play has moved me deeply. I’ve been inspired by the dual conflict of triviality of human life in the face of eternity, and the insignificance of eternity in the greatness of one human life. This is why we’ve presented the story of one Amina: representing several Aminas.
What’s the story’s relevance todayIJ
To me, Amina is timeless.